Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is 2 Kings 1-3; James 1.
Isn't it awesome how God keeps his promises? Each and every one. He would give a message to a prophet, such as Elijah or Elisha, and it came to pass just as was said... every single time. I find that awesome and comforting, given the promises He's made to those who believe. I also find it awesome that Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. I can't recall anywhere that it tells us why God chose to take Elijah up to heaven in such a manner... anyone else?
Ah, the book of James. Each time I read it, I think I should read it over and over again. James gives some very good advice, doesn't he? I wince a little sometimes when reading it, realizing again a few areas I myself still need to improve. A few things stood out to me today:
1. "...the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
2. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
These two verses remind me that we all have difficult things to go through in our lives. But God knows the areas we need to work on and what we need to go through to become "mature and complete" and He has promised to be with us and give us what we need to get through it all, no matter what.
3. "...everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..."
Quick to listen and slow to speak... definitely something I need to keep working on. I have a bad habit of interrupting when I have something I want to say and not listening until the other person is finished.
4. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
#4 tells us that it's not enough to go to church on Sunday, or listen to podcasts, or even do daily Bible reading. DO WHAT IT SAYS. Do what it says.
5. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Look after orphans and widows - that involves DOING as mentioned in #4. Keep oneself from being polluted by the world... I don't think I need to expound on that, do I? I notice, however, that it doesn't say to keep oneself away from the world, rather keep from being polluted by it. We still need to go out into the world to show Christ to those who may never have seen him before. As Kathryn said yesterday...
Ask Him what Matthew 28:18-20 looks like for you. Ask Him how you can glorify Him with who you are right now, all your talents, desires, passions. He has placed them there for a reason. He has placed them there to get you in the right places, situations to reach others for Christ. What do you love to do? Ask Him how you can enjoy that and glorify Him by sharing His name, making Him famous.
Lots of good stuff! Have a lovely Thursday.
Tomorrow's passage: 2 Kings 4-6; James 2.
2 comments:
Great post. I really like reading James too. My friend challenged her daughter to memorize the entire book of James because it contained so many life lessons.
Maybe it is because I am a parent of a child about to enter high school (*ack*!) but this verse stood out for me:
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.
The verse said "some youth" not all youth and it just makes me wonder if all of them were jeering or just some. Yet 42 were mauled by a bear! 42! I know we are judged by the company we surround ourselves with but this was a nudge to me to remind my children that who they hang around with determines how their character is seen by others and sometimes that is with disastrous consequences!
Great post Miriam. So many verses stood out to me in James too.
I too found the whole whirlwind thing fascinating. Also interesting how they all knew it was going to happen that day.
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