For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
1 Thes. 1
How does the Lord’s message “ring out” of your life? Pray today that it will! Paul said the Thessalonians “welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thes. 1:6b). Paul also said this is how they knew the Thessalonians belonged to God. When we truly give ourselves over to God, we don’t respond to things the way the world does. That’s because it is the Holy Spirit in us that now responds. This is what enables us to face suffering with joy, hardship with gratitude, blessing with generosity, power with humility, uncertainty with faith, and many other things that are contrary to how the world responds. May I learn to give myself fully to God each and every day that I might face this life He has gifted me with joy!
2 Kings 11-12
Compare and contrast Athaliah and Jehoiada: their motivations and actions. Joash led well because of the influence of Jehoiada. Who are your mentors? Who are you mentoring? The world is a harsh place and life throws a lot of scary things at us. There is no shortage of Athaliahs, whose hearts are full of evil intent and stop short of nothing in pursuing their wicked desires. And there is no shortage of people who would much rather “go along to get along” than take a stand for what is right, allowing such people to gain the control they seek.
I think part of the reason God gave us His word is so that we can know that He is the only one we should fear and the only one our hearts should desire. Because it is only with those two truths in place that we can be like Jehoiada and Jehosheba. Both risked their lives taking a stand against evil. Their bold actions ultimately spurred others into righteous action, overcoming the evil of Athaliah. Sadly, the likes of these two are few and far between.
I guess my thought in all of this is that, knowing what we know of God through His word and His Holy Spirit, why would we not be more afraid of NOT taking a stand against evil than we are of evil itself? We know that those who remain faithful to God are the ones who will prevail in the end. Likewise, we know that those who oppose God will be destroyed. How do we not, then, make the right choice? How do we not resolve to be a Jehoiada in a world full of Athaliahs? Scary as it is, we know how the overall story ends. Nothing short of full devotion to God wins.