REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 30, 2015, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei. He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Stay up to date with the church plant by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Importance of Water”
2 Kings 3:9-12a
So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”
Wars require water. Especially in ancient times, having enough water for your army could be the determining factor in the outcome of a battle. In fact, water was so important to maintaining an army that poisoning enemy water sources was a common practice of ancient warfare. In this chapter, three armies (Israel, Judah, and Edom) join together to fight against the enemy Moabites. An incredible force! But they seem to have run into a major problem… they had no water. Hundreds of thousands of thirsty soldiers and many more animals are all but useless without water. In this dire situation, we see two distinct responses from two different kings: Jehoram, the king of Israel, said, “Alas! The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab,” while Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”
Interestingly, both kings referred to the name of the Lord. The king of Israel used the name of the Lord to pronounce blame for the impending doom. On the other hand, in a seemingly hopeless situation, the king of Judah sought the word of the Lord. When we are in tough situations, how do we approach the Lord?
Prayer: Lord, You are greater and bigger than any obstacle or problem that we can face in our lives. We seek You, and we ask to hear from You as we go through this day. Help us to meditate on Your Scripture; build up our faith as we meditate on it.
Bible Reading for Today: 3 John
Lunch Break Study
Read John 5:39-40: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Questions to Consider
- Who is Jesus talking to here? (You may have to refer to the entire chapter.)
- What was wrong with the way these Jewish leaders were reading Scripture?
- According to this passage, how should we be reading Scripture?
Notes
- Jesus is talking to the Jews—more specifically, the Jews who set out to kill him, which were the Jewish religious leaders.
- It seems as though these Jews had significant knowledge of Scripture but could not make the connection to Jesus Christ. In other words, their knowledge of Scripture was solely informational.
- Jesus does not ever deny the importance or the authority of Scripture, but He says here that Scripture bears witness to Jesus. When we read Scripture, we ought to be thinking of how its words, stories, and commands reveal to us the person and nature of God! A great question to ask while reading any Bible passage is, “What does this reveal about our God?”
Evening Reflection
As the day ends, reflect on the different ways you interacted with the Lord today. Have you sought His voice? Have you read His Word? Especially if you are in a difficult season right now, take some time to quiet your heart and inquire of the Lord.