Times of Transition, Day 24 It’s OK to ask for difficult things. Read 2 Kings chapter 2. Here we see Elijah is being taken up to heaven. Elijah gives Elisha the opportunity to ask for anything. Elisha makes a very difficult request, yet Elijah says that as long as he sees him taken up, then he will receive that. It’s okay to ask God for really difficult things. We don’t have to just ask him for little things or try to only worry about the small stuff. We can ask God for the really big and challenging things. God is more than capable of handling those types of requests if…

Times of Transition, Day 23 Insight and action. Read 2 Kings chapter 1. He had seen two of his captains fall before him and still, he is given the exact same order that they were. What does he do? For this captain, he learns from the example of those who have gone before him. Instead of just marching up to this man of God and spouting the same stuff that the king has told him to, he makes the decision to pay respect and to recognize the power of the God that this man serves. He humbles himself before Elijah and as a result God allows his life to be…

Times of Transition, Day 22 Who writes the script of our life? Read 1 Kings chapter 22. This is an interesting story that really stuck out to me today. As I read this I’m reminded that we all determine what we say each day. We have our internal thoughts and then we have the words that actually come out of our mouth, which may or may not be an exact representation of our thoughts. This was a reminder for me that the script that I’m reading from for my life, the words that actually come out of my mouth every day, must only be the words that are written by…

Times of Transition, Day 21 Sold himself to do evil. Read 1 Kings chapter 21. Ahab did evil and terrible things. His wife Jezebel was even worse. As he continued to do evil, God sent Elijah to go talk to Ahab and let him know his judgment. If we continue to defy God, he will bring about a judgment against us, just like Ahab. Will we repent and turn back to God?

Times of Transition, Day 20 War and fighting. Read 1 Kings chapter 20. So much war and fighting between the different countries. The only constant is that God still expects, deserves, and demands praise. Looking at this verse it’s interesting to see that the same consequence was to happen, regardless of what the intent was of the messenger. For our relationship with God, we must understand that he is deserving of our worship.

Times of Transition, Day 19 We all have fear. Read 1 Kings chapter 19. It can be easy to think of the individuals from the Bible who did such amazing and tremendous things for God and assume that they somehow didn’t experience the same emotions that we do today. Somehow they must have been better. Somehow things must have been easier for them to have been able to do all that they did. The fact remains that they absolutely felt everything that we feel today. Elijah, after one of the greatest triumphs recorded, becomes tremendously afraid to the point that he runs away and hides. Our fear is real. The…

Times of Transition, Day 18 Fastest runner in history. Read 1 Kings chapter 18. With the Summer Olympics starting this week, I am focused even more than normal on running and track and field events. I love participating in track and field personally, and have often aspired to be a fast runner. However even the fastest runner ever would not have stood a chance in this run. Elijah would still hold the world record if they had been timing him at that point. He outruns a chariot through the strength of God. We think about all the things that we do, Elijah’s life is a picture of exactly how amazing…

Times of Transition, Day 17 What does it take? Read 1 Kings chapter 17. The life of Elijah is one of my favorites to study. Reading this chapter today, I am reminded of all the amazing things that Elijah did. He lives with this widow and her so and, miraculously, the food never runs out. Yet, she doesn’t really believe in God until her son gets sick and dies, then Elijah asks God to heal him. We are around amazing and miraculous things of God every single day. What does it take for us to see his glory? What does it take for us to truly understand the awesomeness of…

Times of Transition, Day 16 Promises. Read 1 Kings chapter 16. A s we read through this chapter and see all of the tremendously evil kings of Israel, this verse is thrown at the very end of the chapter. It’s interesting to me to see this verse here and while it does happen chronologically in time during Ahab’s reign, it’s also a very stark reminder that God absolutely keeps his promises. There were oaths made about what would happen to someone who tried to rebuild Jericho because God had brought destruction upon that city for its evil. Someone did rebuild it and those promises came true. Meanwhile we have a…

Times of Transition, Day 15 Legacy. Read 1 Kings chapter 15. As we read through this chapter of multiple kings from both Judah and Israel, we see very few who are actually followers of God. In fact, this verse is stated about a king who did not follow God, but God preserved his line because he was a descendant of David. God kept his promises to David. It’s important to realize that while we cannot truly control the actions of those that come after us, our legacy can impact those we leave behind. Our obedience to God is something that God can choose to reward for the generations to come.…