Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from August 24-30 are provided by Kate Moon who serves as a missionary in E. Asia.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 13:4-5:  Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD’s favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram.

Jehoahaz had been leading the nation in evil practices, and the oppression was a situation allowed by God because of their disobedience (vv. 2-3). So God had no particular reason to grant His favor when Jehoahaz sought it; they had done nothing to earn or deserve it. And yet He granted it all the same.

What does favor look like? I was once on a flight where the attendants were especially attentive to me but seemed almost to not even see the person sitting next to me. When there was only one blanket left, I got the last one and he had to go without. When there was a last cup of water on the tray, they offered it to me and then actually skipped him when they came back to finish passing out the water, starting the row behind us. When they accidentally spilled Coke on the one blanket left that I had been using, they somehow found a magic cupboard on the plane where there was another blanket after all. I was so favored that I could get a second blanket even when theoretically there should have been no more blankets. Technically, if they had found it earlier, this would have been his blanket. I’d never met these attendants before in my life; there was no reason for them to be nicer to me than the person sitting next to me. And yet it felt like such a clear distinction was being made between the two of us; one favored, the other not—at least in my mind as I was having this personal little mini-epiphany (to his credit, the person sitting next to me didn’t seem to be feeling particularly slighted). But through this experience, God was speaking to me.

For no particular reason, other than that He has chosen us, He hears us when we cry. No matter how wicked or rebellious we have been up to that point, when we repent and turn to Him, He looks on us with mercy in His eyes and delivers us from our self-inflicted misery. This is our God.

Prayer 

Lord, I am humbled when I think of how You’ve chosen me. And yet how I wish that others around me could also experience Your kindness. Would you have mercy and deliver them, too? In Jesus’ name I pray.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 9:1-3: I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people . . ..

Questions to Consider 

1. What does Paul (the author) feel when he thinks about his people (v. 2)?
2. Why is his heart so troubled (v. 3)?
3. What heart does his “almost” wish express (v. 3)? How do we feel when we think about people close to us who don’t know Christ?

Notes 

1. He feels great sorrow, continually conflicted within, and great burden.
2. His people are cursed and cut off from Christ because they have rejected the gospel.
3. How much he wants to share Christ with his people; how not content he is just to be saved himself. Like a child who’s received a special treat but wants so much for his brothers and sisters to have it, too, he’s almost willing to give his own away; but if he did, it would defeat the purpose as his desire is that they all share in this same wonderful experience together.

 Evening Reflection

What evidences were there of God’s favor in my life today? Was I able to share it with any others? Take a moment to pray for those you’d most like to share this Christian life with.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from August 24-30 are provided by Kate Moon who serves as a missionary in E. Asia.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 12:13-16:  The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins . . . it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple . . . The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.

With all the financial scandals that abound in both secular and Christian circles today, it is natural for people to want an honest, straightforward accounting of how organizational funds are used.  It seems the people of King Joash’s day were no different.  From the careful reporting of what funds went where, what they were spent on and not spent on, it seems the author is addressing concerns people may have had regarding how their offerings were put to use.

In general, we hold those who manage our finances to a high standard of accountability.  When the financial reports are given, we examine them carefully to see whether the funds have been spent wisely; we check to see whether there are any glaring inconsistencies.  Yet have you ever thought to turn that same high standard of accountability on our own selves?  Have we ever thought about how one day God would be examining our financial report to him and asking us those same tough questions that we ask of our church treasurers?

The finances that He has given us to steward towards specific projects that build up His house and kingdom, are we releasing them in a timely manner?  Or are they sitting idle in our bank accounts (not from wise saving but rather fear of not having enough or laziness in allocating), preventing His work from moving forward?  Are the funds getting redirected towards other, less essential projects as we’ve got distracted from the task at hand?  Or are we putting them to use – paying his workers, purchasing the materials (vv. 11-12) needed to build His kingdom here on earth?

Perhaps our mismanagement is not intentional, just as the priests may not have been grossly misusing the funds during the time the temple repairs were at a standstill.  Perhaps they were simply saving the funds or using them towards other temple administrative needs.  But they had lost sight of the main task at hand.  In King Joash’s days, the priority was to repair the damaged temple.  What is it that we are supposed to be focused on today?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for entrusting me with more than just what it takes for me to have my daily bread.  Help me to be a good steward, not passive when it comes to spending to build your kingdom.  I want to be able to present to you a financial report that pleases You.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 19:12-13, 15, 20: He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ . . . 15 He was made king . . . and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it . . . . 20 Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.’”

Questions to Consider

1. What did the master expect his servants to do with the money he gave them (v.13)?
2. What did the master do when he returned (v.15)?
3. The servant who returned his master’s one mina to him, had he done anything wrong (v.20)? If Jesus returned today and asked for an account of your stewardship, what would your report look like?

Notes

1. Put it to work. Make use of it.
2. He asked his servants to give an account of the money he had given them. God will indeed one day ask us to give an account; this theme appears often throughout the Gospels.
3. Though he had not lost his master’s money, the instructions had been for him to put the money to work. By letting it sit idle, he had disobeyed.  In your personal stewardship review, are there any resources of God that are sitting idle that need to be put to use?

 Evening Reflection

How did I invest God’s resources today?  The time He gave me?  The energy or money?  Though we won’t be asked to give a final account until the end of our lives, it’s good to review along the way to make sure we’re on track.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from August 24-30 are provided by Kate Moon who serves as a missionary in E. Asia.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 12:4-6:  Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD . . . Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”  But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple.

Why had the priests failed to repair the temple?  Was it because of corruption or faulty spirituality?  Jehoiada, the leader of the priests at that time, instructed the king to do what was right in the eyes of the LORD (v. 2).  Was it because of a lack of organizational ability?  This was the same priest who had mobilized the nation’s leaders to execute the successful coup that put Joash on the throne.  In verse 8 is a suggestion of where the problem lay: “The priests agreed . . . that they would not repair the temple themselves.”  Both the priests and king had perhaps been thinking that only the priests were qualified to do this job when in actuality, it could only get done when they began involving others.

Sometimes we can keep looking to the same people to do everything because they seem like the best candidates.  When I was a high school English teacher, I worked with two student leaders on the school newspaper.  They were great, but because they were so great, they were also on the “most wanted” list for multiple other clubs on campus.  While this would look great on their college applications, it wasn’t the healthiest way for the school community to run.  They fulfilled their responsibilities for the paper, but just barely. And I can’t help but think how it would have been better if other students were involved who may not have been as obvious choices but who would have been devoted and able to contribute more than “just barely”—with the end result being a better paper.

Is there anything you’ve been trying to do yourself but find that it isn’t getting done?  Perhaps you need to admit your limitations, let go, and invite others to get involved.  Do you see something not getting done that is frustrating you?  Perhaps you need to offer to help out because those who are trying to do it themselves can’t do it alone.

Prayer

Lord, there are things, not only in my personal life but for Your greater kingdom purposes, that need to get done.  Help me to see my role, what I need to do (or let others do).  Thank you for the body of Christ, for we are in this together and none of us bears the responsibility alone.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 6:3, 7: 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.  We will turn this responsibility over to them . . . 7 So the word of God spread.  The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Questions to Consider

1. How is the situation in this passage (early church) similar to that of King Joash’s time we read about this morning (v. 3)?
2. How are the people who were to receive this responsibility described (v. 3)?
3. What was the result of responsibility being turned over to others (v. 7)? How do these verses challenge or encourage you in terms of your service to the Lord?

Notes

1. There was a group of people who needed to turn a responsibility over to others.
2. The community recognized them as being filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
3. The kingdom of God continued to advance. When I am asked to take on a responsibility, it means that someone sees me, to some extent, as being wise and Spirit-filled.  And when I take on a responsibility, it contributes to the advancing of God’s kingdom—meaning, my service is significant.

 Evening Reflection

As we reflect on the ways we are currently serving the Lord or considering getting involved, let’s take a moment to thank the Lord for the awesome privilege of being able to contribute to his kingdom work, of more people coming to know his love, more people being set free to truly live.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from August 24-30 are provided by Kate Moon who serves as a missionary in E. Asia.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 11:14:  She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.  Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”

When King Joash at age seven retakes his rightful place on his father’s throne, the people of the land were rejoicing, but Athaliah cried out, “Treason!”

That she is calling this situation “treason” is so ironic because it was she who had actually committed treason when she murdered all the possible heirs she could find and seized the throne for herself six years prior.  And yet she had come to believe that she was the rightful ruler of the land and that all these others were currently in the wrong.  She was deluded and deceived.

It is a sad story, but could it be that we are sometimes the same?  Getting upset at what is happening to us and blaming others, not being able to see that we are the ones who are actually in the wrong?

The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things, and each of us is susceptible to self-deception.  Do we have someone in our lives before whom we can humble ourselves and ask whether they see anything gone awry, either in our lives or the way we see the world?

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to see things as You do, properly and not distortedly.  Help me not to be deceived about who I am and what I’ve done; I don’t want to be deluded.  If there is any area in which I am in the wrong, help me to see it clearly and repent.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Jeremiah 17:9-11: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  10 ‘I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’  11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means.  When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the answer to the problem of a deceitful heart? If we can’t trust our own hearts, who can we trust (v. 10)?
2. How does God reward a person’s actions (v. 10)?
3. What happens to the person who “gains riches by unjust means” (v. 11)? What warning or comfort does this truth bring to us?

Notes

1. Though our very own hearts can deceive us, God cannot be deceived. We can trust Him to judge rightly and should turn to Him.
2. God examines that person’s heart and mind—their true motives. God also rewards us fairly, according to what we deserve.
3. The riches will not stay with him (just as Athaliah who seized power by unjust means lost it in the end). We are to be careful to live right lives and can even take comfort in the face of injustice done to us, knowing that God will bring about justice in the end.

 Evening Reflection

Was there a situation today in which I was tempted to blame others?  Did I ask God to shine His light into that situation and check my heart to make sure there wasn’t any wrongdoing on my part that I needed to address instead?

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from August 24-30 are provided by Kate Moon who serves as a missionary in E. Asia.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 11:2-3:  “But Jehosheba . . . took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered.  She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.  He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.”

My mom became a grandmother last year, and the new addition to our family is the joy of her life.  There are pictures of baby Ziggy (his parents started calling him that while he was still just a zygote and the name stuck) all over the house, and though she’s tiring of traveling as she grows older, she’s already gone the length of the country twice to see him.

Grandmothers are usually known to dote on their grandchildren, but not so Queen Athaliah.  Because of her ambition to rule, once her son, the king of Judah, was dead, “she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family” (v.1) by trying to kill off all of the royal princes, among whom was her own grandson, baby Joash.  What kind of ungodly influence could be so strong that it could trump a woman’s basic instinct to nurture and protect the young?  It’s hard to imagine, yet as the country was falling more deeply into the sin of worshipping gods other than the one true God, this is the kind of event that resulted.

In contrast, however, we also see Jehosheba, his aunt, bravely rescuing Joash, believing for a better time to come.  Though the six years of rule by an evil queen may have been bleak, all the while, hope was hidden away and growing, preparing to be revealed when the time was right.  Sometimes when we look at humanity or the lack thereof in this world, at the distortion of all that was meant to be good, we wonder where the hope has gone.  But throughout history, God has always reserved hope, and in due course, the dark times do come to an end.

Is there a situation you are looking at where you are wondering where the humanity has gone?  Appalled at the lack of common decency?  Take heart, for God has a plan, and he will not wait a moment longer than is necessary.  Even if it seems premature (Joash became king at age seven), he will bring that hope to the light as soon as the moment is right.

Prayer

Dear Lord, when times look dark, help me to place my hope in you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Obadiah 1

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Kings 10:25-27: “In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign . . . His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.  He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.”

Questions to Consider

1. At this time, the nation that was originally Israel was split into two kingdoms, “Israel” and “Judah.” Jerusalem and the temple were located in Judah, so it was supposed to be the kingdom that was truer to God, yet what do we notice here?
2. Omri led the nation into further idolatry and was the father of Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in the history of Israel. How does Athaliah’s family background help us understand her later actions?
3. What warning can we take to heart regarding the sin of idolatry and the influence it can have? Is there idolatry in our lives that we are not dealing with because we don’t take it as seriously as we should?

Notes

1. There seemed to be no difference between Israel (ruled by the house of Ahab, described as doing evil in God’s sight) and Judah.
2. Athaliah came from a family that practiced evil and idolatry; her later slaughter of all the royal princes can be seen as the fruit of this kind of spiritual influence she had received.
3. Worshipping other gods puts us under an evil spiritual influence that can cause us to act in less than human ways. If there is even a hint of worship of other gods in our hearts, we need to deal with it swiftly and decisively.

 Evening Reflection

Rather than adding to the darkness, was I part of the hope in the world today?  Was I decent human being?  Was God my one and only true God today?  Did I seek to be ruled and influenced by him and him alone?

Editor’s note: The AMI QT devotionals from August 17-23 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 10:28-31

Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.

I am ashamed of this reference on so many fronts, but if you are about my age, you’ll get it.  At the end of the 1990 classic Pretty Woman, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and Philip Stuckey (Jason Alexander) get into a fist fight.  After the fight, Edward fires Stuckey from his position as his lawyer and C.E.O. of gobbling up other businesses.  Stuckey, upon being fired and beaten up, begs, “What is wrong with you?  Come on, Edward!  I gave you ten years!  I devoted my whole life to you!”  And Edward responds (edited for language): “[That’s a lie!]  It’s the kill you love, not me!  I made you a very rich man doing exactly what you loved.”  The “kill” referred to acquiring and consuming other companies—which Stuckey seemed to have a thirst for.

If you’ve been following our devotions over the last few days, you have probably come to the realization that Jehu is a complicated character.  True, he was God’s instrument of judgment on the house of Ahab, and he was very zealous in doing his work, which again was cutting off Ahab’s descendants.  Furthermore, Jehu was also credited with killing all the priests of Baal and eliminating Baal worship from Israel.  As a result of his work, God allows his family to rule Israel for four generations.  On the flip side, we read that Jehu continued in the sins of Jeroboam, worshipped golden calves in Bethel and Dan, and caused Israel to do the same.  My conclusion:  Jehu, much like Stuckey, “loved the kill,” but he never truly loved God.  The reason Jehu performed his tasks so admirably was that he was probably a violent man who literally loved the kill.  If God had asked him to do anything else, I think he would have failed.

Why do you do ministry?  Why do you go to church or get involved in cell groups or community groups or serve in general?  Unfortunately, I’ve served with many people who got involved because something about ministry, other than the love of God, appealed to them.  Some liked the business of planning events, others liked the activities, or the friendships; some served simply to feel important, etc.  Ultimately, this is a reminder to check your hearts.  Do you serve and get involved because you love Jesus more than you love His work?  I hope this is the case for you and all of us.

Lastly, here is the scary part: God genuinely used Jehu, though his heart was not devoted to Him.  I’ve seen God use many people with ulterior or impure motives—meaning just because God is using you or your ministry is not a sure tell that you are fully devoted to Him.

Prayer

God, please give me a heart that is genuinely devoted to You.  Though it is good to enjoy ministry, help me to have pure motives in all that I say and do.  Thank you that I can love You because You first loved me.

Bible Reading for Today: Colossians 4

Editor’s note: The AMI QT devotionals from August 17-23 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 10:10-11

Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

Most parenting experts will tell you that when it comes disciplining our children, the most important thing is to be consistent. Inconsistency is why I might be the worst parent in the world. I have two year old boy-girl twins, Jon and Abbie. My wife and I joke that Jon is “not smart enough to punish.” For example, if we send Abbie to her room for ill behavior, she cries knowing she’s being punished. But when we send Jonny in there, he smiles and laughs. (I think he thinks we are playing hide-and-seek.) At nap time (they share a room), we tell them both to stay in bed, and if they get out they are going to get punished. Whenever I go in their room because I hear mischief, Abbie is always in her bed, while Jon is always out. Don’t get me wrong, they are both being troublemakers, but Abbie knows, at least, to stay in bed. When I tell Jon that he needs to be punished, he looks at me like, “What did I do?” And when I tell them it is time to get spanked, Abbie runs away in fear, while Jon runs toward me smiling and laughing as if I am going to read him a book. The truth of the matter is that I find Jon really cute, and when he looks at me and smiles with that blank look on his face, many times, I cannot bring myself to punish that guy (inconsistency). In my heart of hearts, punishing the lad is not what I want to do. But I know that good parenting involves disciplining our children, and teaching them that there are consequences for their actions.

While going through the narrative history of Israel, eventually, we would have to broach the topic of punishment. Make no mistake about it, Jehu was the Lord’s agent of punishment and judgment on the house of Ahab. Ahab and Jezebel’s alliance was wicked; as individuals, they were wicked, and as a household they led Israel into further idolatry and evil action. Their deeds deserved to be punished. I think when reading the Bible, we often mistake patience with inconsistency. God is patient, but I wouldn’t say He is inconsistent. In fact, part of God’s immutable nature is that He remains at all times consistently good, fair, and just. And when God says that He is going to punish evil, you can be sure that He is not inconsistent like human parents.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see that justice and discipline are as much a part of Your character as grace and forgiveness. Help me to trust in Your hand even if the results are difficult to understand or terrifying. Help me to know that You are always good and always sovereign.

Bible Reading for Today: Colossians 2-3

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals from August 17-23 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 9:24-26

And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, “Take him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the Lord made this pronouncement against him:26 ‘As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—declares the Lord—I will repay you on this plot of ground.’ Now therefore take him up and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

The one phrase that stuck out at me in today’s passage is when Jehu says to his assistant Bidkar in v. 25, “For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father…”  I wonder how Jehu felt about overthrowing Joram, Ahab’s son.  Put it this way: imagine if you rode behind the king for many years, being his faithful army commander, supporting him in many battles, then leading a rebellion against his son. How would you have felt?  I know that Jehu was no choir boy, but even he had to feel some remorse over what the Lord had called him to do.  The truth is, obeying the Lord is sometimes hard, and it can drive a wedge between you and your loved ones.

A few years back, we were on the topic of sharing our faith in a Bible study group.  One of the sisters said that she will never share the gospel to a close friend since when she tried it in high school, it ended up straining their relationship. I was a little taken aback because I had been going to church with her for over a decade, and I assumed that sharing the gospel was vital to her.  Yet I know that this type of stuff happens all the time when it comes to following God—your friend one day can become your enemy the next all because of your faith.

In Matthew 10:34-35, Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother…”  In the end, Jesus never said that following Him would bring popularity and peace; sometimes, following Him will cost your relationships. The question we need to ask ourselves today and every day is, “How worthy is He?”  Is He worth fracturing our relationships if need be?  Is He worth your reputation if you have to stand up for Christ against popular opinion?  Is He worth your job if you have to do the right thing?  Is He worth your life?

Prayer

Lord, help me to know that You are worthy of it all.  There is no relationship more important than my relationship with You.  Help me to choose You— no matter the cost or heartache.

Bible Reading for Today: Colossians 1

Lunch Break Study

Matt 10:34-39

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the Lord’s point in this passage? Does He literally want us to be at odds with our parents or those in our household?
2. What are the relationships you have that compete with your devotion to the Lord?
3. What does it mean for you to lose your life and take up your cross?

Notes

1. Jesus was being very matter of fact. I don’t think His intention is for us to hate our parents; however, sometimes following Christ will bring divisions in the family.  We see this happening to many non-Christian families when a family member converts to Christ.  Following Christ can be a great divide.
2. This is a personal question; however, I have met a lot of parents whose love for their kids is borderline idolatry (or straight idolatry). I have also seen children who obey and love parents more than God.
3. Personal application question.

 Evening Reflection

Who are the idols in your life?  How can we release these people to the Lord?  Are there relationships which you feel like you might have to strain in order for that person to know Christ or grow in Him?  What does it mean for you to love God first and foremost?

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals from August 17-23 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 9:11-13

11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the fellow and his talk.” 12 And they said, “That is not true; tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’” 13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

I have always found this exchange interesting and very insightful into human nature.  If you read the entire account, starting at verse 1, we see that the prophet Elisha tells his unnamed servant to go and anoint Jehu, likely a prominent commander (or general) in the Israelite army, as king.  Jehu is further charged with the task of wiping out Ahab’s household (the current monarchy).  Make no mistake, Jehu is charged to commit treason.

Here’s the interesting part: one would think that such an important and troubling charge would come from a prominent prophet, Elisha himself even.  But Elisha didn’t go; he sent an unnamed under-prophet with questionable credentials.  In fact, Jehu’s friends even describe this prophet as a “mad fellow.”  Let’s put it like this: let’s say that God wants you to commit some act of treason against your country (He is not asking for this, by the way); my guess is that in order for you to even consider it, Tim Keller, John Piper, and the rest of the Gospel Coalition as well as all of the other prominent evangelicals in Christendom better be behind you.  You would not go and betray your country on the advice of that street preacher who stands on the corner of Crazy Ave. and Obnoxious Blvd. yelling at everybody, “Repent or die!”  No way would you do that.  So the question we must ask is, “Why did Jehu and his companions act on this prophet’s words?”

To me, the fact that this prophet was legit and from the Lord is irrelevant.  How many times in the OT have prophets of the Lord been put to death because the recipients did not like their message?  I think the reason Jehu and his men were willing to start a revolution is that the prophet told them something that they all wanted to hear.  Think about it—if this prophet had come in and said, “Jehu, in the name of the Lord, I command you to quit killing people, repent, and pick up crochet,” Jehu’s men probably would have utterly disregarded, maybe even killed, this “mad fellow.”  But because he gives them good news—major promotions for everyone, they are all willing to listen to this seemingly crazy man and his seemingly crazy command.

Here is what I find insightful about human nature.  When it comes to good news or flattery, we don’t care who the source is, do we?  If your worst enemy gave you a compliment, you’d be happy.  Why is it that when we are struggling with an issue, we tend to only ask advice from the people who will tell us what we want to hear?  On the flip side, when it comes to criticism, we are often quick to disregard the critic as hypocritical or unknowledgeable.  As people of God, we must understand that God has spoken truth through seemingly crazy, uneducated and even wicked people, and on at least one occasion, a donkey.  Our job is to humbly accept truth whatever the source, even if it hurts.  We should also be careful not to run on everything our itching ears want to hear.

Prayer

Lord, please grant me humility and discernment to hear your truth no matter the source.  Lord, help me to be honest in my heart so that I can discern if my desires align with your will.

Bible Reading for Today: Ephesians 6

Lunch Break Study

Proverbs 27:5-10

5 Better is open rebuke

    than hidden love.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

7 One who is full loathes honey,

    but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest

    is a man who strays from his home.

9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.[a]

10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,

    and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.

Better is a neighbor who is near

    than a brother who is far away.

Questions to Consider

1. What do these Proverbs say about friendship?
2. How does an enemy masquerade as a friend?
3. How are you as a friend? Do you speak the truth in love?  Are you faithful and loyal?

Notes

1. Friends can wound you with open rebukes, but those wounds are good for you (vs. 5-6). The value or sweetness of a friend’s comes from his honest counsel (vs. 9).  And friends (or neighbors) are near in times of trouble (vs. 10).
2. Enemies in contrast give “hidden love” and “kisses.” (They compliment when rebuke is needed or they tell you things are okay in times of distress.) They are far when trouble comes (vs. 10).
3. Personal question. Please evaluate your friendships and yourself as friend.

 Evening Reflection

Who are the cheerleaders in your life?  Who are the people that tell you what you need to hear?  Do you have enough of those people in your life?  Is there anyone in your life who needs to hear biblical counsel?  Do you handle truth well?  Are you teachable?

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals from August 17-23 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 Kings 8:16-19

In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.

When I was a kid, I hated when my parents would tell me to stop hanging out with a such and such friend because they perceived him to be a bad influence on me.  Of course, as a kid, I didn’t believe that people were that easily influenced (certainly not me). And besides, I was probably the worst influence in the neighborhood.

Now that I am a parent, I am shocked at how my thinking has done a 180 degree turn on the matter.  There is this one boy in our neighborhood whom I wish my kids would steer clear away from—I find myself constantly thinking this kid is such a bad influence on my son.  In fact, I cannot help but feel that every time my son comes home from hanging out with him, he’s picked up some more attitude and is more prone to say things like, “What the heck!”  The truth of the matter is that I just want to blame my son’s attitude and semi-potty mouth on others, and not come to grips with the fact that my boy is a genuine sinner.  That is, what I once believed—that good kids do good things while the bad ones do bad—isn’t true.  So as a sinner, all children are prone to disobedience, but it is also true that their sinfulness is augmented by influences (i.e., environment) around them.

I think this is the point that the Scripture writer was making when he discussed Jehoram’s alliances.  Jehoram was clearly a wicked king who “walked in the way of the kings of Israel,” but his wickedness was augmented by his alliances, particularly his wife, the daughter of Ahab (one of the most wicked kings of Israel).  It would be incorrect to assume that had Jehoram not married Ahab daughters, he would have been fine—just like it is wrong to blame others for our shortcomings.  Sure, others can be bad influences on us or some others may know how to push our buttons in just the right way, but at the end of the day, we need to take responsibility for what lies within our hearts.

That being said, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33). Ahab’s wife probably did not help Jehoram to honor and serve the God of Israel.  We must understand that some of our relationships will not help us to grow in the Lord either; therefore, be wise with the company you keep.

Prayer

Lord, change my heart so that the fruit of my life will reflect a tree that is good.  Help me to be responsible for myself and my actions and never to blame others.  Also, help me to keep good company.

Bible Reading for Today: Ephesians 5

Lunch Break Study

Luke 6:43-45:

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Questions to Consider

1. What good fruit do you see in your personal life/character?
2. What good fruit do you see in your ministry?
3. Are there bad batches of fruit that come out of your life that need correcting?

Notes

1. This is a reflective question, but I want you to think about your character and who you are or are becoming. How is your family doing?  How is your marriage?  These are some areas of personal fruit which come from either a good/bad tree.
2. Are people growing as a result of your ministry (either formal ministry or informal)? Does your ministry help the church?
3. What are some areas that you are having struggles? Perhaps, the list includes anger, materialism, lust, judgmental thoughts, etc. Bring these before the Lord and ask him to prune the tree.

 Evening Reflection

Similar to this afternoon’s study, how is your personal life, character, and ministry doing?  Are you bearing good fruit?  Did you blame others for the things that may have been your own doing?  What areas of your life and character would you like to change for God’s glory?