365 Reflections

Jonah 2:8–9 (ESV) Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” Before we leave Jonah's ordeal in the belly of the great fish, we should look at these last lines to understand the power of God's salvation. He first confesses, "those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope." An idol is anything that takes our hearts away from God. They can be things, people, places, or even our own emotional needs. What idol may Jonah be renouncing in his own life at this point? Perhaps it was the idol of ethnocentrism. The sense that those evil Ninevites did not deserve the grace of God when his own nation was playing the fool with the preface to those same sins! Maybe it was the idol that God was wrong, and he was right. Perhaps it was the idol of self-love, the source of almost every other sin. Whatever the case, Jonah acknow...

Sometimes I don't' understand Solomon at all. He goes from these incredible moments with the Lord where he worships extravagantly, experiences God's presence, and seeks God's wisdom in humility to moments where he's breaking the law, building his army contrary to scripture and falling into worldly ways.  Note these two passages: 2 Chronicles 1:14 (ESV) Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen , whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem . Deuteronomy 17:16 (ESV) Only he (Israel's king) must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses , since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ Not only does Solomon suffer from wavering faith. But in the second chapter of 2 Chronicles, the man God specifically selected to succeed David and build the temple is feeling a bit ill-equipped for the job. How do I...

But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." (Matthew 14:30 ESV) This is a cry from a man who probably bit off more than he could chew. A man who willingly jumped at the chance to walk on water but suddenly realized he was walking on water . His step of faith also exposed his dark side of fear. When we take a chance of faith, we also take a chance to really blow it. Of course the alternative is to do nothing, play it safe, never experience the need for God to step in. That kind of life doesn't do much for anyone. It doesn't inspire.  It doesn't make it into Gospels. Peter is the disciple MOST people appreciate because he tried and failed. If he never tried we wouldn't know him, and if he had never failed, we wouldn't be able to sympathize with him. Peter's failures help as much as his successes. Peter is a lot like us. There is a part of us that wants to get out of the boat and ...