A few thoughts from the Bible reading this past weekend (I will share some thoughts on today’s reading tomorrow, because if you’re like me with the holiday I am a day behind).
-I find it interesting in that all of the bad kings from 1 Kings 12-19 are bad because they either lead the people to worship images of God (golden calf) or lead the people strait into idol worship of Baal. The only king in all of those chapters who is mentioned as good and pleasing to God is Asa, who is like his great-great grandfather David, in that he worships God alone. This tells me and should be very clear from other Scriptures as well, idolatry is the root of every other single sin we commit. When we commit any sin, it is root in the worship of an idol rather than the worship of God. That means if you want to not sin and struggle with temptation, worship God alone, all the time.
-How many of us have felt like Elijah; exasperated, frustrated, exhausted, all alone, and at the end of your rope? Why does Elijah feel like this? Elijah feels like this because he is only focused on his part in the plan of God. He has lost the big picture of what God is doing, who God is saving, and how God is working in the lives of others besides Elijah’s own. I am convinced this is true for us also. When we focus on our own life and own problems and own needs and even our own way of serving God, we will become exasperated, frustrated, exhausted, all alone, and at the end of your rope. That mean we need to keep our view of how God is working very broad and notice how God is using others and what He is doing in other’s lives.
-“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling”. This is what Elijah would have said and also King Asa. Anyone who worships God alone and knows that it all rests on Him will have this line as the theme of their life.
-I find it interesting in that all of the bad kings from 1 Kings 12-19 are bad because they either lead the people to worship images of God (golden calf) or lead the people strait into idol worship of Baal. The only king in all of those chapters who is mentioned as good and pleasing to God is Asa, who is like his great-great grandfather David, in that he worships God alone. This tells me and should be very clear from other Scriptures as well, idolatry is the root of every other single sin we commit. When we commit any sin, it is root in the worship of an idol rather than the worship of God. That means if you want to not sin and struggle with temptation, worship God alone, all the time.
-How many of us have felt like Elijah; exasperated, frustrated, exhausted, all alone, and at the end of your rope? Why does Elijah feel like this? Elijah feels like this because he is only focused on his part in the plan of God. He has lost the big picture of what God is doing, who God is saving, and how God is working in the lives of others besides Elijah’s own. I am convinced this is true for us also. When we focus on our own life and own problems and own needs and even our own way of serving God, we will become exasperated, frustrated, exhausted, all alone, and at the end of your rope. That mean we need to keep our view of how God is working very broad and notice how God is using others and what He is doing in other’s lives.
-“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling”. This is what Elijah would have said and also King Asa. Anyone who worships God alone and knows that it all rests on Him will have this line as the theme of their life.
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