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1 Samuel 12

14 May

12 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king. 2 Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. 3 Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”

4 “No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”

5 “The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”

“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.

6 “It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.

8 “When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. 9 But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10 “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.

12 “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. 13 All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.

14 “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. 15 But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.

16 “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. 17 You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”

18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 “Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”

20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. 21 Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! 22 The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

1 Samuel 12

Dear God, when I was teaching 1 Samuel 8-10 the other night to a group of men, Israel’s big sin regarding this story occurred to me. Right in the middle of talking: In asking for a king they violated the first commandment:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me. (Exodus 20:2-3)

They made the idea of a king their god. And to be sure, I think it would be hard to live without a kingless system. Even in the United States, while we don’t have a “king,” we have a leadership structure that organizes us, and it’s hard for me to imagine living without that. It’s easy to judge the Israelites for what they wanted, but wouldn’t I want some sort of organized structure to protect us from other nations? I honestly don’t know what it would look like to not have that kind of structure.

I watched a brief clip from a World War II documentary this morning where people in Poland new the Germans were going to invade and they were vastly out gunned from a military standpoint. So they had every civilian who as capable working to shore up their defenses, including digging ditches in Warsaw to try to slow down the German tanks. Their safety was not guaranteed. In fact, they would be invaded and conquered easily.

I’m trying to come up with a parallel for me today. The best I can do with my current life is think about the things that upset me and whether or not I am upset because I am afraid for my safety and wellbeing, or whether I am upset at an injustice happening. I think it’s okay to be upset about injustice. I don’t think it’s okay for me be to upset because my wellbeing might be at stake. Upset about injustice is what you call me to do in loving my neighbor. But my wellbeing. Well, that just doesn’t matter in my worship of you.

So when I start to get concerned about our country declining, running out of weapons, making ourselves vulnerable to people who want to hurt us, etc., I do think that is sin. When I start to worry about how to preserve my money more than I worry about sharing it with those in need, I think that is a problem.

Father, the Israelites sinned here, but I get it. It’s hard for me to judge them because I’ve never been asked to live in a system that depended so heavily upon you as my “King.” In fact, I wonder if that is why the United States will never take the place of the Israelites as your people. I think some American Christians would like to think we have replaced Israel as your people, but we don’t know what it’s really like to have you as our King. We know what it’s like to be redeemed by you and have relationship with you, but I also pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag at Rotary every Monday. I am a citizen of two worlds. I worship you. I serve you. I serve others. But I am also living in a society, and I have responsibilities in that. I think the important thing now is for me to make the decisions I make every day based more on the idea of how what I do or what I vote for can help people rather than focus on how it will make me safer. Help me to live up to that ideal.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 14, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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Psalm 31

12 May

The Sayings of King Lemuel

31 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.

2 O my son, O son of my womb,
    O son of my vows,
3 do not waste your strength on women,
    on those who ruin kings.

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.
    Rulers should not crave alcohol.
5 For if they drink, they may forget the law
    and not give justice to the oppressed.
6 Alcohol is for the dying,
    and wine for those in bitter distress.
7 Let them drink to forget their poverty
    and remember their troubles no more.

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
    ensure justice for those being crushed.
9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
    and see that they get justice.

10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

13 She finds wool and flax
    and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
    and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
    with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
    a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
    her lamp burns late into the night.

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
    her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
    and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
    for everyone has warm clothes.

22 She makes her own bedspreads.
    She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
    where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
    and sashes to sell to the merchants.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
    and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness.

28 Her children stand and bless her.
    Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
    but you surpass them all!”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
    Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Proverbs 31

Dear God, I know of a relative getting married soon, and my perception is that his fiance fits this mode well. I like her, and I’m grateful for her in his life. I pray your blessing on them. I pray that you will help them to both grow in you through each other.

When I read this passage this morning, I had a few thoughts. First, of a mother trying to instruct her son as only a mother can. I would imagine this woman would have been a tough mother-in-law, but she did give her son some great advice. And it can be hard to send your son into the world. As the parents of two adult children, my wife and I have noted that when our children are dating someone what we look for is good fruit in them. Does the relationship seem to be producing good fruit or bad fruit. Are they growing and maturing, or are they regressing? Do they seem to be growing more selfless and loving or more selfish and defensive? Good fruit is really all we care about.

Second, I thought of the Kim Hill song “Charm is Deceitful.”

I remember this song from over 30 years ago. I think it came out about the time my wife and I got married in 1992. At the time, I thought these words described her. I still think that. She’s a remarkably good woman. How on earth did you give me enough insight to choose her as a wife and give her the mercy to choose me as a husband? We were so young. We made a decision beyond our years.

Father, I pray for my wife today. She’s had some recent sorrow. I pray that you will strongly support her, raise up voices around her who can be an encouragement to her, and help her to feel your love above everything else. Help her to transcend her earthly pain. Help the things of earth to grow strangely dim as she turns her eyes upon you. And I pray for the couple I mentioned earlier. I pray that you will bless their marriage. That you will use them in each other’s lives. That there might be joy and peace in their home.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2026 in Proverbs

 

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Ephesians 4:30-32

11 May

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:30-32

Dear God, I head a sermon Saturday evening where the priest mentioned that the Holy Spirit is with us after baptism, whether we like it or not. I’m not sure about the theology of that–especially when it comes to infant baptism–but I like this reminder to not grieve you and your Holy Spirit. Bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and all types of evil behavior. That’s what I need to avoid. What do I need to do. I need to be kind to others. Tenderhearted. Forgiving. And when I don’t want to forgive, I just need to remember how much you’ve forgiven me for.

I was in a movie theater yesterday and there were two drunk women sitting in front of me. It was the biopic about Michael Jackson and they were there to have a good time. Clapping along when the songs hit. Honestly, that part didn’t bother me at all. Frankly, I was more annoyed that one of them was scrolling on her phone a lot of the time. But there were people who were sitting a ways from them who were very annoyed. For a minute, I thought a fight was going to break out. I was starting to lean forward to gently suggest that we just get through the movie when this guy gets up and confronts them. Ultimately, the more outlandish and confrontational of the two women left. I sat there wondering if I should have been more confrontational myself. Should I have said something to them earlier? I honestly can’t think of anything I would do differently, but I do wonder if I didn’t miss my opportunity to say something to them in a loving way that might have deescalated before things got confrontational.

Father, I say this because I want to be patient with people and kind to them. Maybe I’ve done that to a fault. I don’t know. Help me to know how to be your man today. I have some big things ahead of me today. I’m interviewing someone about a position at our organization. I’m teaching a new group of men at Christian Men’s Life Skills tonight. Help me and everyone involved to be what you need us to be today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 11, 2026 in Ephesians

 

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Matthew 18:15-17

10 May

15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

Matthew 18:15-17

This is an interesting verse of the day for Mother’s Day. It’s what Bible Gateway gave us, and I’m intrigued to know the decision behind it. Did the person who chose it have some forgiveness issues in their life?

There are a number of adult children right now who are not speaking to their parents. I’m not sure what has happened in this generation that changed things. I suspect that some of the parenting methods that were softer and gentler likely produced less respect for parents. But I am sure there are a number of parents who would welcome their children to follow Jesus’s counsel in verse 15. If an adult child has a problem with their parent, it would be better if they valued the relationship, used their words, and confronted the parent. Give the parent a chance to apologize. Give the parent a chance to explain. And give the parent grace and mercy for being a flawed person who loves them.

Father, I pray for the mothers today who miss their children. And the children who miss their mothers. Perhaps they miss them through death. Perhaps they miss them through physical distance. Perhaps they miss them through estrangement. Whatever the case may be, if there are those who mourn, I pray that you will bless and comfort them. If there are those who are poor in Spirit, I pray that they might know you and your kingdom. And for the children and/or parents who have walked away from relationship because of hurt, I pray for personal healing. Grow them into the men and women you’ve called them to be. Oh, and while I’m here, I know a mom whose son is deployed in the Navy off the coast of Iran. Protect her son. Comfort her. Let this be over soon.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2026 in Matthew

 

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1 Samuel 8:1-9

09 May

8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

1 Samuel 8:1-9

Dear God, you know this story has always confused me a little. Why weren’t you angry with Samuel in this story? Eli’s sons were doing bad things and you ended up not only cursing him and his boys, but their lineage as well. It seems like Samuel allowed the same things to happen with his sons, but you took this one more personally: “…they are rejecting me, not you.”

There are a lot of things to look at in these nine verses. There’s the two boys and their greed. Maybe they got more of a pass than Eli’s boys did because they were only accepting bribes and perverting justice and not taking sacred food from the Temple or sleeping with women who served at the Tent of Meeting. Maybe what they were doing could be considered blaspheming the Holy Spirit. 1 Samuel 2:17 says, “The sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.” So maybe Eli’s sons were worse as far as worshipping you. But as judges of the people, Samuel’s sons were not good.

Another aspect of this story is the foolishness of the elders to think that a king would solve this problem. Why would they think that? That’s just ridiculous. They’ll see soon enough that kings are fallible too.

Samuel’s anger. I’m honestly surprised he was upset with the Israelites. Maybe he was just upset with what the requested and not their frustration with his boys. Maybe he understood where they were coming from. But you let him off the hook. You didn’t take the blame for it because it wasn’t anything you did wrong. No, it’s more that you placed the blame on the elders and were disappointed at their foolishness.

That takes me to the last thing. You tried to tell them how foolish this was for them to ask. “Okay, we’re going to do this, but here’s what’s going to happen.” That takes us to verses 10-18 where Samuel tells them what a king will do. Their foolish reply? “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.'”

Father, are there foolish things I ask for? Is there any area in my life where I’m rejecting your leadership? Am I letting anything fester out there that will lead others into foolishness? Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to love. I’m thinking about one person I know who’s getting married soon. They’ve been with their significant other for a long time. Prepare their heart for marriage. Prepare their mind. I pray that you will raise up people, books, articles, or whatever in their lives to give them the foundation they need to go through the rest of this life together.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 9, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

07 May

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

Dear God, there’s a humility to this that I like. There’s a letting go of rights, being willing to yield to others, and a humble submission to you that is a great reminder. I’m in a situation now where I’m involved with a group that I just get to be a part of the team. I don’t have to be the leader of the team. Frankly, I’m kind of reveling in it. Give me a job. Give me the tools and resources I need to do the job. I’ll get it done. There are problems to solve, but I don’t have to be the one to solve them. I can counsel with the one who’s responsible. I can give ideas. I can even help them solve them. But at the end of the day, the problems are their responsibility. My job is to support them as best as I can.

I say all of this because these verses show me the opportunity I have here. I get to encourage, care for, and be patient with everyone involved. I get to be merciful. Joyful. Prayerful. Thankful. I get to invite your Holy Spirit into this process. I get to test ideas, theology, and actions against your Spirit, discard what is not of you, and embrace what is of you. Doing this in a humble way, worshipping you and loving others, keeps me away from evil.

Father, I’m about to go to a prayer service for the National Day of Prayer. Help me to be all of these things in that setting as well. I love you, Lord. And help me to love others through my work. Through my friendships.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 7, 2026 in 1 Thessalonians

 

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James 5:1-6

06 May

5 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

James 5:1-6

Dear God, I came across this passage this morning as I logged into Bible Gateway, and I had a few thoughts.

First, I’m coming off of a fundraising dinner from last night at which there were many wealthy people, and I needed them to donate to our cause. So my initial reaction to this was to be defensive of them: “Hey, they care about people and love their neighbors! Take it easy there, James.” I used to work for a different organization over 20 years ago and depended upon donors, and I remember one of the founding board member resenting wealthy people. She was hostile toward their wealth. I remember try to tell her that without their wealth we wouldn’t be able to do the work we were doing. The same is definitely true now. I appreciate the wealth of the people who were able to give at significant levels last night. I ask you to please help this exchange between our nonprofit and them be a blessing and joy to them that is multiplied many fold over the value of the gift they gave. I ask that it be a conduit to you helping them to work out their faith with fear and trembling. Show me how to be part of your blessing to them.

Second, I had a slightly more horrifying thought: “What if James is talking to me?!?” While I don’t consider myself wealthy, there are any number of people I know who would think of me in that way. And by just about any measure in this world, I am in the upper percentile of wealth. So how do I stand up to James’s admonition here? Am I counting on my money (verse 3)? Does our organization pay the staff fairly (verse 4)? Do we do what we can to bring hope and mercy to your world? Do we glorify you in our work? Do I hold back my personal wealth at the cost of helping those you call me to help?

Father, I have a job to do today. It is to love and minister to those who participated in our event last night. Love them well through me. Give me the vision and enthusiasm to focus on them and your love for them. Use their interactions with us to draw them closer to yourself. Be glorified in all of this. The other job I have to do is to lead our organization in service to our community. Help me to do that well. I want to be better at that. Please lead me to the correct staff that you have to work with us (I’m thinking about three positions I’m trying to figure out right now). Please show me the way.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2026 in James

 

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1 Samuel 10:20-24

05 May

20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 21 Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! 22 So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”

And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 23 So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”

And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

Dear God, it’s become a bit of a tradition for me to come to you in prayer on the day of our big fundraising event and do some repenting. Somehow, I build this thing up in my mind because there will be a lot of people, and there is potentially a lot of money on the line tonight. Then there’s my image and reputation. The reputation and image of our organization. And I’ll confess that my carnal, selfish ego wants to look good tonight. I want to look good in the eyes of the people there, our board of directors, and our staff. I want to raise lots of money for our programs. I want accolades afterwards. It’s all of this that I am repenting for.

Here’s where I want my heart to be and what I haven’t mentioned so far. We are honoring a specialist who helps us help our patients. I want her to feel loved, honored, and your joy. We have a patient she helped who is going to speak. I want him to feel loved and supported by us. We have staff who are going to be there who work hard and will hopefully enjoy a nice evening. Love on them tonight, please. And thenn there are all of the people in the room. There are hundreds of them coming from all different kinds of places. Experiencing different stresses in their lives. Perhaps looking for you in the midst of a world that seems overwhelming to them. It’s for them that I really want to pray this morning. I want them to be the center of attention tonight. I want everyone there to feel a sense that you are here. In the midst of what seems like chaos, you don’t chew your nails. You don’t fret. You don’t worry. You know what’s happening. You are God. Things might not be working out the way we want them to, but that doesn’t mean we should fear. Your rod and your staff, they comfort us.

Father, help me to offer your love tonight and the opportunity to be your sheep. I pray that you will bring joy in the fellowship. Joy in the hearing about our work. Joy in the celebration of what we’ve been able to do for this patient. Joy in the celebration of our honoree. And joy in the gifing. Help me to decrease so that you can increase. Help me to love others more than I seek love. And help me to be willing to sacrifice anything of my own for your glory.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

P.S. I picked this passage because I feel like Saul, wanting to hide with the baggage instead of leading for your glory. I’m sorry for that too.

 
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Posted by on May 5, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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2 Chronicles 6:14-42

04 May

14 [Solomon] prayed,

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. 15 You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.

16 “And now, O Lord, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow my Law as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’ 17 Now, O Lord, God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David.

18 “But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! 19 Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you. 20 May you watch over this Temple day and night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. 21 May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

22 “If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple, 23 then hear from heaven and judge between your servants—the accuser and the accused. Pay back the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence.

24 “If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn back and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors.

26 “If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.

28 “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is— 29 and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, 30 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. 31 Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

32 “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, 33 then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.

34 “If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, 35 then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.

36 “If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far away or near. 37 But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ 38 If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name— 39 then hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

40 “O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place.

41 “And now arise, O Lord God, and enter your resting place,
    along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.
May your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation;
    may your loyal servants rejoice in your goodness.
42 O Lord God, do not reject the king you have anointed.
    Remember your unfailing love for your servant David.”

2 Chronicles 6:14-42

Dear God, the verse of the day from Bible Gateway was 1 Chronicles 7:14.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

It seems like I’ve heard this verse used out of context a lot, so I wanted to go back and read everything you said around it. Then I wanted to go back and see what you were responding to so I looked at chapter 6 and Solomon’s prayer to you that prompted your response. It always brings me back to the question: “What went wrong?” Solomon departed from your ways, and the kingdom was split after he died. Israel eventually fell to the Assyrians, and the a few generations later, Judah/Benjamin fell to the Babylonians.

I actually think it’s pretty simple. I think of the parable of the Sower. On the day Solomon prayed this prayer, the soil of his heart and the soil of all the Israelites’ hearts was deep, rich, and free from rocks, weeds, and thorns. It was ready to grow fruit. And then…

The soil of their hearts began to grow weeds. As Jesus put it in Matthew 13:22, “22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.” The worries of life and the the lure of wealth took them away from you.

This is where things apply to me personally. My temptation is to look at our nation to see how these things have taken your church away from you (the lure of power, influence, and money and the fear that we have to grasp at power so that we will not be irrelevant), but it starts with me. We are having a fundraising dinner tomorrow night, and I can take one of a few attitudes into this dinner. My tendency is to want this to be an amazing financial success that will bring in great amounts of money that will provide for our ministry’s financial needs and, yes, make me look good to the board of directors and everyone else involved. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my ego is part of this. A big part of this. Now, my paycheck is the same regardless of how much comes in so I’m not worrying about my personal wealth, but I certainly want to be admired. I want people to think very positively of me. But wouldn’t it be a huge waste of time to put 300 people in a room just for my ego?!?

As I prayed with my wife this morning, and she asked me how she could pray for me, I told her that I needed to get my head right, and I need to care more about the people in the room than I care for myself or our organization. I need to make the evening about the people who chose to attend our dinner and help them to feel a touch of you. I heard someone say one time that Halloween is the one day of the year when the “lost” go door to door. Well, the people coming to our dinner tomorrow night aren’t “lost,” but they will all need a touch of you and your Holy Spirit in some way.

Father, help that to be my focus. Help me weed my soil today. I’ve let things grow up in it that have no business being there. I have cares that you want me to turn loose of. I have sin that needs to be repented of. And I’m speaking to a Rotary club today. Be in that message too. Love them through me. Help me to help the people in the room to start the process of weeding their own soil. I love you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2026 in 2 Chronicles

 

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Hebrews 11:1-6

01 May

11 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Hebrews 11:1-6

Dear God, is it faith that has me sitting here at 6:00 in the morning right now? Is that why I’m here? Honestly, it doesn’t feel like I’m here by faith. Maybe at one point in my life when I was little I was leaning a little more on faith, but I don’t think even then. I’ve always know of you. I’ve always been told about you. If anything, maybe there were some years in high school, as I reflected on other myths that had been taught to me by my parents or society, when I wondered if you were real. I read through Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict as an apologetics for your existence and who Jesus was and is. However, as I sit here right now, after almost 40 years of following you as closely as I’ve known how, it doesn’t feel like there is any faith involved at all. I believe because of what I’ve seen and the evidence in my own life and the lives of others. You are there. I know it.

Going back to yesterday’s prayer, I think my failure of imagination comes in the area of really knowing who you are. You’re simply more than my little brain can get my head around. The world you created and how all of this works is more than I can understand. No, believing in you isn’t my problem. Faith isn’t my problem. Talking to others about your existence isn’t even really a problem. My problem is that I know I underestimate who you are and that does you a disservice in how I worship you and how I share you with others.

Father, please help me with my imagination in this area. Give me some kind of glimpse into who you are. And thank you. Thank you for the God I know and thank you for the God I don’t know. The words of Jesus in John 4:23-24 just came to mind: 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. I honestly can’t know all of your truth. I don’t think so anyway. So I guess I need you to teach me how to worship you more with the Holy Spirit. I need to Holy Spirit to envelop me in my worship so that he might help my worship of the Father, Jesus, and that same Holy Spirit be what you need it to be for my good and growth. I’ve said, “Teach me to pray,” in the past. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, teach me to worship.

I pray this in Jesus name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 1, 2026 in Hebrews

 

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