Latest Thoughts of the Day

Job 14:19

7/27/2024

"...as water washes away stone and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope."

Job has assured his counsellors that they don’t have a clue what he is going through. Job knows as much as they do of the public works of God, and he probably knows a good deal more of God’s secret dealings. Near the end of a fairly long diatribe, Job directs his words to God Himself and challenges God concerning what He has done in his life. The trial has been too long and too hard, and Job’s hope is being worn away. The devil has been allowed almost to crush Job’s spirit. But only almost. Some of Job’s most magnificent demonstrations of faith are yet to break forth from his mouth. In his perplexity, Job will go on casting himself on God his Savior. Help us lay hold of You, Jesus.

Esther 4:14

7/26/2024

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Mordecai is conscious of the danger that the Jewish nation is facing, but he does not imagine that God puts all His eggs in one basket. The issue is not whether God’s purposes will be accomplished, but whether Esther will be the means. And so it really is with us. Our personal agency in accomplishing the will of God will prove to be in at least some sense, up to us. Will we accomplish this thing for God, or will someone else? The Christian’s heart says, “Here am I Lord! Send me!” Help us, Lord, to hear the challenge and do it for Jesus.

Nehemiah 4:20

7/25/2024

"Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us."

Nehemiah is preparing for the defense of the work that is being done on the wall of Jerusalem. If enemies attack to hinder them, they are to be prepared to fight. At the same time, they are to try to carry on the work of building. The force being spread out, they need the trumpeters to summon them to drop their labors and join together to defend themselves and the work. We are seeking to build the kingdom of God, with enemies all around ready to interject random attacks. Jude felt like building, but felt compelled to rally us to a vigorous defense. May the Lord enable us to defend the faith, even as we build for the future. We are called to do both as we seek to serve Jesus.

Ezra 3:10

7/24/2024

When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David, king of Israel.

Included in the multifarious preparations Kind David had made for the building of the temple God did not let him build were psalms and hymns appropriate for this great venture. They had been sung after Solomon took over the throne and began the monumental work. That temple destroyed, and now a much inferior one undertaken, the same psalms and hymns apply, and the leaders are keen to employ them. A strange looking procession in that rubble of a city, but an act of faith that looked beyond the diminutive appearance of those first beginnings to the glory of the coming to this temple of Jesus.

2 Chronicles 11;20

7/24/2024

Then he married Maacah, daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.

Rehoboam really blew it when challenged upon the death of Solomon, his father. Ten tribes outright abandoned him as king. God left the tribe of Benjamin with Rehoboam, as well as those who feared God among all the tribes, along with the priests throughout Israel, who emigrated to Judah, Jerusalem, and the Temple. God intervened to keep Rehoboam from warring with Israel to regain his throne. Rehoboam thinks to further strengthen his leadership of Judah by intermarrying with daughters of David’s sons. God purposes to work with two nations for two hundred years before giving up on the Northern Kingdom. Rehoboam’s busywork to shore up his kingdom looks almost silly in light of God’s steady purpose to prepare the world for the arrival of His Son, our Savior and our King, Jesus.

1 Chronicles 10:12

7/23/2024

...all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought hem to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

Saul had killed himself rather than surrender to the Philistines, and they had mutilated his body and those of his sons and hung them up, along with his armor for all Philistia to see. “All” the valiant men of Israel had invaded and taken down the bodies and returned the armor to Israel. They were determined to show respect to the dead king and his sons. Political support for the line of Saul will continue for seven years until David actually becomes king of all Israel. Lord, help us discern what is right for us to do right now, as You work out Your purposes to rescue us through your Son, Jesus.

2 Kings 9:34

7/22/2024

Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman," he said, "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter."

Jehu was God’s instrument in bringing an end to Jezebel, but even he had at least a superstition about honor being due to a king’s daughter. They couldn’t do honor to this woman’s body, though,—the dogs had eaten it! God had used her wickedness to bring about His purposes in Israel. But neither time nor eternity is allowed to give her any praise. She is like a lighthouse to warn men of the rocks on which she crashed. Lord, we worship You, that even the wicked of this world are but instruments in Your hand. Make us to be instruments of Your praise, fitted for an honorable use. May our life and death be entirely to the praise and glory of Jesus!

1 Kings 8:63

7/21/2024

Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.

This offering was stretched out over seven days as part of a feast attended by a vast number of people. A part of the celebration was each person feasting upon his portion of the meat that was thus so amply supplied. Organization and distribution and clean-up was taken care of behind the scenes as far as scripture is concerned. But what an impressive and memorable experience it must have been! In John 6:53 Jesus speaks of eating the flesh of the Son of God and drinking His blood. Jesus reduced it to a symbol. His flesh and blood provide for us forever . Eternally we will sing of the blood of Jesus.

2 Samuel 8:15

7/20/2024

David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.

It took seven years of political manipulation and intrigue for the ten tribes to settle on David as king over all Israel. Judah thrived under David’s rule and things really settled down when finally David took over. God’s evaluation of David’s reign was that he did what was just and right for all his people. God knows His own purposes in all that David did, and He knows the repentance and restoration that David needed even to get through it all. God worked in David the purposes of His grace, so that He can view David’s thirty-three years as king over all Israel as David doing what was just and right. Lord, forgive and cleanse and redirect us that we may do what is just and right in our walk with Jesus.