Can you trust God to fulfill His Word despite wicked opposition?
14 May 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
2 Kings 9
2 Kings 10
2 Kings 11
John 5:1-24
And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).
Can you trust God to fulfill His Word despite wicked opposition?
The Lord promises David an eternal house, throne, and kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Yet wicked Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, seeks to destroy David’s line. “When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs” (2 Kings 11:1). Protection is given to Joash during the holocaust, and subsequently, he is crowned king; therefore, her wicked devices are thwarted, and God’s promise remains. The murderous Athaliah who seeks to cut off the line of David rightly perishes with the sword (2 Kings 11:20). Moses’ words still ring true, revealing God’s timeless truths. He writes, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Number 32:23).
Employment Point: Persevere doing what is right, knowing God’s Word will be fulfilled despite wicked opposition.
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Reflections
“You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel.”2 Kings 9:7 NIV
- I thank God for Him who sees all things and takes revenge for blood shed innocently. We see how He raises up people to specifically deal with such things. It’s not meant for anyone but only the anointed ones to carry out such actions
“When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?” “You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied. “That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.” Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ ””
2 Kings 9:11-12 NIV
- A man is recognised for who they are or who they represent wherever they go, either good or bad. This young prophet has none of his name mentioned but his actions were recorded in the bible.
- I think a personal reflection is this. We may not truly know someone or even remember their face or their name. But we will remember that grace or the words that was told to us and how it made us feel.
- Therefore I sincerely pray that the Lord use us as His vessels to spread His word, to share love, to sow seeds and also to harvest. And that we too, will obey and become vessels.
““Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite.”2 Kings 9:21 NIV
“Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the Lord spoke this prophecy against him: ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the Lord.’ Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord.””2 Kings 9:25-26 NIV
- this is definitely no coincidence that Joram king of Israel met Jehu in Naboth’s land. The land that his father Ahab coveted and had Naboth killed by his mother Jezebel’s plot to take over. Now it is repayment time.
- I think we can trust the Lord and know enough that He will not allow people to die innocently and in vain. We just need to trust that and leave the vengeance into His hands and not take things into our own hands.
“Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?””
2 Kings 9:30-31 NIV
- Jezebel’s actions kind of puzzles me. If I were in her shoe, having known that my husband was killed by someone and that he is coming, I would fear, fear of my life and that he would take mine too. So to put on eye makeup and arrange her hair, is something a widow will not do back in those times. Unless I guess she just wants to look right, even in her death or perhaps now that she is widowed, she has every right to look for a new man, even her husband’s murderer, so that she can continue to be provided for?
“He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.”2 Kings 9:32 NIV
- this is a really wise move. First Jehu made an entrance to Jezreel and people all knew that their king was dead and that Jehu is likely to be coming to take the life of Jezebel too. In this unique situation, the people at the window were asked this question “who is on my side?” The people in Jezreel knew that the city is about to fall, they also know that just the queen alone cannot safe them. So they have to make the choice if they want to continue to live or to perish with their master.
“Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.”
2 Kings 10:19 NIV
- this was really clever of Jehu. To act in the name of Baal, making sure none of the Lord’s people are there but ended with a great sacrifice not to Baal but all for the Lord’s glory when all the servants of Baal were killed-the biggest sacrifice
“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.”2 Kings 11:1, 3 NIV
- not sure what kind of mother she is, having saw one of her sons dead, wanted everyone else dead too. Only she is left behind to rule the country.
“But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.”2 Kings 11:2 NIV
- I just see how the Lord has been merciful to keep the line and to spare the life of a son, who eventually succeeded as king.
“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.””
John 5:6-7 NIV
- I remember this scene in the movie “chosen” where Jesus ask this man whether he wants to be well! However, the man got so absorbed on wanting to reach the pool, missed the whole point of wanting healing instead of just getting near the waters.
- Something that’s us too. We get so absorbed by the challenges and difficulties that we ourselves forgot why we start what we start.
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The Habit of Enjoying the Disagreeable
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
May 14
. . . so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.— 2 Corinthians 4:11
We have to form habits that express what God’s grace has done inside us. It isn’t a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved in order to reveal the life of the Son of God in our own lives. We know whether or not we are revealing his life when we come up against disagreeable things. When I meet with a task or a person I find unpleasant, what do I express? Is it the essential sweetness of the Son of God or the irritability of my self apart from him?
The only thing that allows us to enjoy the disagreeable is the bright enthusiasm of the life of the Son of God. If we get into the habit of saying, “Lord, I am delighted to obey you in this matter,” the Son of God will come to the forefront, and we will glorify him by revealing his life.
There must be no argument or debate. The moment we obey, the light of the Son of God shines through us. The moment we object, we grieve the Spirit. We must keep ourselves in good shape spiritually if we want the life of the Son to reveal itself, and we can’t keep in shape if we give in to self-pity. Our circumstances are opportunities for demonstrating how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure the Son of God is. The thing that ought to make our hearts beat is a new way of revealing him. This doesn’t mean choosing the disagreeable; it means embracing the disagreeable when God places it in our path. Wherever God places us, he is sufficient.
Let the word of God be active and alive inside you, so that the life of Christ will reveal itself at every turn.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically.
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Reflections
We are all called to bear witness to Christ. To be known as His sons and daughters. We bear the image of Him and therefore have to be like Him. I guess the question we do have to ask ourselves is whether we are Christ-like. Would others see the Christ in us even without us saying anything?
I myself struggle a bit concerning boundaries. For one I do not want to entertain any work related matters on my off days but yet I also respond depending on who is contacting me. Other times, I decide if that matter is really urgent to warrant a reply, especially if I am not so close to the person who message or call me after working hours. I become even more wary if the person is someone from the opposite gender. I believe these are personal boundaries and that should be kept especially pertaining to work matters.
That aside, I fully agree with what Oswald is saying. The Lord will place people in our lives to minister to them, care for them or love them, even when they may not look or behave very pleasantly. My personal experience with such persons, is that the longer we are exposed to them, we learned that they are not so unpleasant to be with. Sure they have their not so good points but aren’t we not the same? If the Lord can exercise grace and love us all the same, we too, should learn to love the others all the same, just like how the Lord loves us.
Nobody is born knowing how to love. Some people are just difficult to love because they are self-centred or domineering or narcissistic. But let’s not also forget that as children of God, we are to welcome these people within our midst. We are to love them like how Jesus loves us. They don’t love because they either have a lack of or do not know love at all. They are insecure in their own sense and are bitter over many things. We cannot really blame them for that is their environment.
Nobody is born with hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness or selfishness in their hearts. Many are shaped by the environment they are in and that is the only way they know how to live their life all these while. It is their defence mechanism and not their true self that we are seeing. Only when we truly love them and bless them with the love of Christ, will their hearts be ready to receive love.
Let’s pray:
Father indeed we thank You for the grace that You have taught us and embed it within us so that we are able to give that grace to the others too. We know that Lord, it takes time to learn and we are willing to step out of our comfort zones to do what You have asked us to do and whoever You have placed in our paths for our learning and ministering purposes. Grant us mercy Lord, when we couldn’t and struggled through it but help us and encourage us to persevere so that we are equipped with the skills You have taught us. Thank You Lord. In Jesus’s name we ask and pray. Amen. 🙏🏻
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