365 Reflections

The preacher talks about money in Ecclesiastes 5. And if we want to live full lives, we best pay attention. For Solomon had more money than we can imagine. And he realized the danger in ways few will understand. So what does he have to say? Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 (ESV) He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. Is it a coincidence that money is discussed RIGHT AFTER Solomon instructs us in repeated terms to come to God's house with silence to listen rather than offer the "sacrifices of fools?" (See Ecclesiastes 5:1). Not at all. Solomon knows that money and riches can stop your ears and darken your heart to God. And so many of our prayers are sustenance related. Th...

Hey readers! My book is finally out!  Get a copy and tell me what you think! Remember the last act of Jehoshaphat?  2 Chronicles 20:35 (ESV) After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. It's one verse that outlines a horrible moment for this once inspirational servant of God. He enters into partnership with the Northern Kingdom's heinous king Ahaziah - son of Ahab. These actions leave an indelible mark on his son.  2 Chronicles 21:1 (ESV) Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. For as righteous and committed to God Jehoshaphat was in his early and middle-aged life, his later years proved troubling for his son who would take his place. Jehoram goes down as Judah's most uncelebrated king because of his wickedness and rage. Look at what happens. 2 Chronicles 21:2–3 (ESV) He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zecha...

I almost called this post, "The Problem with Success" But the truth is that Americans (and in large part people around the world) consider success to be one thing - having lots of money. In my last post, we explored the wisdom and fame Solomon acquired. He was granted so much wisdom and fame that foreigners came to hear and receive it. The Queen of Sheba rightly attested to God's purpose in the prosperity of Solomon's life - to bless God's people whom He loved.  Solomon is indeed driven by this purpose and the beginning of his zenith is marked with using God's blessing to bless the people. But before long in 2 Chronicles 9 we see his misuse of the blessing.  2 Chronicles 9:13–14 (ESV) Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14 besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. Solomon continues to grow and increase. We ar...

2 Chronicles 3:1 (ESV) Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The main event has come to Solomon's life. This is what God called him to do - build the Temple. And as he builds the temple as a place for God to dwell among the people, there are images we are given in the details to help us understand what the presence of God is all about.  What's clear is that Solomon invests heavily in the beauty of the Temple.  2 Chronicles 3:6–7 (ESV) He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. 7 So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—and he carved cherubim on the walls. Gold and precious stones covered the Temple. The presence of God is a place of value. But something else is as well: 2 Chronicles 3:10–13 (ESV) In the Most Holy Place...

David calls on the assembly of Israel to donate to the construction of the temple in 1 Chronicles 29. He will also lead the giving of the assembly and the people will rejoice in their contributions to God's house.  1 Chronicles 29:2–5 (ESV) So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. 3 Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 4 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, 5 and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the ...

The legacy Hezekiah leaves behind for his children is one of riches, fame, healing, and deliverance from his enemies. But his heart was proud and he never gave God the honor He deserves toward the end of his life.  The result of Hezekiah's life is extrapolated in the testimony of his son, Manasseh. But first I remind you of Hezekiah's wealth and privilege provided him by the gracious hand of the Lord. His nation was under the threat of Assyria and the Lord sent his angel to destroy 185,000 troops in the night to secure him peace. He was intended to die by illness but his earnest prayer to God yielded a miraculous recovery. On top of these things, he increased in wealth substantially. At the visit of the Babylonian emissary it says this: 2 Kings 20:13 (ESV) Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house , the silver , the gold , the spices , the precious oil , his armory , all that was found in his storehouses. You could say Hezekiah lived the good life to the...

We can say we love God and say we believe and truth Him, but the rubber hits the road when we give to and go to work on His house - the Church. In 2 Kings 12, we have a righteous king on the throne following the debacle that was the wicked queen Athaliah. 2 Kings 12:2–3 (ESV) And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places. Now Jehoash's first move as the king in the narrative is incredible. He decides to call for a rebuilding campaign over the Temple. 2 Kings 12:4–5 (ESV) Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the LORD, the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money that a man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD, 5 let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them...

2 Kings 5:26 (ESV) But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? These are the words Elisha speaks to Gehazi after he returns from trying to make money on the ministry Elisha provided to Naaman in healing him from his leprosy. Gehazi secretly runs off to Naaman, invests a story about visiting guests and takes clothing and money for himself which he then tries to hide from Elisha.  He should have known by now you cannot hide anything from Elisha.   Gehazi has been faithful to Elisha in so many other respects. Why now does he suddenly see an opportunity to enrich himself through the ministry? I think it's because there's a weakness in all of us that when we are presented with an opportunity to indulge, we will. For Gehazi, it was monetary gain. Perhaps he realized the golden opportunity before h...

Solomon's aspirations for the Temple of God are admirable. He uses the best materials and the most sacred style of construction to send a message to the nation and the world that the HOUSE of the Lord deserved the highest priority. Sadly, the story of Solomon takes a sad turn just after the details of the Temple's construction are finished. Notice how the text quickly moves on to discuss Solomon's work on his own home and several others adjoining buildings for himself plus his queen's own residence in 1 Kings 7. The first hint at the problems occurs with the last verse of 1 Kings 6 and the first verse of 1 Kings 7: 1 Kings 6:38–7:1 (ESV)   And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it. 1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years , and he finished his entire house. There is a tendency for those who work hard...

Dear Readers, Sorry for the late post. Just returned from a Vision Trip to Uganda. Back to our walk through 1 Samuel. Everyone is a fool about something. The man Nabal is a fool about money in the 25th chapter of 1 Samuel.  He thinks his money is all about him and considers the resources in his care are for the sole purpose of pleasures of his life. After the death of Samuel, we are greeted with a man who expresses the exact opposite spirit of the great prophet. In this chapter David and his army protect and care for Nabal's possessions during the time the Philistines are regularly raiding Israel and causing havoc. Where David goes, however, there is peace and prosperity. Most notably here for a man named Nabal. Sadly, Nabal totally disrespects the work of David concerning his property. The key moment in the chapter is when Nabal pretends feigned ignorance of who David is when he's aware his father's name is Jesse. Then with thankless antagonism, he considers David a ...

1 Samuel 8:3–5 (ESV)   Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” The passage above describes the sons of Samuel. How often men and women of God in one generation struggle to produce God-fearing children. It's in the scriptures here to show us that even a man as noble as Samuel can fail to raise up children who disregard righteousness.  But there's another aspect of this passage I want to investigate. You should notice the error of the young men was seeking after "gain." Was this because the righteous life of Samuel was one that shunned material possessions for the call of God? Where his sons sick of being "poor" for the Lord's sake? It may be speculation but I would...

Deuteronomy 15:7–11 (ESV)   “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ The faith of Israel was no...

Deuteronomy 14:22–23 (ESV)   “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. God has already spoken to Israel about the tithe in Deuteronomy 12.  Deuteronomy 12:5–6 (ESV) But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. It seems even the Old Testament people of God were like normal people who need to be reminded again that tithing is not optional for God'...

The longest chapter in the Books of Moses is Numbers 7. What a chapter to attain that designation. If you read it, it gets boring and repetitive very fast on the surface. But this incredible chapter is teaching us something powerful about God, our giving and His leading. Numbers 7:1-5 (ESV) On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, 2 the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached 3 and brought their offerings before the LORD, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, 5 "Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service."...

God in the Old Testament is full of grace. Overwhelming grace again and again. The people saved out of Egypt made idols moments after God miraculously delivered them and provided for them. They demanded to go back to Egypt every time their comfort was disquieted for a moment. God gave Moses the instructions on the tabernacle. Then the people gravely sinned. Three thousand were put to death, a plague broke out. Then God offers to give them the land minus Himself. They repent, Moses intercedes and God relents and agrees to accompany them and then restarts the production of the Tabernacle. Exodus 35:4–10 (ESV) Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord . Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord ’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia woo...

One of the hardest tests in life is the test of prosperity. Most people turn to God easily when they have nothing left. Rock bottom often cracks even the toughest nuts. But prosperity is different. It's much more potent in the heart of those who have been called by God to trust Him alone. Isaac exemplifies a struggle with prosperity and how not letting go only delays God's best. Isaac has moved to Gerar in the land of the Philistines because of a famine in the land. That alone was probably enough to mess with him. If God is here, why is there no food? He departs for greener pastures and he ends up doing quite well for himself in a foreign land. Genesis 26:12–14 (ESV) And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. His success breeds the contempt o...

Hebrews speaks of our predecessors of the promises of God: Hebrews 11:13 (ESV) These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For the first time in his life, Abraham has to face the death of someone close to him. His own wife Sarah. Genesis 23:2 (ESV) 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. How will Abraham handle death? It's the first time Abraham is recorded as crying the Bible.  It's also the first time Abraham has to deal with reconciling the promises of God and the ultimate delay of death. For as far as he knew, the land was to be his, but now he has only one son and his wife has passed away. Where are the fulfillments of God's promises from Genesis 12? For most of the next chapter, the Author spends a great deal o...

Genesis 14:17–23 (ESV)   After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord , God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ Abram makes a key decision here. After winning the war, he is blessed by the mysterious Melchizedek when he's brought brea...

I love Psalm 67. I preached it a while back at our Church. It was the start of our building campaign. Raising money for a church building is always a challenge. Why do we need a bigger building? Why not stay in our comfort zone? Isn't this just about money? But if you read Psalm 67, there's a clear directive for using our blessings to make God known. Psalm 67:1–2 (ESV) 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. The Psalm was written for the harvest. Right before the Israelites would head out to reap God's blessing from their labor, they would gather and recite Psalm 67.  Psalm 67:6–7 (ESV)   The earth has yielded its increase  says the Psalmist. That is, the harvest has come and we are about to benefit from the good Earth God has given to us. So picture this... they are about to take in God's miraculous provision from the...

To live in pride is to live like a animal. Psalm 49:12 (ESV) Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. The Psalmist calls us to examine life in the light of our brevity and purpose. Our purpose is to know God, yet some of us spend our whole lives trying to know riches and power.  Psalm 49:10–11 (ESV) For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. There is a story of a man who was granted one wish. So he wished for a copy of the Wall Street Journal one year in advance. He was about to go to business with his new found insight and make a fortune, but he as he looked through the pages he saw his own name and picture in the Obituaries. They called him a successful financial tycoon, but for him it was all over before it started.  We are surr...