June 25 – 1 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 13-16

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 13-16. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

 

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

I want to start by apologizing about yesterday’s post. I realized this morning that I failed to give the correct scripture notations for that. If you want to go back and read everything in context I have fixed the post.

Today’s post is a hard one to write about. It contains a lot of history. It contains a lot of ups and downs in the reign of Judah’s kings. At times they are following God, and at other times they turn their backs on him. When they follow him God gives them amazing results, but when they do not they see defeat.

How often does that same scenario play out in your own life? I bet it does more than we care to acknowledge. God does not want us part of the time. He does not want us when things are going good. God wants relationship with us through all times. He wants us to remain faithful and true no matter what is going on in life. He does not want us filling voids in the pleasures of the world. He wants us filling the voids with him and his spirit.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

March 15 – Deuteronomy 11-13

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Deuteronomy 11-13. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

How much do you commit to God and the life he has called you to live? Do you devote time each day to Him? I imagine if you are a constant reader of this blog you are making an effort to spend each day listening to the word of God. That is awesome. Keep it up.

Let me ask you, what lessons are you teaching your children and grandchildren? Are you instilling in them the same passion and desire that you have? Or are you conveying a mixed message to your children … making sure they are in everything under the sun from dance, to ball, to karate, to music lessons, to clubs, to 4-H to name your activity. Now there is nothing wrong with any of those things. I think having well rounded children who have experiences is a great thing. However, are those things coming at the sacrifice of their relationship with Jesus Christ? If so then you are conveying a mixed message.

Read these words again and think of how you can implement these things in your own family…

 "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.'' Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NIV

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

March 5 – Numbers 23-25

Below are my thoughts from the daily reading of the West Side Church of Christ in Lebanon, Ohio. Today’s reading comes from 23-25. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

We learn several lessons from our reading … first, when God is with you nothing our enemies can do will thwart Him, and secondly, for that God wants total devotion from us.

Balak wants desperately for Balaam to bless his people and curse the Israelites. Three times God reveals through Balaam that God is going to continue to be with Jacob and his people the Israelites while he will come against Moab the Israelites cousins from Abraham’s nephew Lot. This angers Balak, but Balaam reminds him that he can only speak the truth God provides. I know many of you reading are not part of West Side, but especially if you are, let me encourage you to pray that your ministers only speak the truth of God’s word. That when they preach or teach what they share and communicate is only the truth found in scripture. Let me assure you, I strive to only speak what Scripture can support. Please help keep me in check in that!

The story of Balak and Balaam is followed by an account where some of the men of Israel fall sexually into sin with Moabite women. What a contrast. God uses a man named Balaam to give Moab indication that God is going to be with Israel and not Moab. While that is going on, some of God’s people are falling into temptation, and in essence falling into false worship. God’s anger burns against the Israelites. God sends a plague on the people. In the midst of the plague an Israelite takes a Moabite woman into his tent. In righteous zeal for the Lord Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, takes a spear and drives it through both the man and the woman killing them both. God’s wrath was paid and “So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, but not before 24,000 people had died.” Numbers 25:8-9 NLT.

The Israelites had spent so much time immersed in Egypt and not focusing on God that in a lot of ways they do not truly know God. Their weak faith has been proven over and over. Their weak faith has caused them forty years in the wilderness. God wanted to give them the Promised Land, but they did not deserve it. Their children would inherit it. Their children would inherit it because they would grow up knowing God and having no other option but to trust God in their wandering. This is shown in Phinehas’ actions against a fellow Israelite. Friends … do your best to train your children to trust in the Lord because of the positive examples of faith you set in their lives not the negative like Israel did. Demonstrate what total devotion to the Lord looks like and receive his blessings in a powerful way!

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.