2 Chronicles 34:1-2  NASB   Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

I’m trying to foster some independence in my toddler son by carrying him less and encouraging him to walk more. Most of the time this means he is holding my hand and walking beside me. He is good at the walking part, but he doesn’t always know where our final destination is, and he is often distracted by his surroundings.

There were many distractions King Josiah could have followed (like the gods of the surrounding nations), but he chose to follow God’s way, and God blessed Him for it. We have to make the same choice every day to follow God’s way and say no to the temptations on the right and the left. Aren’t sure of the final destination? Well just hold on tighter to God’s hand, He will lead the way if we let Him.

 -Kevi

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Luke 11:2-4   NASB   And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

We got a chest freezer in our garage a few months back, and it is nice to be able to stock up on certain items and buy meat when it’s on sale. Between our freezer and our pantry we could eat for a month even if the store shelves were bare!

But that kind of security isn’t always a good thing when it comes to spiritual matters. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray for their daily bread, not for bread to last a month. When we learn to rely on God each and every day, we will be much for secure than if we only seek him when we’ve used up all of our own resources.

 -Kevi

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Matthew 7:13-14 NASB Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

After being gone for the weekend, we came home to the unpleasant surprise of having ants in our kitchen. While I marvel at God’s creation, I don’t welcome them in my kitchen! Fortunately most of them had found the ant bait in the pantry, and while they were very glad of the sugar water they found, the unpleasant surprise for them is that it is laced with borax. The ants take the poisonous food back to share with their colony and tell all their ant friends about the great food they found. The ants then come in a steady stream to hoard the new found food source, wiping out the whole colony in a matter of days.

These unsuspecting ants remind me of unsuspecting sinners. All around us, sinners are marching to their own destruction, self-assured that the things we are passionate about are good, that they bring meaning to our lives. As Proverbs says “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

But it is only through Christ that our lives have meaning, it is only the salvation He freely offers that is worth seeking.

Lord, I am so grateful for those that showed me the “straight and narrow” way; help me to lead others towards you, and away from destruction!

-Kevi

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1 Timothy 6:9-11   NASB  But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Children's toys are specifically designed to be safe and prevent injuries. But if you step down hard, in your bare feet, on one of your son's triangle shaped plastic blocks...the pain is unreal!

We often see financial security as safety. Wanting to provide for our families is a good thing, but like many other good things, the devil can use them to deceive us! Let's not be deceived by the promise of safety, but let's pursue the things of God and let Him be concerned with the rest.

 -Kevi

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2 Chronicles 30:9  NASB  For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

We pass this house on our way to church: it looks like it was a nice family home at one time, but it is currently sitting in between an auto parts store and an urgent care medical facility, not an ideal location for a home. We’ve often commented on what might happen to it, and today when we drove by it was up on trailers in three pieces, ready to be moved! Most people would have assumed it should simply be torn down to make way for a new development, but someone saw enough value in the home to move it and put it back together.

As I read through the Old Testament, there is a seemingly never ending cycle of the Israelites turning from God, then a few generations later they repent and return to Him. You would think God would move on and pick a new “chosen people” because this group doesn’t seem to be working out! But God saw the value in the Israelites, and He would put them back together every time they returned to Him, eventually fulfilling His promise to them of a Messiah.

God sees the value in us as well. Despite our many failings He continues to use us for His glory. He “is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

-Kevi

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Psalms 92:12-14  NASB  The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green,

While visiting my husband’s grandparents in the country this weekend, I enjoyed all the beautiful surroundings, but especially all the flowers and shrubs in Grandma’s yard. Now just because she is in the country doesn’t mean she automatically has a beautiful yard. She works hard to plant new flowers and to weed and maintain the flowers and shrubbery from previous years.

If we are “planted in the house of the Lord” He will ensure that we flourish and bear fruit.  But it is not automatic! If we want to flourish in our spiritual life, we need to let the Master Gardener feed, water, and maintain us.

-Kevi

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2 Timothy 1:5-8  NASB  For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

The older I get, the more I appreciate the blessing of having Christian parents and grandparents that modeled their faith for me. Like Timothy, I could look to my mother and grandmothers and have no doubt of the sincerity of their faith. But not everyone has that experience. Many of you are not like Timothy, but are like Lois, who was likely the first in her family to believe in Christ as Lord.

Whether you are a Timothy, a Lois or a Eunice, Paul’s exhortation is the same: keep proclaiming the Gospel, keep using your gifts for God’s glory, keep passing on your faith to those around you!

-Kevi

P.S. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom: thank you for living out your sincere faith in front of me!

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2 Chronicles 19:17; 23  NASB You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.” For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

To me, this is an incredible story. Over and over in the Old Testament, God helped the Israelites win battles against their enemies. This time, however, he told them they wouldn’t even have to fight: instead their enemies fought and completely destroyed each other, and the nation of Judah only had to show up to collect the spoils.

The world tells us to “stand up for ourselves” and to fight our own battles. God says to let Him take care of it. We may have to give up control, but the outcome is always better!

-Kevi

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Hebrews 11:25  NASB Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

My son loves to feed our dog or give the dog things she is not supposed to have: like his toys, hat, jacket, etc. The dog happily accepts the item and then I have to chase it down before she destroys it. Today, he gave the dog a bottle of sunscreen, which she ran off with while I yelled “No!” to no avail. However once she got her teeth in it, it wasn’t hard for me to get it back. It didn’t taste as good as it looked!

Following our desires instead of God’s will may look good, but it will leave a bad taste in our mouths. Moses could have remained in his comfortable life in the Pharaoh’s household, but according to Hebrews 11, he chose to follow God instead.

-Kevi

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2 Chronicles 15:1-2  NASB Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

My son somehow got a cut on his toe while playing outside today. We noticed it after taking off his sandals, and my husband got some antibiotic cream and a bandage to protect it and help it heal faster. But you know what? My son does not like to have things on his toes, and he whined and cried and wanted it taken off. We tried to put his shoes on to cover it up and distract him, but he limped around  and whined until we gave up and took the bandage off.

God wants to protect us from the consequences of sin in our lives. If we seek Him, He will be with us to help us. But as the prophet reminded King Asa: it is our choice. We can also choose to forsake Him, and we will suffer the consequences.

-Kevi

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