For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven[.]

Ecclesiastes 3

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven[.] Ecclesiastes 3:1

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, which is the first division of Ecclesiastes 3 per the commentary.  The commentary broadly describes the futility of time in the sense that there is a cycle of life that we cannot predict, control, or step.  We are born, we die, there are good things that happen to us, and there are bad things that happen to us - we live in a fallen world so there will be pain and anguish.  Referencing vv5-6 the commentary discusses how this describes how relationships in our lives ebb and flow and people, outside of marriage and perhaps your most immediate family, come and go in our lives.  All of the activities described in vv2-9 have a role in our fallen world - this is the human experience. The commentary shares: "[t]he point of the poem is the inevitable sameness and monotony of life under the sun. We all go through these actions of birth, life, work, love, and then death. Nothing really changes for humanity. Meaninglessness in life and death in the end pervade our experience in this cursed world. Here today and gone tomorrow. This is just the way it is....The poem reveals the great absurdity of life because each activity cancels the other out. There are 14 pluses and 14 minuses, and that adds up to zero (Begg, “Eternity on My Mind”)! Every birth ends in death, every planted crop is pulled up, every building is eventually condemned, every celebration gives way to a funeral, and every peace gives way to another war. Nothing is gained."  The commentary for this division ends with the same conclusion we all should draw - that apart from a daily, personal and lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ we will suffer a frustrating and meaningless existence. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love, grace and compassion.  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 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.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

Ecclesiastes 2

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 2:18-26, which includes both the third and fourth divisions of Ecclesiastes 2 per the commentary. The commentary highlights the folly of work apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  We should avoid blind ambition to strive for wealth and worldly recognition, instead focusing on working for the Lord - see also Colossians 3:22-24.  The commentary shares: "Solomon will no longer live by the myth that hard work and well-earned wealth validate life (Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, 295). Workaholism kills many families in America. Many people are possessed by a restless ambition to achieve, and so they put business before everything else (Greidanus, Preaching Christ, 65)."  The commentary, highlighting v23, also shares how even when we are not working we are often consumed with anxiety-related to work: "You are never “off” or “home” from work. Your mind is constantly taken up with it. You clock out and come home, and you check your e-mails on your phone all night. You toss and turn while sleep evades you because you stress about the next work project. What futility!  Vv24-26, pivot from the vanity of work apart from God to how work focused on pleasing God provides the fulfillment and joy we all seek.  On this note, the commentary shares: "In the beginning God designed the world so that we would enjoy the material blessings He gave us as a means to worship Him. As we ate, drank, enjoyed our spouse, and enjoyed our work, it would cause us to thank God for His goodness. But human sin distorted that, so now we look to the created things for the satisfaction only God can give. Not only is this a rebellion against God, but also it renders our true enjoyment of these gifts impossible. We want more, more, more, and we are never happy. We think if we just had a little bit more, then we would be happy, but if we are not happy with what we have right now, then we will not be happy no matter how much we get or experience. More will not satisfy us; only God can.  Again, the problem is not the things in and of themselves but rather the value we place in them. They cannot truly deliver. So be satisfied in the Creator, and then you can rightly enjoy the created things He gives you. As Solomon says, apart from Him there is no enjoyment (2:25). Everything is meaningless without Jesus, but with Jesus we can enjoy everything."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion for me - making me one of Your elect - truly a gift of amazing grace as I am not deserving.  Thank You Jesus but again I am not deserving as 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.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

Ecclesiastes 2

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 2:18-26, which includes both the third and fourth divisions of Ecclesiastes 2 per the commentary.  Here, without going into detail reviewing the commentary - a quick glance of the commentary reveals that these two divisions (vv18-23 and vv24-26) are titled Work is Meaningless and Contentment in God and His Gifts Is the Meaningful Life. In writing how work is meaningless (vanity) - Solomon shares how it is frustrating that he works hard his whole life, accumulating wealth, etc. only to leave it behind to children or for others to benefit.  This becomes more frustrating for Solomon as he writes how the recipients of these benefits will be unknown to him in terms of who they are and who they evolve to be.  Solomon also shares that work produces anxiety (v23) and we know that God does not want us to worry about anything (see Matthew 6:25-34).  Solomon then moves to God's role in work (vv24-26) and how working as a means to glorify God (we exist to glorify God in all that we do) brings true enjoyment and fulfillment. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me work where I find fulfillment and where my hope is that I glorify You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me.  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.  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 I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, which is the first division of Ecclesiastes 2 per the commentary.  The commentary describes this division with the title: Pleasure Is Meaningless.  It continues by sharing how Solomon in chapter 1 finds no meaning in his life (apart from God - see also Ecclesiastes 12) but then says to himself that he should "lighten up" and pursue pleasure perhaps as a way to distract himself from an empty existence to leads to pain and disappointment. Right way in 2:1 Solomon points out how pleasure as vanity - he then goes into details about what he pursued (see also post yesterday).  As the commentary for this text winds down it shares: "Solomon concludes his search for pleasure by saying he denied himself nothing (2:10)....It led to nothing but brokenness. Incidentally, much of what he detailed is a violation of the kingly laws in Deuteronomy 17 and ultimately cost Solomon’s son the kingdom....Solomon lovingly warns us that indulging in whatever feels good is dangerous. You may get all you ever wanted, but you will not want it when you get it. It will not satisfy. God loves you, and He knows indulging under the sun leads to brokenness. Pleasure is not bad, but because of the fall, it cannot be our final guide. It cannot be ultimate. Pleasure is a good thing that if turned into a god thing becomes an enslaving thing."  Turn to God - the Living Water that truly satisfies!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You truly satisfy!  You are the Living Water whose mercies are new every morning and that never cease - thank You Jesus for these blessings and of course for my salvation - I am not deserving of such blessings...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. 
 

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, which is the first division of Ecclesiastes 2 per the commentary.  Building on my posts to date on Ecclesiastes, where the key theme has been how apart from God we have no fulfillment, meaning or purpose, and in the end, most importantly, we are eternally damned without God.  Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 is an incredible set of verses authored (of course divinely-inspired) by someone who had access to every conceivable pleasure and did not deny himself any of these pleasures. Solomon writes how he found such pursuits vanity (v1) - including laughter (v2), houses (v4), wine (v3-4), gardens/parks (v5), pools (v6), slaves (v7), herds and flocks (v7), silver and gold (v8), singers (v8), and concubines (v8).  Solomon also shares how he retained wisdom and "became great and surpassed all who were before [him] in Jerusalem" (v9) - he had it all (v10). Yet this did not produce the fulfillment he thought it would produce.  On the other hand, for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we have a joy and peace that some may never know nor understand.  Please seek God!  God please use me to bring others to You!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of love and compassion for me - making me one of Your children and one of Your elect - seeing me as perfect in Your eyes, justifying me such that I am not condemned but saved for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such incredible blessings...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such 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.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice....Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

 Psalm 51

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice....Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:8, 12

As this is the last day of my vacation, a pause of my studies of both Isaiah and Proverbs ends today as after today I will resume one or the other - for today, I listened to DesiringGod.com's daily devotion, which focuses on sexual sin and how David sought not to address the symptoms of this sin (in his case adultery) but the root of this sin.  John Piper describes David's heart condition as a lack of "fullness of joy and gladness in Christ...God does not have the supreme place in [his] feelings and thoughts that he should." The antidote for this is closeness to God - in terms of spiritual disciplines of study of God's Word, prayer, worship, etc. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who never leaves or forsakes me - thank You Jesus.  You are my all in all!  I am not deserving of such a God...my sin is daily and it continues.  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 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. 

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

John 17

 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26

Once again, I pause on my studies of both Isaiah and of Proverbs to listen to today's Solid Joys daily devotion on DesiringGod.com.  John Piper's devotion today starts with Piper asking us to "[i]magine being able to enjoy what is most enjoyable with unbounded and increasing energy and passion forever."  This is certainly a worthy endeavor!  Piper then acknowledges how - from an earthly perspective - things get in the way of our joy, including love of the world consumes us more than love of God, our human abilities our limited, things of this world come to an end.  Piper then moves to Jesus' prayer in John 17, where specifically, in John 17:26, Jesus prayers that God's love for Jesus be in believers and Jesus in believers (as the Holy Spirit).  Piper describes God's love for His Son Jesus as totally pleasurable because Jesus is infinitely worthy of love or lovely.  In praying that this love be in us, "then the object of our pleasure, Jesus, will be inexhaustible in personal worth. He will never become boring or disappointing or frustrating. No greater treasure can be conceived than the Son of God. But add to this what Jesus prays for; namely, that our ability — our energy, our passion — to savor this inexhaustible treasure will not be limited by human weaknesses." Amen!  We must acknowledge this treasure that we have and not cease in our praise and gratitude of Jesus.  We must also live lives that demonstrate that we have this incredible treasure and that we share it, bringing others to Jesus.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible treasure and thank You for giving me the love that is the same love between You and the Father - incredible and eternal!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues.  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 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.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 5-7, Luke 6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Day 297 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 as I move further into the New Testament - focusing this morning on the Sermon on the Mount. My commentary indicates that this sermon "[c]over[s] a broad spectrum of spiritual topics, [and] Jesus speaks of the nature of the kingdom, of repentance, of faith, and of worship—and particularly of prayer and humility. Always demonstrating a concern for human welfare, Jesus deals specifically with family and social relationships and discusses at length the effect of possessions on one’s faith and peace of mind. The discourse begins beautifully with the blessings in store for the righteous, and harshly with the woes which will befall those whose lives are spiritually rebellious."

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

While this sermon is rich with teachings, each of which are important and worthy of their own reflection and study unto itself, the promise of Matthew 5:6 has always been one of favorite of the entire Bible. Matthew 22:34-40 and Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments) both refer to the greatest commandment, which is to love God. Matthew 5:6 expresses this commandment in words that drive us to God with urgency and also with a promise of satisfaction - a promise that I can personally say is true as are all of God's promises.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing and faithful God and all of Your promises come true as "no word from God ever fails".  I know this in my life.  Thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness.  I am not deseving of such faithfulness and love. My sin continues...worry, etc.  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 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.

The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered. The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn....

Revelation 17-18

The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered. The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn....Revelation 18:14-15

Session #9 of David Platt - Revelation: The Hope of Glory (requires login which I have though my church) focuses on Revelation 17-18.

The focus for this session is not just the judgement of the world in the final days but a warning about the danger of worldly desires.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:15-17

Revelation 17-18 is a pictorial illustration of 1 John 2:15-17.  These are words that we in the USA need to here - worldly, comfortable Christians.  Hear the invitation of God to repent and turn from the ways of the world and enjoy fellowship with God.

What is going on with these chapters and takeaways:

• 17:1-5 attractive woman who symbolizes worldly seduction and a symbol of infidelity/idolatry/immorality; woman is sitting on a beast the symbolizes worldly persecution; sevens heads symbolizing seven mountains and seven heads; ten horns symbolizing ten kings > persecution of the world and seduction of the world
• the woman is devoured by the beast - end of chapter 17:15-18 according to the purpose of God; the woman disappears from the earth; Babylon and seduction of world in chapter 18 also destroyed > all as judgement of God
• this world is full of deceptive attractions - sensual pleasures, material possessions, promise of satisfaction, hope of security (18:7), insatiable lust for power, subtle lure of pride (...mentions of "great")
• this world is headed to a definite conclusion (18:2); this world will be destroyed completely, suddenly, eternally
• Sin is self destructive and eventually damning - always destroys (see also Proverbs 7);  Satan is a destroyer who knows he is inevitably doomed
• Hear the gracious warning of God! 17:14 Jesus is the conquering lamb; He calls us to be saved; God is Holy and we deserve destruction but He can save us forever!  With His overcoming power, He calls us who are saved to be faithful
• Do not love the world or anything in it; love for God and the world cannot coexist! Love for the world pushes out love for God.  Love for God pushes out love for the world!  Infinite joy has been offered to us!  Don't buy what the world is offering!
• Every one of us has a choice; love things of this world - if we do, our pleasures will always be fleeting; destiny will be hell; OR we can love the God over this world who reigns supreme over this world and our pleasure will be unfading!  Our security will always be in Heaven!

My Prayer: Jesus, I have experienced the pleasure of Your Kingdom and is satisfying beyond what we can experience of this world - thank You Jesus for giving me this taste.  Yet I am not deserving of how You have adopted me into Your family.  I often fall prey to the tempations fo this world - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from these sins and love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me endure...patiently...and cling to You!  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.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. v17-18

James covers several topics in chapter3, including introductory remarks on how teachers are held to a higher standard of behavior than others, and how "the tongue also is a fire...".  Indeed James words and similar scripture have pricked my heart many times during study and I've posted about it here.

In v13-18 James covers envy, selfish ambition and earthly wisdom that "unspiritual" and "demonic".  He writes about how envy and selfish ambition lead to "disorder and every evil practice" (v16).

We need to avoid chasing temptations from the prince of this age and instead chase Jesus Christ.

V17 and the promise in v18 give believers hope so that we don't feel the need to chase the
temptations from the prince of this age.  Scripture gives us so much hope, including gems such as:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who HAS FILLED ME!  Thank You Jesus!  My cup overflows.  I am not deserving for how You have so richly blessed me.  I gossip, worry, and have other sins.  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 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.

As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

2 Chronicles 26

As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. v5

We must be careful drawing a direct relationship between seeking God and success.  We can say that all success is from God (James 1:17, Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12).  However, we cannot say that God will give us success without qualifiers - we do not have a merit-based relationship with God, instead it is grace-based.

God will provide for us what He wants us for us.

We should seek the Lord because we love Him, because He commands us to, and because it provides what nothing else can provide.

See also post yesterday regarding how God promises how we will be blessed and filled.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who is full of love and grace for me and You have blessed and filled me beyond what I deserve - 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.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.

2 Chronicles 25

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. v2

King Amaziah of Judah did not love the Lord wholeheartedly as commanded in Exodus 20 and elaborated further in Deuteronomy as "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul". 

We are also warned in Revelation not to be lukewarm:

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3:14-17

Yet many of us don't love the Lord wholeheartedly either - but why?

My view is that many of us don't find joy in pursuing God in the same way we pursue perhaps earthly passions.  I know...I've been there and often find myself there.

We must lean into God - or pursue Him vigorously.  He does promise us that we will be filled:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Matthew 5:6

We are also promised fruits of the Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has filled me and my cup overflows - thank You for the many ways You fill and bless me Jesus.  I am not deserving of 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.

Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

Proverbs 11

Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. v7

I know I too often place my satisfaction and hope in other people.  While others may provide a measure of satisfaction we must understand that we cannot place too much hope in what others can provide - otherwise we idolize people and place them in a position that only Jesus can hold.

See also:

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Psalm 118:8-9

 

Stop trusting in mere humans,
    who have but a breath in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem? Isaiah 2:22

 

You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. Psalm 59:17

 

Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save. Psalm 145:6

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, only You fully satisfy and fulfill my heart.  Thank You Jesus that You are always with me - that You provide Your Word and the Holy Spirit. Your Hand in my life protects me, encourages me, teaches me, heals me, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I worry, I am lazy, etc. 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, 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 her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo. 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.