May 11, 2006 - II Kings 13-14 and John 2
I wonder if we have really come to know that God can do anything, except the wrong thing. Do we really know that we can trust Him, but we should not trust in ourselves? I believe He is constantly working to bring each of us to live by that truth. God blesses our faith, so we will trust Him more and more. This truth is so evident in these chapters today. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you about God's unlimited power as you read.
Chapters 13 and 14 of II Kings are a contrast of Israel and Judah and the kings of Israel and Judah. God was angry at Israel because they had continued in the sins of Jeroboam, but when the king prayed, God sent a deliverer. God was gracious to them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (13:23) God used Elisha to send the message loud and clear that God is the One who delivers, and He can even raise the dead. However, the people would not turn to the Lord fully, even with all of these signs. (13:6) In Judah the king did right and followed God's Word. (14:6) God was blessing them, but the righteous king decided to attack Israel. God did not tell Him to do that. We don't know what caused it, but he did not trust God's power. Judah was defeated , and he was killed. Why did He not just trust God's power? Our flesh wants to try to do it ourselves, but we always mess things up. Just think of what God could have done if Israel and Judah would have turned to Him. There could have been unity and prosperity under God's blessing. Instead, there was strife and defeat.
John 2 is a great revelation of this truth. Jesus and His new disciples went to a wedding, where the host ran out of wine. Mary, Jesus's mother, implored Him to do something. I believe Jesus' question to her was to test her faith. Mary passed the test, when she said, "Whatever He says to you, do it." She knew He had the power to correct the problem. She had faith that he would do the right thing. Jesus responded to her faith with a great miracle. That is what he wants to do for all of us. Then, Jesus went to the Temple and drove out the people who were selling merchandise. He was trying to show them that the spiritual meaning is what matters. The heart matters, not the stuff. They had missed the point. Therefore, when they asked him about the Temple, He referred to His body and His resurrection from the dead. That showed His power, if people would just focus on the right things. Later, the disciples remembered this saying, and it helped them believe. Jesus used the signs or miracles to show people He was God and to urge them to believe. He did not want them to believe in the miracle, but to believe in Him. He could do anything, but the main lesson was to trust Him as Savior and Lord, not just as a miracle worker. I pray that we will all trust His power and not try to live in our own power today. We will just mess things up.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 15-16 and John 3:1-18.
Chapters 13 and 14 of II Kings are a contrast of Israel and Judah and the kings of Israel and Judah. God was angry at Israel because they had continued in the sins of Jeroboam, but when the king prayed, God sent a deliverer. God was gracious to them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (13:23) God used Elisha to send the message loud and clear that God is the One who delivers, and He can even raise the dead. However, the people would not turn to the Lord fully, even with all of these signs. (13:6) In Judah the king did right and followed God's Word. (14:6) God was blessing them, but the righteous king decided to attack Israel. God did not tell Him to do that. We don't know what caused it, but he did not trust God's power. Judah was defeated , and he was killed. Why did He not just trust God's power? Our flesh wants to try to do it ourselves, but we always mess things up. Just think of what God could have done if Israel and Judah would have turned to Him. There could have been unity and prosperity under God's blessing. Instead, there was strife and defeat.
John 2 is a great revelation of this truth. Jesus and His new disciples went to a wedding, where the host ran out of wine. Mary, Jesus's mother, implored Him to do something. I believe Jesus' question to her was to test her faith. Mary passed the test, when she said, "Whatever He says to you, do it." She knew He had the power to correct the problem. She had faith that he would do the right thing. Jesus responded to her faith with a great miracle. That is what he wants to do for all of us. Then, Jesus went to the Temple and drove out the people who were selling merchandise. He was trying to show them that the spiritual meaning is what matters. The heart matters, not the stuff. They had missed the point. Therefore, when they asked him about the Temple, He referred to His body and His resurrection from the dead. That showed His power, if people would just focus on the right things. Later, the disciples remembered this saying, and it helped them believe. Jesus used the signs or miracles to show people He was God and to urge them to believe. He did not want them to believe in the miracle, but to believe in Him. He could do anything, but the main lesson was to trust Him as Savior and Lord, not just as a miracle worker. I pray that we will all trust His power and not try to live in our own power today. We will just mess things up.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 15-16 and John 3:1-18.