For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.

Zechariah 14:1-3

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. Zechariah 14:2-3

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is an unassisted review of Zechariah 14:1-3, which the commentary outlines as the second of four divisions for the text 13:2-14:21 (13:2-9, 14:1-3, 14:4-9, 14:10-21).  Here, the text shares how Jerusalem will be sacked, with v1 describing how spoil taken from the city will be divided "in your midst" referring to possessions of God's people who are the audience of the prophecy from Zechariah.  Yet this is not referring to the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD where God delivers his wrath against his people for accumulated sin as He uses Rome to put down a Jewish rebellion (see also thoughts here re: Ezekiel 4:9-17).  Instead all (v2) nations are fighting against Jerusalem in a scene more reflective of end times and the Battle of Armageddon, consistent with the preceding text in Zechariah.  Looking forward to v4, we also see reference to "on that day," which again is consistent with preceding text as it refers to the Battle of Armageddon. This depicts a violent and scary time where a remnant - half - is exiled (suggesting protection), while invasion and violence awaits the other half.  Yet v3 once again should provide confidence and comfort knowing that the victory over sin and death is already won!  God fights for us - and we know He wins and He creates a New Creation (Revelation 21) and saves a place for us (John 14:1-4).  Be confident and comforted!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of amazing grace and love for me.  You intercede and fight for me and I know You have already sealed victory over sin and death - and You are saving a place for me in Heaven. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and gifts.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.

Ecclesiastes 10

If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. Ecclesiastes 10:1

I continue my study of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book. My focus this morning is Ecclesiastes 10 and how the takeaway of this text relates to the first division of the commentary: God Has a Design for Everything.  Upon an initial reading of the full text of Ecclesiastes 10 followed by a pause to seek how to outline the text, I see much of the focus on a comparison between wisdom and folly (and fools), particularly vv1-3, v6a, and vv12-15. V4 offers an admonishment on anger (which is a sin).  Vv8-11 is a segue from vv6b-7 where Solomon sees evil in the world and he sees a paradox in this evil where good is perhaps the intention but harm is the outcome.  This leads me to share, building on my post from a couple of days ago about how God is in control and we should view His providence in all circumstances and strive to see how what God is doing is good and that He loves us.  V4 in particular strikes me because of my own desire to control all aspects of my life and not trust in God (and His design and providence).  Anger, in my view is a natural response when things are not going our way - yet we should be careful because our lives should follow God's way.  I think of Exodus 14:13-14, and while its focus is not on anger but instead fear, the application is the same: trust God and be still. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me, whose design is perfect, and who is in all things.  And You never stop loving me - despite my sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.     

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

1 Kings 22 , 2 Kings 1, 3:1-5, and 2 Chronicles 18-20

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Day 156 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of the divided kingdoms of Judah (Jehoshaphat) and Israel (Ahab and successors). Jehoshaphat's efforts to turn away from sin and towards God, as well as his efforts to do the same throughout his kingdom, figure prominently in my study today.

Ahab is killed in battle (1 Kings 22:29–36; 2 Chronicles 18:28–34), and God rebukes Jehoshaphat for his alliance with a wicked king.  Jehoshaphat reforms Judah's justice system* by appointing Godly judges (2 Chronicles 19:4–11) and by "appoint[ing] some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the LORD and to settle disputes".   My focus today is on how Jehoshaphat turns toward God as the Moabites invade Judah (2 Chronicles 20) - his prayer is particularly illuminating with respect to his heart condition.  At the end of the prayer he says:

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Following this last line of the prayer:

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:13

God responds: 

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.     

Ultimately, of course Judah, defeats the Moabites.

The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 20:29-30

True faith in God produces blessings (fruits of the Spirit) and is contagious!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has blessed me beyond what I deserve - thank You Jesus for the many blessings You pour out on me.  I am not deserving.  My sin continues - I am easily distracted by the world.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to Jesus and for them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

Psalm 1, 14, 15, 36, 37, and 39

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

Day 114 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I start a new group: "Psalms About Righteousness and Wickedness" where David cries out to the Lord regarding the apparent inequity of the wicked who seem to escape judgment and punishment while the righteous suffer.

Today's psalms focus on prayers for vitality of the righteous and vulnerability of the wicked, foolishness of disbelief and misery of evildoers, characteristics of a righteous person, depravity of the wicked and favor of the righteous, how the righteous poor have no cause to envy wicked, and over difficulty withholding outrage and a reminder of life's brevity.

I often worry - primarily over Zach and Dustin and how they will get on with life - whether they will desire to follow Jesus.  While today's psalms focus on it how it is unnecessary for believers to worry about how the wicked will escape judgement and punishment (they will not), I am reminded how I should not worry...period.  This includes worry over children and their righteousness. 

A helpful post on DesiringGod.com makes a distinction between sinful worry and anxiety versus righteous anxiety which is described as "parents godly concerns over the spiritually dangerous influences their children will face in the world".  The post encourages us to "translate our fear-fueled concerns into prayer requests, weaving them with thanksgiving for graces we’ve received from God and all the promises he’s made to us (2 Peter 1:4), and give them over to God".

I am reminded of Moses words to the Israelites as they saw impending doom when trapped between the mountains on one side and the Red Sea on the other with the Egyptian army bearing down on them: 

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You fight for me...and for Zach and Dustin.  I am not worthy for how You protect me and fight for me...and for my kids.  Please forgive my worldly worry.  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You and to be still.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa an myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

Genesis  42:6-45:15

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Genesis 45:1-2

Day 19 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues to focus on Joseph's story - including the climax where Joseph's role in the administration and distribution of grain during the famine leads his brothers to Egypt where they are reunited - but not without tension and torment of his brothers by Joseph.

When his brothers arrived in Egypt and sought grain during the famine, Joseph desired at least some semblance of revenge and he puts both his brothers (all of them, including Benjamin) and his father Jacob through great agony.  But Joseph finally relents and in Genesis 45:3 he tells his brothers who he is and while there is initial fear, there is ultimately relief and celebration over the reunion.

Contrast such yielding and submission of one's life to God with the self-control Joseph exercises earlier in his life when he refuses to sleep with Potiphar's wife (see Genesis 39 and DesiringGod.com)   At least part of Joseph sought to continue to control and manipulate his brothers by putting them through more agony, yet he yielded to God's desires as he could not deny that even this aspect of his story was part of God's plan.

I've struggled with control much of my life and as I've grown in my relationship with Jesus, I've learned to be more at peace with how God is in control vs myself.

I think of the Israelites in Exodus 14 when they stood before the Red Sea as the rapidly approaching Egyptians threatened re-capture and worse:

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

While Joseph's circumstances are of course different - his story of self-control vs God in control are one in the same.  God works in all things and we must submit to Him and what He is doing.  See Romans 8:28 and Colossians 1:16-17.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You are in control - You reign and Your sovereignty and rule is perfect.  And I know You love me and You have adopted me into Your family.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your love.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes...Our God will fight for us!

Nehemiah 4

Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes...Our God will fight for us! v14, 20

Nehemiah 4 serves as a metaphor for our lives as we attempt to build a life based on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.  Just as Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod worked to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the Pharisees and Sadducees, among others, all rejected Jesus.

As I posted yesterday, our role in the church is very important because our fellowship with other believers serves to strengthen us as we fight the forces of this world in our faith.  

Most importantly, we have a God that will fight for us - just as Nehemiah states in v14 and 20.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You can beat the dark forces of this world because You have beaten death and sin - You have overcome!  Thank You Jesus for helping me gain victories over sin - I continue to need Your strength.  I am not worth such love. I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

2 Chronicles 20

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. v17

Although Jehoshapat "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (v22), he sinned - as do we all.  See verses 35-37.

In the face of a grave threat from the Moabites and the Ammonites with some of the Meunites, Jehoshapat, with the people of Judah, sought the Lord's help (v3-4).

Indeed, on a daily basis, we will face the forces of darkness and Satan (see 1 Peter 5:8).  Yet we have God on our side (see Ephesians 6:10-20) and we should recognized that God will fight for us.

This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. v15

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."  Exodus 14:13-14

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who will never leave us or forsake and who fights for us - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...

Psalm 37
 

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...v7

Although David in this verse is highlighting how God protects believers from harm...I believe this verse also speaks to why we should not worry...God is in control and directs the lives of His children for their good and His glory.  See also post from a couple of days ago here.

I did not trust in the Lord growing up and my path has been full of wrong turns and dead ends...I don't want my kids to make the same mistakes so I worry and I try and engineer their lives through criticism and manipulation...all sinful and wrong!  I don't want to exasperate my children (Ephesians 6:4).  

Instead my focus should be how I am being Jesus, NOT on how they are not being Jesus.  I should be a light onto others so they are attracted to being a light also...to have the truth that I have.  By modeling Jesus for them, I hopefully earn the right to talk about Jesus with them.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:15

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

With these foundational steps, I then to allow God to do His thing:

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I KNOW You fight for me...all the time. And I know You know everything about me, including my sin, yet You still came for me and then suffered and died for me...willingly.  Thank You Jesus but I am not worth such a blessing.  My worry is great and I need not only Your forgiveness but also Your help to turn from such sin and to turn towards You so that You can fight for me!  Help me love and trust You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.