prophecy – Page 41 – Be Still…

December 2 🌟 Waiting (Isaiah 64:1-9)

dog looking outside the window as if waiting for someone to return

I got goosebumps just reading the first two verses! As we read through these texts during Advent, I’d like you to do so using the “lens” of Jesus is coming. For us, we are waiting for Jesus to come back. Oh, what a joyous day that will be! The nations will most certainly tremble!

These verses just magnify God’s power yet keep him relatable. He’s not an untouchable God. Sometimes I forget how wonderful it is to have God working for me! “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!”

1 Kings 11:26-43 – Would You Flee?

Read 1 Kings 11:26-43

“I didn’t see that coming,” Jeroboam must have thought. What else could have been going on in Jeroboam’s head when the prophet Ahijah tore his new cloak into twelve pieces? His fate was sealed that day in the field (as was King Solomon’s). Did you catch the intended parallel of Saul’s cloak, in 1 Samuel 15:27-28.

Don’t you sometimes wish you’d happen upon your own Ahijah with an assignment from the Lord? Especially if you are stuck asking the question, “What am I going to be when I grow up?” At almost 60 years of age, I find myself still asking that. Of course, having retired once, my next adventure is to honor God – but how?

1 Kings 8:14-21 – Prophecy Fulfilled

Read 1 Kings 8:14-21

2 little girl hands doing a pinky promise

Is it just me, or have you been hearing a lot of prophetic declarations being made these days? I’m not sure if people have more time on their hands to hear from the Lord due to the pandemic or if they are just more in tune. Sadly, what I’m hearing most seems to be doom and gloom being spread as a word from God. Not sure how I feel about that!

Do I believe it? Is it credible? I’m sure even the great prophets from the Bible struggled. The message they were getting wasn’t all sunshine and daisies! They were not popular glimpses into the future. However, the words spoken to David were not only a prophecy but also a promise. Remember a prophecy is not “foretelling” but forthtelling announcements of promise, warnings of punishment and woe.

2 Samuel 16:20-23 – God’s Word Is True

Read 2 Samuel 16:20-23

Open bible on a wooden table with fall leaves laying nearby

Do you recall Nathan’s discussion with David back in Chapter 12? It was more a message from God rather than a discussion. Nathan had used a story to elicit an angry response from David, only to point the finger at David as being the “bad guy” in the story. His rebuke came as a surprise to David.

Thankfully, David didn’t die that day for arranging the death of Uriah and taking of Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife as his own. But recall the proclamation made by God in verses 11 and 12, “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.”

Acts 2:1-21 – Happy Pentecost!

Read Acts 2:1-21

And Happy Birthday to the Christian Church! As I publish this in 2021, it is the eve of Pentecost. The date of Pentecost moves each year because it is dependent upon it’s proximity to the Passover celebration and/or Easter, which also move around the calendar. Pentecost was a Jewish tradition long before the events of our text today. But for the Christian church, Pentecost marks the start of a movement.

The Holy Spirit came in a mighty way. Jesus had promised his followers the Holy Spirit would come. Several weeks had passed since he made that promise before Jesus ascended into the sky. I’m sure the disciples were beginning to wonder when it was going to happen. They may have even been questioning whether they were going to recognize when it happened.