chosen by God – Be Still…

Acts 9:1-9 – Whom God Chooses

God doesn’t always choose the people you expect. Look at me! I’m a retired paralegal from the Midwest now serving as a missionary in Mexico and writing Bible devotions to help people connect with God. But Saul’s story is extraordinary, and it’s one we should pay attention to.

We’re not told here what becomes of Saul after he’s blinded by the light. Saul’s conversion story is powerful, and you can read more about it and how God uses other people to help Saul here in Acts 9. But for our reflection today, let’s consider what this tells us about our theme of listening to God’s Word. Continue reading “Acts 9:1-9 – Whom God Chooses”

Numbers 16:1-49 – Rebellion

Read Numbers 16:1-49

What a catastrophe for those rebels! We see Korah, a Levite, leading a group of rebels against their leader, Moses. We also see the rest of the people questioning both Aaron and Moses. Both revolts questioned divine authority, the LORD’s choice of leadership, and that turned out to be a very bad idea. Despite everything, both Moses and Aaron stood up for the people against the wrath of God.

It’s hard to read passages like this and see so many people destroyed. While it seems hard to fathom, as part of Scripture we need to treasure the message in a way that makes sense for us. What did the Holy Spirit reveal to you today? For me, it was not to complain about leadership ordained by God because that ultimately disrespects God, not the leaders. Continue reading “Numbers 16:1-49 – Rebellion”

Ezekiel 14:12-23 – Set Apart

Read Ezekiel 14:12-23

This vision from the LORD sets apart three holy men, Noah, Daniel, and Job. God recognizes them for their righteousness. But even their righteousness pooled together would not be enough to rescue the Israelites from doom. That gives Ezekiel and us and tangible picture of how far the Israelites have fallen.

In fact, this message confirms we are responsible for our own mess. However, as Christ followers, we know there is hope, and that hope lies in Jesus. Until Jesus came, people were lost in their sins unless they purified themselves according to the law. How fortunate we are to have Jesus as our sacrificial lamb. Continue reading “Ezekiel 14:12-23 – Set Apart”

2 Chronicles 29:1-17 – Who God Chooses

Read 2 Chronicles 29:1-17

King Hezekiah wasted no time in setting his kingdom up for success. It’s like he went on a rampage to cleanse the LORD’s temple. After seeing how his father had ruled Judah the wrong way, Hezekiah wanted to make sure to do it right and see the LORD was honored.

Do you think the Levites and priests were surprised? If they were, they sure acted quickly. They listened to the king’s instructions and followed the proper procedures according to God’s law. In only sixteen days, the temple was restored.

Haggai 2:20-23 – Chosen by God

Read Haggai 2:20-23

It helps to understand a bit of what is happening in Zerubbabel’s back story. We know from reading Haggai that he was the governor of Judah after the people returned from exile in Babylon. What I didn’t remember was that he was the grandson of King Jehoiachin, a king in the line of David (see Jesus’ lineage in Matthew 1:12).

You may recall from my reflections on Jeremiah 22 and 2 Kings 24, that King Jehoiachin had fallen out of favor with God. Jehoiachin was taken captive to Babylon in the first deportation of God’s people and imprisoned. God had promised David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 that there would always be an heir on the throne. Fast forward to the Israelites’ return from exile, and the question is now, “what about Zerubbabel?”