Going All Out!

Read 2 Kings 13:14-20

Michael Phelps is the most decorated American Olympic swimmer in history.  In fact, Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in any sport in world olympic history. Competing in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 games, Phelps won a remarkable 22 medals, 18 of which are gold medals. The second highest gold meal total in history is 9 by four others which is half of Phelps' total. He is now talking about competing in the 2016 Olympic Games where he could add to his already astounding career.

But how did has Phelps been so successful over such a long career? 

Partly, he is genetically perfectly designed for the water. He stands 6'4" tall but has a wing span of 6'7". He has double-jointed feet which which move like flippers in the water. God has blessed him physically. But many have been gifted physically but not had the success Phelps has enjoyed.

The primary reason he has won at such an amazing level is his total all-out commitment to triaining each and every day. Phelps never does anything half-heartedly when it comes to preparing for competition. From his daily swimming, to his weight training, to his diet, to his schedule, and to his sleep, Phelps' entire life is completely committed to reaching his goals.

Applying this to walking with Jesus, the same principle applies. If a person truly wants to become everything God has created them to be, he or she must have a complete and total commitment to following Christ and being faithful to God's word. Half-hearted devotion to God's word and to following His lead will only lead to a weak life with little victory in Christ.

In this passage, Jehoash king of Israel seeks counsel from an aged Elisha about fighting the king of Aram. Elisha commands Jehoash king of Israel to do some unusual things with a bow and arrows...

Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”  2 Kings 13:15-19 NIV

Jehoash was obedient but only half-heartedly, which was seemingly the running theme for the kings of Israel  in those days. Because he only half-heartedly followed instructions, Elisha declared that he should only expect half-hearted results.

How would you describe your obedience to God's word and calling in your life? Could you be described as half-hearted?

What are some of the things that distract you from being fully committed to Christ?

Dear God, forgive me for being half-hearted in my faith for You. Give me the strength and courage to live for You with everything I have! In Jesus' name, amen.

The Bigger Picture

Read 2 Kings 6:1-9:37

There a certain pictures that if a person stares at these pictures long enough, another hidden picture can be seen within the original picture. These pictures are called autostereograms. Autostereograms are multi-dimensional, computer generated, graphic images that contain hidden images and text. The hidden 3 dimensional image can only be seen when the 2 dimensional picture is viewed from a particular perspective. Not everyone can easily see these hidden images while others can see them almost immediately.

These unusual pictures are a good example of how God works according to a bigger spritual picture in the life of His followers. While some things that God is doing in a person's life are obvious, there are some other, more powerful things, that are hidden from sight unless God chooses to reveal His work.

In this passage, the Aramite army had surrounded the city of Dothan overnight.  Elisha asked God to allow his servant to see what is really happening in the spiritual realm around them.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV

It is so easy to become overly focused on what can be easily seen with your own eyes and forget that God is always at work in ways that cannot be seen with human eyes. Even though the Aramites appeared to have the advantage of surprise, the spiritual army of God was protecting the city. In the same way, God is watching over your life in ways you will never be aware of.

How does it make you feel to know that God is working in your life in ways that you cannot see?

How do you think you would react if God opened your eyes to see like He opened the eyes of Elish's servant?

Dear God, open my eyes to see how You are working in powerful ways in my life. Open my heart to trust that You know what's best and to have the courage to follow where you lead. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Learning Obedience

Read 2 Kings 3:1-5:27

On June 6, 1944, in the largest military land invasion during World War 2 and in the history of the world for that matter, the Allied forces breached Nazi Europe in what signaled the beginning of the end for the  Nazi forces. This invasion, known as Operation Overlord, involved 150,000 men, 5000 ships, and 11,000 airplanes. 

Years of planning, training, and preparation went into this day, now known as D-Day. With so many moving parts invloved, how did everything work so well together?

Simple obedience to the mission.

Each man had specific orders that were a crucial part of the operation. The commitment of the Allied servicemen to be faithful to their role in the mission won the day. No one demanded a bigger or more important role than their rank would give. Running on Normandy beach that morning one single man could not have been able to see the big picture. But with tens of thousans of men staying true to the plan, the Allied Forces were on their way victory inover the Nazis.

Learning to know and understand one's place and to be obedient to the authorities God has placed in a person's life is an important part of growing up.  "Yes Ma'am" and "No Ma'am" and "Yes sir"  and "No Sir" are some of the most important words a child ever learns to say. 

In this passage, a man named Naaman seems that he hasn't learned any of these lessons. Naaman was an important commander who had been struck with leprosy. Through a servant girl, he learns that there is a prophet of God in Israel who can cure him of his leposy. He comes to see Elisha, but Elisha doesn't personally come out to see him, he sends a servant with specific instructions.

Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy." I Kings 5:10-11 NIV

The commander came seeking healing but refused to follow orders and be obedient to the mission Elisha gave him. Thinking that he was mnore important than he was, Naaman first went away angry because he felt like he had been disrespected by Elisha.

God created you for a special purpose and mission. The Bible is your manual for this life mission. Each and every new day, you must make a decision to be obedient to God's word and stay true to your mission or to disregard your calling and live for yourself. This may be fun for a season, but ultimately you will fail the mission God has given you.

What is the mission God has given you for your life? What is your specific calling?

If the Bible is you mission manual, how obedient are you to the intructions God has given you?

Prayer Emphasis: Ask God today to reveal more of His plan for your life to you. Surrender to this plan and commit to be faithful to the instructions God has given you in the Bible.

Practice Makes Perfect

Read Luke 21:1-24

"Pistol Pete" Maravich is widely considered to be one of the greatest shooters to ever play the game of basketball. In college at LSU, Maravich scored an astounding 3,667 points in just three years without the benefit of the 3 point shot. This still stands as the the record for the most points scored in college basketball history. He went on to have an amazing professional career with the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Jazz of the NBA.

How did he get to be such a great shooter? Those who knew him well called him a "gym rat", someone who spent countless hours perfecting his game in the school gym. Maravich, a spectacular showman with equal ballhandling and passing skills, practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced until everything simply became second nature to him. In the past 40 years, there has been no one like him in the college or pro ranks.

There is much to be learned from the example of Maravich from a spiritual perspective. Maravich was second to none because he invested so much time into his game. Spiritually, for the believer, the gym is the prayer closet. Time spent in Bible study and prayer prepares the follower of Christ to be bold in the faith even during times of persecution. Jesus spoke about this in this passage...

But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. Luke 21:14-15 NIV

In order for Jesus to give His followers words of wisdom, they first have to be walking with Him each day, connecting with Jesus through prayer and meditation on the word. Only then can Jesus empower His followers in the face of opposition and persecution.

How are your spiritual practice habits? How much time do you spend in the "gym" in prayer and meditation?

What changes do you need to make in your daily habits to make more time to spend with Jesus?

Dear Jesus, give me a passion for Your word and for spending time in prayer today. When the time comes, give me words of wisdom to speak to those who do not know about the hope I have in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Real Thing

Read 1 Kings 21-22

In 1886, Atlanta Pharmacist John Pemberton invented an unusual concoction in a three-legged kettle in his backyard. This new drink was called Coca-Cola because the original formula containeda mixture of traces of Cocaine and kola nuts. First offered to the public at Jacob's Pharmacy on May 8, 1886, Coke (as the drink came to be called) became one of the most popular soft drinks in the United States by 1900. Today, Coke, is the standard by which all other soft drinks are measured. Dubbed the "Real Thing" in 1969, there is no substitute for an ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola. Today, there are dozens of spin-off colas, most of which taste nothing like the satisfying taste of coke...cheap imitations of the "Real Thing."

In this passage, Ahab king of Israel and Jehosaphat King of Judah make an alliance to attack the King of Aram over a region of land called Ramoth Gilead. Johosaphat agrees to attack one condition: that they ask God what He thinks of their plan.

Ahab gathers around 400 prophets who serve false Gods. They are afraid of the king so they simply tell him what he wants to hear. Johoshaphat asks if there were any prophets of the LORD left in Israel..any real prophets to ask. Ahab states it plainly...

"There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." 1 Kings 22:8 NIV

Amazingly, the King of Israel would rather listen to flattering lies from cheap imitations of men of God than to listen to a true prophet of the one true God. Not surprisingly, ignoring the words of the true prophet of God ultimately cost Ahab his life.

In our world, there are many cheap substitutes for the real important things in life, especially when it comes to the truth about God and His word. It is always easier to settle for the things that will make us feel good, but only the real truth of God can truly satisfy our souls.

Why do you think people settle for cheap imitations for the most important things in life?

What have you substituted for something real in your life? What would it take for you to commit to the real things of life?

Prayer Emphasis: Dear Jesus, You are truly the real thing in a world of falsehood. Help me commit to living by Your word each and every day. In Jesus' name, amen.

Broken or Crushed?

Read Luke 20:9-20

Children's nursery rhymes are well-loved but some are just plain weird. Babies in treetops, old ladies in shoes, and bridges falling down are just a few unusual subjects in these old nursery rhymes. One of the most well-known rhymes is Humpty Dumpty. Apparently Humpty was fragile and, through an unfortunate fall, was broken to pieces. He must have been important because the king called for his men to try to put him back together, to no avail.

For the most part, most of these rhymes seem to make no sense, but occasionally they seem to teach an important life lesson. In case of Humpty Dumpty, Humpty teaches that people are fragile both physically and emotionally. While Humpty fell from a wall and was broken physically, many people fall and are hurt in much deeper ways. Looking at this from a spiritual perspective, the choices and decisions that people make can literally make or break them for eternity.

In this passage, Jesus refers to Himself as the chief cornerstone....He is the one on whom the universe rests. Jesus makes this powerful statement...

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” Luke 20:17-18 NIV

There seems to be two paths to choose spiritually. One is to surrender your life completely to Jesus  and allow Him to break you and reshape you into His design for you. The other is reject Jesus, to be eternally separated by God, and to be eternally broken beyond repair. When that happens no one and nothing can but you back together again.

Why does Jesus only give two choices? 

If you have chosen Him, in what ways is He reshaping you to be more and more like Him each day?

Prayer Emphasis:  Dear Jesus, I know that choosing to follow You is the most important decision I will ever make. Give me the courage to surrender my will to You and let You shape me as You will. In Jesus' name, amen.

Small Packages

Read 1 Kings 18:16-40

"Dymanite comes in small packages." 

Though no one quite knows where this saying comes from, it's meaning is clear: just because something may be small, it doesn't mean that it isn't important or significant. In fact, it may be something of great value or power, like a diamond or a pill of antibiotic.

Much is made of big things...like the big fish caught on vacation or the Empire State Building or Shaquille O'Neal...but sometimes looks can be deceiving.

This principle can easily be seen in this passage. Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal and Ashteroth to a showdown on Mt. Carmel to show whose God is the real deal. The challenge is simple: prepare an offering and pray for fire from heaven...whosever God answers is truly God.

The  hugh group of prophets of Baal and Ashteroth decide to go big. This passage says they prayed and danced for hours...with no response.

So they took the bull given them and prepared it.Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.  1 Kings 18:26 NIV

Elijah on the other hand kept things short and simple, praying just a 58 word prayer asking God to show Himself to be the one true God. Instantly, God answered by fire from heaven.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.  1 Kings 18:38 NIV

The fire was so hot it even consumed to stones from the altar!!! The short prayer from a man of great faith brought about a huge response from both God and the people watching that day who declared that the God of Elijah was the one true God.

Maybe you feel small and insignificant in the bigness of this world. Maybe you feel like you could never truly make a difference. The power of one man's prayer speaks a different truth.

Why do you think we are so impressed with big things and sometimes overlook small things?

If Elijah can defeat hundreds of prophets with short prayer of great faith, what do you think you could do with just a little faith? What would you like to do?

Prayer Emphasis: Dear God, teach me that sometimes the smallest things make the greatest impact. Help me to commit my little to testify of Your great love. In Jesus' name, amen.