bypass

2 Kings 1

¹After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.

² One day Ahaziah fell through the balcony railing on the rooftop of his house in Samaria and was injured. He sent messengers off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, "Am I going to recover from this accident?" ^{3 -4} God's angel spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: "Up on your feet! Go out and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria with this word, 'Is it because there's no God in Israel that you're running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?' Here's a message from the God you've tried to bypass: 'You're not going to get out of that bed you're in—you're as good as dead already.'" Elijah delivered the message and was gone.

Most of us like short cuts... we can get to our destination quicker and seem to be added time to do other things. Even people of Biblical times sometimes chose the shorter path, the seemingly easy way. They were regular people doing what people today do.... just maybe a different way. Sitting on a balcony railing, Ahaziah fell. And not just a small fall. He was injured. He wanted to know "Am I going to recover from this?" Don't we still do these things. We fall or fell at something and get injured in the process. We want to know...."Hey, will I recover and move on from this?" Ahaziah wanted to bypass God's message for him. Do I want to really hear what God has to say or would I rather bypass His will, His way and run after my own out come?

Simon saw

Luke 33 -34 "They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!"

³⁵Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.

They said "Simon saw him!" Why didn't they say "We all saw him!"

dan 8 not the one

^{17 -19} "My father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the Name of God, the God of Israel. But God told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a Temple in my honor—most commendable! But you are not the one to do it—your son will build it to honor my Name.'

^{20 -21} "God has done what he said he would do: I have succeeded David my father and ruled over Israel just as God promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor God, the God of Israel, and I've secured a place for the Chest that holds the covenant of God, the covenant that he made with our ancestors when he brought them up from the land of Egypt."

^{22 -25} Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took a position before the Altar, spread his hands out before heaven, and prayed,

O God, God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and relentlessly loves them as they sincerely live in obedience to your way. You kept your word to David my father, your personal word. You did exactly what you promised—every detail. The proof is before us today!

David, the man after God's own heart, had good intentions. We can even say godly intentions. Yet God did not choose him to build the temple. He wanted to build the temple, but God had someone else in mind. Even the godly aren't always chosen to do certain things for God. We may have good, godly intentions and still not be the one for the job.

out of the way

Luke 5:16 As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

some days we are the ones in the way. God beacons us to come, to sit with him, but our plans and agenda's push us in another direction. then we wonder, who moved? even good things aren't necessarily godly, even good intentions can move us from the path. yet He beacons with His still small voice "come"..... withdraw to an out to the way place and meet with me. do what I tell you to do regardless of the jeering crowd, regardless of what they say and how they may treat you. "come". I see the end results, I am your guide, I am the way, I see YOUR heart. don't worry about "theirs". pull out into the deep waters. cast your net once again. pray. wait. watch.

hands in your pockets

Thurs. March 25 Having one of those weeks of discouragement. Knowing that 5 kids from our small church would not be participating in our Egg Hunt due to Ball. Had a reminder from God that this was outreach and that I shouldn't so much worry about our own kids if we are to reach "them."

Outreach means taking your hands out of your pocket.

*Update March 27
Today's egg hunt was GREAT! So much better than my mind would comprehend. We had 800 eggs, 56 hot dogs with some left over and 56 people....... and 2/3 of the people were visitors!!!!!! Go God. May I never question you again!

achan and joshua

^{joshua 7:20 -21} Achan answered Joshua, "It's true. I sinned against God, the God of Israel. This is how I did it. In the plunder I spotted a beautiful Shinar robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a fifty-shekel bar of gold, and I coveted and took them. They are buried in my tent with the silver at the bottom."

He saw, he coveted, he took, he buried.

joshua 9: ¹⁴ The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn't ask God about it.

They did not ask God about it.

restraints

Oh, to love God and serve God without restraints! What is holding you back, me back from serving God with all we are, all we have? Money, debt, doubt, fear or what other's expect (all of these and the list goes on and on)????