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.…

Times of Transition, Day 14 More evil. Read 1 Kings chapter 14. As we read this, we see that there Lord is bringing judgment on the king that he set up. Jeroboam isn’t following God and as a result, God decides to remove him as king. Sometimes transition is because of sin. God has a right to move people id they aren’t going to follow him. How would God describe us? Are we following him in every area?

Times of Transition, Day 13 Even after this. Read 1 Kings chapter 13. So much happens in this chapter! As we read through, the man of God comes to King Jeroboam. He does tremendous acts of demonstrating God’s power, and he helps Jeroboam to see that what he is doing is wrong. Now, Jeroboam only cares about it when it impacts him personally and once he gets that fixed, he’s not bothered by any of the other sin that he is committing. However the story of everything that happened after had to have gone through the entire area. How could Jeroboam not have recognized God’s plan and intervention in this…

Times of Transition, Day 12 Two kings, two terrible pieces of advice. Read 1 Kings chapter 12. As we read this chapter, we see that there are two kings in Israel at this point and both of them accepting truly awful pieces of advice that end up ruining them both. When we are seeking advice, it is important to make sure that we are wise about who we are choosing advice from. We must make sure that those people that give us advice are seeking godly wisdom. We have no reason to follow advice that doesn’t come from Godly council. When we are seeking advice, are we seeking Godly advice,…

Times of Transition, Day 11 Solomon’s “short” reign. Read 1 Kings chapter 11. While there have been a few chapters that we read about the reign of Solomon, there wasn’t nearly as many as were written about David’s reign. Why is that? It has to do with the fact that Solomon disobeyed God. He started out strong and followed the Lord and did what was right, but unfortunately as his life went on he was distracted by the women in his life. He began following anything and everything else besides God. As a result, God tore the kingdom away from him. What could have been chapters and chapters of all…

Times of Transition, Day 10 Solomon’s reputation. Read 1 Kings chapter 10. The Queen of Sheba came for a visit. She had heard of the wisdom of Solomon but interestingly she had also heard about his relationship with the Lord. She came to test him and to see what that was like. What she found was that Solomon was indeed as wise as his reputation suggested. As a result, she praised. God it’s interesting to note that what she had also heard about was his relationship with God. not just about his wisdom. She understood where his wisdom came from. She praised the Giver of that wisdom not the recipient.…