July 5, 6 – See Chronological Reading Schedule

Heroic Hezekiah to the rescue!

In God’s providence, Hezekiah comes on the scene at just the right time.  And I love what he did first.  Scripture says that in the first month of the first year of his reign, he began to rebuild the temple and consecrate the items inside it.  Hezekiah was a man who understood the holiness of God and his choices reflected that understanding.

I am overcome as well with the people’s response.  Instead of doing as before, those who saw Hezekiah as their leader, followed in his steps, bringing their tithes and offerings to the temple in excess; so much so that new priests were consecrated in order to prepare all of the animals for sacrifice.

What did you glean from the past two days of reading?  I can’t wait to hear…

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July 3, 4 – See Chronological Reading Schedule

Our American justice system, though better than most, is gravely imperfect.  At our human core, we want to believe that a human judge and human jurors can hear all the evidence presented and come to the just conclusion.  But we have all come to understand that is not always the case.  Often, even after acquiring all the information needed to make a right decision, the guilty go free without penalty and the innocent are indebted to those who have plead their case to an unrighteous conclusion.

And yet, when we find ourselves on the “wrong” side of the law and receive the justice we deserve, don’t we often complain about the consequences to our unrighteous actions? We want to receive forgiveness and mercy and we want our lives back to the way they were before we chose to do the wrong thing with more regard for our own discomfort than the discomfort we have caused or potentially could have caused another with our actions.

Isaiah 5:16 says, “But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.”

Wow!  God is exalted by his justice.  He shows Himself to be holy by His righteousness.  As we, His creations, experience the consequences of our poor choices, God is exalted.  He is just, perfect and His laws are perfect.  When our human justice system fails, we know that we can depend on a perfectly just God.  Isaiah warns against those who live unjustly, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter… who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.” (Isaiah 5:20, 23)

Our job, as His children, is to keep our focus on Him and follow His Words and the model of Christ on earth.  We are not to be like the Israelites who “worshiped the Lord, but…” (2 Kings 17:32, 33).  Instead, we are to be wholly devoted, single minded in our focus and purpose to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, while loving others as ourselves.  We are to put no other gods before the One True God and trust and obey His Word.  Our human systems will change as the law makers and judges change, but our God is same yesterday, today and tomorrow and we can trust Him.

“In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it – one from the house of David – one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.” (Isaiah 15:5)  As we learn later from Acts 17:30-31, that day is drawing nearer.  “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Today, what changes might we need to make in our life to be ready for that day of judgment?  In what areas are we “… worshiping the Lord, but…”?  What idols have we erected in our lives that need to be torn down to put God in the highest place of our lives?

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July 1 – See Chronological Reading Schedule

Before addressing today’s passages, let me say one thing.

CONGRATULATIONS! If you are reading this blog, you have most likely kept up with the One Year Bible plan and you are half way to your end goal.  Many things fought for your attention, but you have remained steadfast, immovable and committed to finishing strong.  My hat goes off to you!  Way to go.  To celebrate this accomplishment, I would love to buy each of you women a cup of coffee and hear what God has taught you throughout this year.  Please email me at Calvary Church, and I will let you know the time and place of our meeting.  I am thinking we will get together sometime during the week of August 23, 2009.   I hope you can join us!

Now, on to today’s passages…

The tone of the reading today reminds me of the writings of a parent who is lamenting a wayward child or a spouse, lamenting a wayward love.  And yet, like a loving parent or spouse who longs to restore the relationship, our God longs to do the same with His people who have rejected Him.  God desires our love, attention, devotion, commitment and understands the choice we make involves seeming sacrifice on our part, but does it really?  In the scope of eternity, is the life we are asked to relinquish truly worth living for in the first place?

Hosea 6:13-15 is the cry of our Lord’s heart.  “I long to redeem them but they speak lies against me.  They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds.  They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me.  I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against me.”

• As I examine these two verses, I ask myself these questions:
• What lies do I speak against the Lord?
• Why do I not cry out to God from my heart and instead wail upon my bed in anguish?
• When did I last celebrate a meal and forget to stand in recognition of the one who created the seed and the plant from which that meal came?
• How has God trained and strengthened me for His purposes, yet I have misused those resources?

The question that hits closest to my heart today is “Why do I not cry out to God from my heart and instead wail upon my bed in anguish?”  Why don’t I cry out to him?  It seems sometimes I forget to call to Him because I am too consumed with how I am going to fix the situation.  At other times, I find myself thinking that God might be powerless against my battle (How wrong is that?)  And still other times, maybe I want to wallow in my bed because it is easier than having faith, trusting that God will work it all out in His time and for His glory.  Once again, I think I have some serious crying out to do…

I am curious, which part of the reading hit home for you today?  How might you apply the truth of God’s Word to your life?

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