365 Reflections

Hezekiah models a wonderful prayer for us in the first part of Isiah 37. When the enemies came in with power and intimidation, Hezekiah laid it out before the Lord and called on the One he knew was really in charge of all things. The resultant words and events proved his prayer was on point.  Isaiah 37:21–22 (ESV) Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him:... Notice the phrase from God. "Because you have prayed to me". Israel had begun to turn to Egypt for help. The temptation was to trust the powers of politics. But sometimes God lets the enemy do something we know our earthly ambitions have no power against and we are left with prayer. It is then we learn that prayer is what we should have been practicing all along. Let us note also that the WORD of the Lord comes after Isaiah prays! God is now...

When the message from Rabshekeh reaches Hezekiah about Sennecarib's insulting taunt, we find the king's response incredibly specific. He seeks God. But he teaches us how leaders should do so.  Isaiah 37:1–4 (ESV) As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ” He sends a message to Isaiah the ...

There's a skill we often lack in the Christian world. Here it is - to speak truthfully about life, to describe honestly what's going on in our hearts and minds, and to express it audibly. There tends to be a superficiality to our faith that fails to let the sufferers cry, the sinful confess, and the one in misfortune express his frustrations with God. We expect people to be quiet and go to church far too much. We do so in defiance of the model laid out for us in the scriptures time and again and most notably with Job.  Job has held on now for 25 chapters of harassing speech from his friends. You have to imagine that they have only added salt to the wounds of his heart from all the trouble life has given him. But now after three cycles of conversations with them, Job has not given in. You have to credit him with either a strong sense of stubbornness or a very strong sense of conviction about his perspective on life. I give him the latter. Job knows his suffering is uncalled for ...

For all the fear and hesitation in Esther's life regarding her approach to the King in Esther 4, the response of the King to her mere appearance suggests she's living completely disconnected from reality. The king sees her and instantly favors her and invites her into the throneroom. Then, when she arrives, he's more than willing to give her whatever she may desire: Esther 5:3 (ESV) And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” Perhaps we need to realize something about God here. He WANTS us to approach Him with our requests. He wants us to ask and not doubt. He wants us to be bold in our approach and grand in our desires of Him. This whole event reminds me of the parable Jesus tells of the widow who cried out to the unjust judge who cared neither about God nor man but saw that she got justice because she never stopped asking.  Now what Esther asks for here is NOT what she really wants. Es...

If you want to measure ministry and/or leadership effectiveness, look at Ezra. Ezra is not known for powerful miracles or wise administration, although he did possess the latter. The main effect of Ezra's leadership was his humble obedience to and reliance upon God. Notice how the last chapter of the book opens: Ezra 10:1 (ESV) While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. Ezra is still broken up about the intermarriage among Israel's people, especially that of her priests. This was a huge no-no and the original reason for the demise of the country. Led by Solomon centuries earlier, the nation was joined both spiritually and emotionally to pagan women who led their men away from the Lord. Now Ezra, on behalf of the people's evil, makes confession and humbles himself in prayer for the nation. And notice what it sa...

What is our hope in sin? The world is full of sin and we are all guilty. Humans hurt and demean one another. We objectify and use one another. Consequently, the world is full of pain, full of war and full of evil.  Have you ever watched the news and thought, "What is wrong with the world?" The answer is simple: We are. It doesn't take a graduate degree in sociology to see that we have a propensity to damage the planet and the occupants of it. That's the problem. The problem is human sin. So what's the solution? Better education? More money? A valiant call to unity? More rights? Some even suggest fewer people.  But that is not the picture we have in scripture.   At the final convocation of the Temple Solomon builds, there is a wonderful picture of Solomon praying before the people in their presence and on their behalf. Solomon is king and yet note the posture of humility and hunger for God. Would that we had more national leaders like this: 2 Chronicles 6:12–15 (ES...

When David prepares to build God's Temple the Lord sends word quickly through Nathan that he is not going to do it. This had to be hard to take for a man who was so used by the Lord to defeat the giant threatening Israel's existence. Yet the response David expresses is incredible. He received the Lord's "no" with grace and he focused on what God was going to do through him rather than what he had planned to do for God.  1 Chronicles 17:16–18 (ESV) Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O LORD God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. God told David he would not build a house for him but instead, the Lord would build a house through David that would outla...

Prayer gets answered. That much is true when you familiarize yourself with scripture. In fact, God is so committed to answering our prayers sometimes the scripture interrupts us with a short story to inform us just how often prayer gets answered. The story is familiar to many Christians. The name has been in the title of books and sermons. It's the one name that stands out other than David in the first 4 chapters of the genealogical record of 1 Chronicles. 1 Chronicles 4:9–10 (ESV) Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. This text comes alive when you consider its context. The list of names goes on and on. The order and delivery were hugely important for Israel to f...

2 Kings 20:1 (ESV) In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’ ” The life of Hezekiah is one many Christians can relate to. He had his moments of great faith and trust in the Lord, but he also had moments of pride and selfishness. At this moment, he's on the verge of death. Now in this weakened state the prophet Isaiah comes along with the worst news possible. He's going to die. Consider being in Hezekiah's shoes. You're weak and ill and the only word you get from the prophet is impending death. Yikes.  What would you do if God's servant told you you were going to die? I imagine many of us would resign ourselves to God's diagnosis. After all, it is God's decision, and who can change it? I think we'd suppose He has reasons and that we perhaps deserved it and there's no chan...

2 Kings 3 turns back from attention to the prophets to attention to the kings of Israel and Judah. The Northern kingdom of Israel suddenly loses tribute from Moab and a battle is called by the son of Ahab, Jehoram. However, Jehoram is unsure of his ability to win so he enlists the help of Judah and King Jehoshaphat as his father Ahab had done years earlier. As they make their way to the battle, they encounter a serious problem of no water for their troops. 2 Kings 3:9–10 (ESV) So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. 10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” The king of Israel here represents the typical half-hearted believer. The moment trouble strikes they immediately blame the Lord for their problems. Jehoshaphat functions as both the voice of rea...

When you consider the things Elijah had accomplished in his life, the fact that he sunk into such a miserable state so quickly with seemingly no way out (in his own mind) is rather incredible. 1 Kings 19:11–13 (ESV) And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” After running 40 days and 40 nights on the food the angel prepared, Elijah holds up in a cave near Mount Horeb. Why Horeb? Because that is where the Israelites met wit...

The world is full of arrogant men and women. We have enough of those who seek the glory and prestige of the age. We need more men and women who know the immense value of humility and prayer. Elijah is like that man. 1 Kings 18:41–42 (ESV) And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. This is just after the slaughter of the prophets of Baal. Think of Elijah slaughtering those prophets the next time you want to imagine this Biblical hero along the lines of a seriously committed Sunday School teacher. But I digress back to Elijah's prayer life. We should look at what Elijah has thus prayed for in the land of Israel. First, he prayed for a drought that they might be chastised for their sins. This prayer was answered and the nation was in crisis mode and ready for a work...

The book of 1 Kings has shown us a long list of terrible kings in the Northern kingdom of Israel. On to the scene as Israel endures her 7th and most idolatrous king bursts Elijah the prophet. I am sure that if you aren't an avid Bible reader, his name is the only one familiar to you thus far in the book which speaks to a powerful truth underlying this narrative's message: It is not the powerful kings that move Israel along, it is those prophets who speak for God without fear, who challenge power and let God take care of the rest. But before he was ever a prophet, Elijah was a prayer warrior. 1 Kings 17:1 (ESV) Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”  What we are asked to see immediately is where Elijah is from rather than WHO Elijah is from. All the kings of Israel were identified by their father, even the wicked Ahab. Elij...

1 Kings 3:6–9 (ESV) 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” There's a lot to learn from Solomon's words to God's "blank check" moment. Let us not forget this is a dream. Dreams have a lot to say about who we are and how we see the wo...

If you want to know how to pray effective prayers, find the great men and women in the scriptures who prayed and watch how they did it. We come to David's response in 2 Samuel 7 to God's promise to build him a house and establish his kingdom forever. The words that come from David are eloquent, exalting the Lord and submitting his blessing to His plan and purpose. They also provide us with a key to secret strength as people whom God chooses and uses for His purposes. 2 Samuel 7:18–19 (ESV)   Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God , and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God . You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God ! I love the picture of David sitting before the Lord. This is a humble posture. He's overwhelmed with God's promises made to him earlier in the chapter. W...

1 Samuel 23:2 (ESV) Therefore David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." David is going to enter the training of the Lord. How so? He’s going to be betrayed by the very people he is sent to save. The training will begin even before he gets to them. For after David inquires of God here about attacking the Philistines and saving Keilah his own men are afraid. 1 Samuel 23:3 (ESV) But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" Remember these are that rag-tag group of rejects from the kingdom of Saul who haven’t go much strength or experience with victory. But when they show fear David prays again... 1 Samuel 23:4-5 (ESV) Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistine...

The Ark came back to Israel but all was not well. Twenty years pass and Israel has no way out of their predicament with the Philistines. Eventually, Samuel calls the people back to God commanding them to put away their foreign Gods and direct their heart to the Lord. The people listen to him. 1 Samuel 7:5–6 (ESV) Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord .” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. Now in verse 5, they are gathered together seeking the Lord. They fast, and Samuel takes the lead of God's people. "Mizpah" means "watchtower" which would have been some sort of military station. The Philistines hear they are gathering at a military location and decide to intimidate them with a military advance against of their own. The people turn to Samuel...

At the beginning of the 1 Samuel, Hannah is discouraged and beaten down by life. Her prayer life makes all the difference as she pours out her soul to the Lord in earnest petition. God answers her prayer and gives her a son. This son was vowed to God's service and Hannah does something important: She HONORS her vow to God and fulfills it. Ecclesiastes 5:4 (ESV) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is important to note WHEN Hannah brought the boy to the Temple. It reads, 1 Samuel 1:22 (ESV)  she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.” Hebrew women weaned a child for 3-4 years in the ancient world. This means Hannah has a lot of personal investment in this son. Hannah doesn't want to offer a child that would drain the resources of God's work in the Temple. Imagine a baby dropped off in God'...

First Samuel starts in a strange fashion. The story leading to Samuel's birth will highlight the travail of his mother long before. For certain, this woman Hannah has it pretty bad. She's in a polygamous marriage and has born the man no children while her "rival" wife (note the Bible's use of that term instead of modern pop-culture's 'sister' term) has borne sons and daughters. As if the situation for Hannah was not bleak enough on the merits, she's surrounded by people quite clueless to her feelings. For instance, her rival wife "grievously" teases her: 1 Samuel 1:6–7 (ESV) And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord , she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Note her husband's typical "man" attitude, oblivious to her pain 1 Samuel 1:8 (ESV) A...

The end of Samson's life looks like a terrible subscript written at the end of a movie which already seemed to end with tragedy. He is blinded bound and forced to work, grinding grain for the very people God called him to defeat. He has become physically what Israel is nationally - blind, bound and ground by their enemies. Now if you remember, the sequence of the famous Judges' cycle it is that Israel would sin, get enslaved and then cry out to God. God would respond with a judge and deliver them for a time until the cycle repeated once more. In the Samson cycle, there all the elements minus the people crying out to God for deliverance. Yet God raises up Samson and it seems clear Samson is not just a historical story but a picture of Israel's descent into the morbid slave-state vassal of Philistines. So I consider God is using this story not only to instigate the nation's deliverance but to awaken them to pray for His help EVEN when they seem to least deserve it! ...