2 Kings 17

  "Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did."

{2 Kings 17:41}  (NIV1984)

This poem by Edgar Guest speaks the truth that is in this verse.

There are little eyes upon you
and they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;

And a little boy who's dreaming
of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's idol,
you're the wisest of the wise.

In his little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly,
holds all you say and do;

He will say and do, in your way
when he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow
who believes you're always right;
and his eyes are always opened,
and he watches day and night.

You are setting an example
every day in all you do;

For the little boy who's waiting
to grow up to be like you.

This poem is written for a boy and his dad, but could easily be changed to a girl and her mom. They will do as we do! Our children and grandchildren will follow our example in worshiping God. The fatal flaw of the Samaritans was not that they didn’t worship God, but that they worshiped God and served idols. 

We worship God, but whom or what do we serve? Do we serve money and the desire to keep and to get. Do we serve pleasure, and seek entertainment? Do we desire the praise of others and value our family reputation higher than honesty? Do we serve ourselves and place our needs above everything else? 

Whom or what do I serve? Our Lord told Satan, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matt. 4:10) May we have the same attitude as our Lord. May we this day be careful that we are serving God and God only.

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1 Chronicles 16

 "...to present burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the Lord, which he had given Israel."

{1 Chronicles 16:40}  (NIV1984)

How amazing it was to the Israelites that the manifest Presence of God dwelt among them in a tent and then inside a temple! The Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, the Judge of all mankind, the transcendent God, makes His Holy Presence dwell among sinful people. 

David was overwhelmed by the grace of God shown through His Presence and He organized people to make sure that they recognized God’s Presence appropriately as described to them in the Law. Morning and evening. Morning and evening, sacrifices were brought. 

We who are in Christ, are the temples of God! The Holy Presence of God, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of sinful us! (1 Cor 6:19) Are we grateful for His Holy Presence? Are we overwhelmed by God’s grace? Then let us organize ourselves. Let us offer sacrifices to Him morning and evening. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, a spiritual act of worship (Rom 12:1). How good it would be if we make it our practice to go to Him early in the morning, thank Him for the blood of our Saviour and promise Him that all the parts of our bodies are His, for Him to use today, in His purposes for His glory.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

{Take My Life and Let It Be, written by Frances R. Havergal (1874)} 

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1 Kings 12 & 13

  "After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

{1 Kings 12:28}  (NIV1984)

Not one golden calf, but two! The foolishness of man! Who brought the people of Israel out of Egypt? The LORD YHWH! Who made them into a nation? The LORD! Who gave them victories and gave them the land they live in? The LORD! Who established David’s kingdom and made an everlasting covenant with David! The LORD! Ah, but that is the rub; see, this man didn’t want anything to do with the line of David, nor did he want his people to have anything to do with the line of David. 

This is politics at its worst; politics stopped the people from entering the temple where the very Presence of God dwelt! Power and control became more important than corporate worship. Then corporate worship became something to be manipulated, something to be used to control people, instead a blessing to the people involved. Politics has taken a lot of people from corporate worship of the LORD YHWH. We tell ourselves and our families, we don’t like the leaders of that church! Therefore we will not worship there, we will not go to worship anymore, all churches are bad. 

Friend, the king had a responsibility to care for his people; instead he led his people away from the One True God and into destruction. May we never be involved in leading our families away from corporate worship of the LORD and into their destruction. May we not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. (Heb 10:25)

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John 8:1-11

"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,

    but you would have none of it.""

{Isaiah 30:15}  (NIV1984)  

When we fail, when we sin, we fall into old patterns of behaviour and then we condemn ourselves. We used to be condemned before we met Christ, and so when we go back to our sin, we feel that condemnation. Friend, it is a lie! There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). 

Consider our Lord’s response to the woman brought to Him. She deserved death according to the Law. The stipulation Jesus added was that the one without sin cast the first stone. Friend, He was without sin, but He didn’t cast any stones. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (Jn 3:17). 

We think of God as angry and upset that we didn’t avail ourselves of the grace that was there for us not to sin, so our sinful tendency is to run from Him in fear. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). Repentance and rest is our salvation. Draw near to Him in repentance; weep the tears that Peter wept. His arms are open wide, ready to forgive, ready to restore. Then rest in the finished work of Christ and rest in His grace. Oh Jesus draw me close this day!

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Luke 22:31-62

 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

{1 Corinthians 10:13}  (NIV1984) 

“It is no secret what God can do, what He has done for others He will do for you”* is a chorus we used to sing. God knows us, better than we know ourselves. We see this in Luke’s account of our Lord’s conversation with Peter. Peter thought he knew himself, but he didn’t. No, the Lord knew Peter’s failings; He knew the point of attack that Satan would bring and He gave permission to Satan for the attack. 

It isn’t a secret that God knows everything, or is it to you? Your weakness, your area of failure into sin, isn’t a secret to God, or is it? Are your actions somehow under God’s radar? Is Satan scheming behind God’s back to hurt you without God knowing about it? No friend! The Bible reveals to us that God knows our weaknesses and that Satan must get permission from God before he comes after one of God’s children (Job & Peter). This verse tells us that not only does God know all of this before anything happens, but that God also provides a way out for us, so that we can stand up under it. 

Our Lord Jesus prays for us, His grace and power is available to us, to strengthen us so that we can stand. “It is no secret what God can do, what He has done for others He will do for you”  Friend, God has provided a way out- look for the way, and stand firm!

* "It Is No Secret", written by Stuart Carl Hamblen in the 1950s * 

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