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!"