Day 95 – Time can heal the broken pieces of our past.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 25 – 1 Chronicles 2

2 Kings 25:27-28 “And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.”

Following in his families footsteps, Judah fell and was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. King Jehoiachin was thrown into prison, the walls of Jerusalem were torn down, and only the poorest of people were left to take care of the fields for the Babylonians. 37 long years later, a new king was over Babylon, Evil-merodach, and he freed King Jehoiachin and raised him up to a place of royalty again.

Even as a clock ticks and stops in mid-second but time keeps moving on, often when friendships end and families fall-out, life keeps going on. Yet at some point the clock will be fixed and time will return to normal. As well, at some point the the next generation will have no idea why the feud began but will be told to keep it going. Yet, we can choose to be like King Evil-merodach. We can allow time to pass, giving each dispute rest and eventually through intentionality, be freed from the argument, bringing resolution and reconciliation to the relationship.

God created us for relationships with each other, but He desires that these relationships be filled with Love and that the wounds that exist can be healed by His Son. It is our own stubbornness that holds on to the feud of the past. It’s our selfish desires that can’t let them go. It’s our jealousy that keeps the clock broken and the feud going. If a feud exists between you and someone else, make it a point to free yourself and the other person from this bondage. It may not look the same, you may need boundaries, but let them sit at your table, allow them to see the love of Christ. We are to love our enemies and our neighbors as we love ourselves, and as the clock ticks again, time will heal the wounds of the broken heart. And maybe like Esther, you were called to the kingdom for a such a time as this. (4:14)

Day 94 – Holding back a part of your Heart can hold you back from the amazing Journey God has for you.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 20 – 24

2 Kings 20:3 “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”

Hezekiah loved the Lord with all of his heart just like David before him and he wanted to make sure God knew it. Isaiah found Hezekiah on his death bed and wanted the King to get all of his things in order. All Hezekiah could think to do was go to prayer before the Lord, weeping in total humility not ready to leave this world. And Hezekiah prayed that the Lord would know that He had the King’s whole heart and he had always walked in God’s ways. So God told Isaiah to tell Hezekiah he would be healed and live 15 more years.

God wants our entire heart, not just a little, not just half, and not just 90%. He wants all 100%. When God was called me into ministry years ago, I thought I had given Him 100%, but instead I was giving Him what I thought I could give. Part of me would work during the day and the other part would do the work He was calling me to. But God wouldn’t tell me all He would want me to do until I gave Him all of myself….and when I finally did….Wow!!!! I would have not done or be who I am today without giving God all of ME. What may God be calling you to? What journey does He have planned for your life? Have you given Him all of you? If 100% of your ❤️ is His, you have 0% of your 💙 to lose.

Day 93 – Repeat offenses may Drive anyone to Insanity and out of God’s Will.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 15 – 19

2 Kings 17:22-23 “The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.”

Over and over and over again the Israelite kings would do evil before the Lord, never turning from their sins but continuing to follow in the footsteps of the Israelite kings before them. God was finally fed up by their sinfulness and he drove them from their promised land into the hands and land of their Assyrian enemies.

God will not allow us to continue over and over again in our sins without a consequence.

It’s like they say, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again hoping to get a different result.” If we are repeating our sins and hoping God will at some point decide it’s not a sin, we are dead wrong. He wants us to recognize the sin we are committing and repent of it (turn in a different direction) and ask Him for forgiveness. In this way, we are humbling ourselves, showing Him we recognize His authority.

In reality, our humility, is a form of worship. Our children, our children’s children, our states, and our nation needs us to stop sinning and experiencing the consequences of our sins. We need to create a Legacy of Faith that will teach the next generation the way in which they should go. Here’s the deal though, not all sins look like disaster; gossip, division, hate, lying, slander, jealousy, etc….these are all sins, too. I ask, plead, and pray that each one of us will decide TODAY to make a change in our own lives that is an act of repentance, so instead of being DRIVEN out, we DRIVE our children into a better future and a Nation that Glorifies God.

Day 92 – Consistency in church, in Bible reading, and prayer, is the best way to stay consistent and grow in your walk with God.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 12 – 14

2 Kings 12:2 “And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.”

The kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah were never on the same path. Some were strong in their Faith and followed the Lord, whereas, others, well not so much. But King Jehoash was a Faithful King, he did what was right according to the Lord all the days of his life, but that was only because he was consistently under the instruction of the priest Jehoiada.

Everyone may suffer a drought in their spiritual walk at some time or another, I know I have, but when you stay consistent with prayer, Bible reading, and church engagement, the rain will fall on your Faith journey again. I know too many people that haven’t agreed with a pastor or gotten mad at a church and left never to find a new one. After being gone for a little while, there walk began to stray from the Lord and eventually they were so far from their faith that they thought there was no turning back. I meet people that say they never hear from God, but they also never read His Word or pray consistently. Often I hear both men and women say they never meet anyone at church, but they also walk in on Sunday morning and walk out after the sermon, never taking the time to engage in a an area of need at the church or a Bible Study.

To be able to Grow in your walk, you have to walk the talk. Growing takes intentionality. It takes watering, fertilizing, and pruning. It takes conversations with the Lord (prayer), growing relationships with other Christians (church engagement), and Reading the Word. This is how I pick up my cross daily, and how I’d love to grow with you.

Day 91 – Awe…the sweet sound of silence.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 9 – 11

2 Kings 11:20 “So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king’s house.”

Have you ever met my children? Quiet, whisper, inside voice, silence, I’m positive none of these are a part of the vocabulary God placed in my kids’ brains. It was so bad when they were young I had an ENT check their hearing just to make sure that wasn’t the problem. Nope, they’re just loud. In our house you can’t tell the difference between a sibling battle, laughter, and a dinner conversation, they all sound like someone’s about to be destroyed or going to get destroyed.

I can only imagine the chaos when the Queen Mother killed all of the Royal Family (missing the next in line and his sister) so she could take over the throne. I bet the Kingdom of Judah was like a herd of cats and dogs, all in an uproar over Queen Athaliah. But when Joash turned 7, those who knew where he was hidden, brought him back into the Kingdom and crowned him King. As King, Joash’s first decision was to rid Judah of Athaliah and bring peace to the kingdom once again. And that he did!

Do you know what my favorite pastime is? Reading in silence. Well with my children living under my rough that really is quite difficult, and all I want to do is slip into the silence of my bedroom and read for a while. Brett and I will make plans for him to get the kids to bed and pray so I can go read, but like clockwork, I’ll hear the feet of one of my children coming down the hall to jump in bed and talk. Then one by one, they all file in with Brett in tow. There goes my silence, there goes my reading, but Brett keeps reminding, one day soon they’ll all be out of the house and I’ll have plenty of silence to read. Until then, I’ll rejoice in the chaos and read before they wake up!

Day 90– When facing the battle remember God’s Army is much bigger than the enemy’s.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 6 – 8

2 Kings 6:16-17 “He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Feeling like you are 1 against 1000 when you are doing the right thing is a hard pill to swallow. But in reality, you are never just 1 when you are fighting on the side of Our Great God. Not only are you not alone, but God’s army is SOOOO much Bigger than any enemy army you are up against. (And by the way, God’s going to Win).

Sometimes your enemy may feel like Goliath and you feel like a little shepherd boy with a stone in your pocket. Goliath may have a sword in his hand, but you have the Hand of God on your side. And God looks at Goliath’s sword and sees a pocket knife and He makes your stone into a massive bolder.

I’m sure that if you ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the Army on your side, you will see the same fiery chariots that surrounded Elisha.

Years ago a friend and I were talking about how she had just found out her husband was having an affair. She felt completely alone, like no one was on her side and even her husband was blaming her for his infidelity. She didn’t know what she was going to do, if she could fight the battle of the enemy, or if she could even go on. One day she got in her car ready to take her future into her own hands, fighting the battle with a stone and a slingshot, but as she put her key into the ignition and turned on the car, she heard an audible voice come through the speaker saying, “Turn off the car. I’ve got this and you aren’t alone. Let me have final judgement.” She turned off her car because the army of God was on her side.

Are you in a battle? Let God fight for you. Are you afraid? Ask God to open your eyes to the army of God surrounding you.

Day 89 – When the answer seems to simple, some may think it must be wrong.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 3 – 5

“And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” 2 Kings 5:10-11

Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria, but that didn’t keep him from sufferings way. For most of his life Naaman lived with leprosy, which can be extremely painful and keep people at bay for fear of contracting the disease. A young, Israelite servant girl in his home knew that the Lord could heal him if he would just go seek wisdom from Elisha the prophet, but the wisdom he would receive seemed to simple to Naaman. Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan River 7 times and he would be healed, but Naaman was disgusted by the easy answer and left unhealed. With the encouragement of all his servants, Naaman finally turned around and followed Elisha’s wishes. Not only was Naaman healed but his skin became healthier than a young child.

My son is a lot like Naaman. A born leader, full of wisdom beyond his years, loved by many, especially his parents. However, when asked to pour his own cup of milk, instead of doing it, he sometimes walks away because he didn’t receive the answer he was hoping for. Such a simple a task to complete, but the desired answer wasn’t given. But don’t we all do this sometimes? Look for the hard answer when it really could be something much easier.

Just think about this riddle, “what falls between Heaven and Earth?”

Sometimes the answer may be as easy as a prayer, but we think we must climb a mountain instead. We don’t have fall for the enemies trap of deterring us from following the Lord’s way. Sometimes the answer we are looking for is a lot simpler like the answer to the riddle above……And!

Day 88 – A double portion of God’s Spirit on us is like a burning fire that can never be quenched.

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 22 – 2 Kings 2

2 Kings 2:9-10 “When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”

Today we move out of 1 Kings 22 into the departure of Elijah, the prophet, in 2 Kings. Elijah had not only heard from the Lord along his walk on earth, but he had also spoken what he had heard even when it might mean death. His walk was so close to God that when it was time for Elijah to go to Heaven he never died, instead was taken up in a whirlwind. However, Before leaving this earth he asked his successor, Elisha, what he could do for him. Elisha was very wise, but probably extremely scared since there were so many people after Elijah’s life. So, Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of the Spirit that was upon him. Elijah knew this wasn’t something he had any authority or ability to give, but only something that could come from God.

Do we not all want a double portion of the Spirit of God within us? How did you feel When you first experienced God? What about the time God got you through something you didn’t think would ever end? In these times, couldn’t you feel His presence all over the situation? That, my friend, is the Holy Spirit flowing through you like a burning fire. He’s igniting a passion in you for the journey ahead. Often this passion begins to wane as your situation because “normal” again or after you have so much good you forget where the food came from.

As you grow in your walk, sometimes your passion begins to settle and you forget that burning fire that was once lit within your soul. This is when you too need to be begging God for a double portion of His Holy Spirit. Even I must pray for this passion to stay within me because let’s be honest, life happens. Beg the Lord for a double portion as well. Never settle for a spark when you can have the whole Burning Fire!

Day 87 – We Live because He is ALIVE!

Todays Reading: 1 Kings 17 – 21

1 Kings 17:23-24 “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

God led Elijah to a poor widow and her son during a horrible drought. It seemed like a very ordinary visit for Elijah and a very perplexing visit for the mom. She didn’t have enough food for her son, much less Elijah as well; But God turns every moment into a moment for Him to Shine.

He started by giving the widow an overflowing amount of oil and flour to bake with until the drought was over. Yet, as soon as this miracle passed, the boy became ill and died. The widow was devastated and blamed Elijah for bringing this disaster to her home. So, Elijah went to the boy and prayed over him to God, and after pleading and praying 3 times, Life came back in the boy. This gift of life was amazing and the mother knew immediately Elijah was from God.

As we know all to well, God doesn’t always choose to bring life back into the dead. But God, He always brings LIFE and His light into every situation. God has conquered Death!

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow we have this Great promise that we are ALIVE because He Lives!

Day 86 – The greatest leaders lead by example, serving instead of being served.

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 12 – 16

1 Kings 12:7 “And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.”

Today’s reading is the beginning of the Changing of King’s and the split of the Kingdom’s. (There will now be Judah and Israel, so try and not get lost, I’ve written out a table of all the Kings before. It helped me keep them in order.)

Jesus said, those who want to be first must be last.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, had the chance to be a great King. In seeking wisdom for how to reign, he went to the elders, but they told him to serve the people and loosen their yoke. Rehoboam didn’t like what they said so he sought the advice of his unwise friends. They told him to make the people’s yoke even heavier, and he went further off the path of the Lord.

Sadly, Many leaders are like this. They want to be the best and feel like they are on top of the world. They make everyone else do all of the work as they sit in their glass castles and watch. However, great leaders that are beloved and followed faithfully, resemble the greatest example of the greatest Servant Leader ever. These leaders can delegate to others, but they are also willing to get their hands dirty and do the work themselves. They never sit idol, they encourage work by words and actions.

As I think of Christ’s last walk to Golgotha, carrying the heavy cross, being nailed and hung, dying a horrific death for me….and you, I know that I want to pick up my cross too and follow Him. Carrying the cross daily, making Jesus example matter all year, no matter the cost, no matter what I still must go through in the future. It is my desire to always serve others and not myself, to live out the example of the greatest leader ever.

We can all lead, but are you willing to lead like Jesus?