2 Chronicles 27 - 9.16.22
Scripture - What stood out?
2 Chronicles 27:6
Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.
Observation - What does it say?
A brief history of Jotham as king of Judah. Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The bible says that Jotham does not repeat the sin of his father Uzziah, who had given in to his pride and led to his downfall.
Understanding - What does it mean?
Thank you Lord for highlighting this verse for me today. I needed to hear this statement. A statement of fact. A statement of consequence. Jotham grew because he continued to walk with God. I needed to hear this today, Lord.
My company, much like my life has taken me through a whole bunch of twists and turns. Over the past two years my relationship with my direct supervisor has grown because I have tried to honor him to the best of my ability and I have tried to apply biblical principles to our professional relationship. Today I continue to reap the benefits of simply honoring my boss, even in moments when the desire and emotion to honor him is not there.
Help me Lord to walk steadfastly with you like Jotham did. There is a part of me which desires to grow powerful. But I ask that you purify my heart and help me to cultivate a desire to know and love you more.
Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?
Create in me a clean heart o’ God!
John 6:26-27
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Holy spirit I pray that my life in Christ becomes more disciplined today. Teach me Father on how I can live a life that was like Jotham’s, a life that was steadfast in You. Help me not to seek the gifts, but the giver. Transform me and make me more like you. Bless me in this Father as I seek to bless You. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.
-kenneth lee
Psalm 73-9.15.22
Scripture
Psalm 73:13-14 NLT
“Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.”
Observation-What does it say?
This is a psalm of Asaph. In this psalm he wondered why the wicked seemed to be prospering. He envied them. They seemed to gain all the riches, and had no worries because they didn’t have a problem in the world. For Asaph, these wicked people seemed to live such painless lives; their bodies were strong and healthy, and the richer they were becoming, the crueler they would become. What was going on here?
Then God revealed to Asaph the destiny of the wicked. God had put them on a slippery path that was doomed with destruction! Asaph realizes that he was foolish and ignorant for envying the wicked. He realizes just how blessed he is for following God. And as long as Asaph remains faithful to God, God will be faithful to him. A glorious destiny awaits for Asaph when it’s all said and done.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Stay the course. Don’t be distracted by what others are doing.
This verse hit home with me because I too was once like Asaph. When I first became a Christian I would see others around me, living an aimless, Christ-less life, and they seemed to still be reaping all the world’s benefits. They were driving nice cars, going to nice colleges, and getting nice careers started for themselves. And here I was following God whole heartedly, struggling paycheck to paycheck, barely had enough to go to junior college, and working a dead end job. Is this the life I was destined to live?!
But like Asaph, God revealed to me that he had more in store for me if I just stayed the course. God had bigger and better things for me to accomplish, if I would just trust in Him. That moment in my life helped grow me as a Christian. It helped make me into the man I am today. I too (like Asaph), realized just how blessed I am to have God on my side. That no matter what comes my way, I can handle it, because He is with me!
“Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” Psalms 73:23-26 NLT
So who cares what others around me may have?! Their happiness is put in things that wear out over time, things that may be taken away in an instant. But my happiness is in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior and His blessings are eternal.
Life Application
Trust in God’s plan.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”-Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
Sometimes the best way for me isn’t always going to be the most comfortable path or even the most glamorous path. A lot of the times, the path that God will put me on is going to be rough and a bit bumpy. God will be using it to bring maturity and growth in me. He is refining me through life’s fire and life’s tests. But at the end of the day, He is always with me. And as long as I stay faithful to Him, I know that He is always faithful to me. And there is nothing in the world I would trade that for!
-Moses Gaddi
John 4-9.14.22
Scripture
John 4:42
“They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Observation-What does it say?
The woman at the well, a Samaritan woman, shared her encounter with Jesus with her people. First of all, Jesus came to her even though Jews and Samaritans do not associate with one another. Second, He knew the intimate details of her life....details that would be impossible for any stranger to know. Third, He knew she was thirsty for something more than what this world had to offer her, as He said that He could give her water that would cause her to never thirst again. The woman was amazed and Jesus eventually revealed to her that He was the Messiah that she was expecting (vs.25). The Samaritan woman could not keep this information to herself, so she told the other Samaritans in her town about Jesus. As a result of her testimony, many Samaritans believed in Him and chose to seek Him out for themselves.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Our faith in Jesus Christ is not meant to be hidden.
Keeping our faith to ourselves only benefits us, but we must share it with those around us too. As the Samaritan woman shared her encounter with Jesus (her testimony), it caused the other Samaritans to believe in Jesus and seek Him out for themselves. They had faith that became their own and it was no longer her faith alone (vs. 42)
Life Application
Freely share Jesus' testimony and our testimony of faith.
Jesus' testimony is His death and resurrection. His testimony has enabled us to be saved from hell and not have to live a life apart from a Holy God. (John 3:16).
Our testimony is our personal experiences/encounters with Jesus. Some of us have an initial testimony that led to us accepting His invitation for our salvation. But, we are given testimonies all the time as we are with Jesus everyday. It is meant to be shared with those who don't know His goodness so that they could taste and see for themselves that He is good.
Psalm 34:8- “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
The water He gives is truly living water and is the only thing that can satisfy our thirst for eternity.
Dear Lord, thank You for the people You placed in my life to plant the seeds of faith in my life. Now that I have been adopted into Your family, I pray that my testimonies with You would not be hidden, but rather shared with joy in order to draw others to Yourself. I pray that they would taste and see that You are good too.
Thank You Jesus that it doesn't matter what we've done or who we once were, but that we are now seen through Your eyes. Thank you that I will never thirst or hunger again. May more people be drawn to that truth as I am obedient to share it with them. Amen.
-Michelle Gaddi