Today's Reading
2 Kings. God kept providing for the Shunemite woman and her son because she had shown faith and kindness to Elisha many years before. "We reap what we sow; we reap more than we sow; we reap in a different season than we sow."
I have read some of your comments about the character and lives of the prophets. Notice that God used Elisha to serve even the enemy King Ben-Hadad. God is no respecter of persons and not every word prophets spoke was pleasant. If the prophet was from God, though, the words came true!
Acts. Many are familiar with the conversion of the jailer of Philippi in Chapter 16. It's often forgotten, however, that Paul and Silas were in jail because they cast a demon out of a girl. The girl was set free, but the men who profited from her demonization were angry because of their lost profits and had the preachers thrown in jail. The Gospel comes to town and shakes things up!
Notice the response when the city fathers wanted to quietly set them free. In spirit, Paul and Silas were already free! Additionally, they were citizens and all the power of Rome could come down for the grievous error of beating and jailing them without a proper trial. I think I would have wanted to just "get outta Dodge," but they took time to go back to the group of believers at Lydia's house and encourage them.
Psalms. David knew the stress and doubt of running from those who wanted him dead. He constantly reminded himself through his songs that God was faithful. This particular Psalm became my prayer for this day.
Proverbs is a fitting answer to those who threw Paul and Silas into prison, as we read in Acts today.
What do you see? Questions today?
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"Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
ReplyDeletefor I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing."
This is from our Psalms passage. I noticed a theme as I sat there and reread it - David is asking for guidance and rescuing, but he is also trusting the Lord, giving himself to the Lord, running to the Lord and proclaiming that the Lord is his God. I wonder how many times I ask for guidance and the Lord's rescue, and then just expect it without any movement on my part? I also find it interesting that David comments on the Lord's "Gracious Spirit". If the Holy Spirit first was realized at Pentacost in Acts, what was David talking about? Interesting.
Rannelle, the Holy Spirit came upon people before Christ, but didn't indwell them. God's Spirit moved and worked, but John the Baptist said that it was Christ would baptize us with the Holy Spirit. This distinction is born out when we realized that people in the O.T. were reminded of right and wrong by reflecting on God's Law. The Lawgiver now lives inside us and speaks Spirit to spirit to us.
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