Bible Verse for Today:
“At that time the Lord began to make Israel smaller…” 2 Kings 10:32 NCV

This brief statement important not to overlook. In some ways it seems strange in terms of its timing. King Jehu of Israel led one of the few revivals. He ended Baal worship, destroyed the family of wicked King Ahab but even with these reforms, the Lord began to reduce Israel’s territory.

Israel was the “northern kingdom” consisting of ten tribes of Israel. Solomon’s kingdom was divided into two nations following his death, due to his idolatry. Israel established its capital city as Samaria but failed to follow the Lord whole-heartedly.

In these days the strength and economic well-being of a nation was tied to its size and how many other cities that it ruled. This represented economic, military and political power.

At the end of Jehu’s reign Syria began to capture some cities and regions that belonged to Israel. But this was not a prolonged downward slide. Over the reigns of nine more kings, battles would be won by Israel, territory would be reclaimed, but it would end one day with Assyria taking Samaria and the people of Israel captive.

2 Kings 17 gives the indictment against Israel, All these things happened because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God…They lived as their evil kings had shown them, secretly sinning against the Lord their God… And they refused to listen to his warnings. They worshiped useless idols and became useless themselves. 2 Kings 17:7-15 (for full description)

What is important to understand is that the people did not totally reject the Lord. There were many who were faithful. Prophets spoke God’s message and sounded the warnings. There were times of repentance and revival, but there was not a serious and prolonged commitment to follow the Lord’s ways. Instead they were more influenced by the culture of the day and the customs of other nations.

As I view current events, I wonder if America is at one of these turning points. I believe we can observe many “water shed” moments in our nation’s history and in culture. But as a friend recently commented, “I didn’t think I would see things change so drasticallty and so fast as they have in recent months.”

I recall after the 2018 election in Colorado and seeing significant changes in the political structure as a reult of the election, a more politically astute friend of mine commented optimistically that “we will see things shift back.” My response was “I hope so, but I see this as a more significant change than just normal political cycles.”

How should we respond? What does this mean? We need to remember, the Lord is in control. The scripture says, “the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel.” We must keep our eyes on the Lord and seek to understand what is happening from a spiritual and eternal perspective.

We need to be a voice. Just as the Lord’s prophets spoke truth to power and to a culture in decline. We must do the same.

We need to be on guard against the downward spiral of culture. Paul gave these admonitions,
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Colossians 2:8 NLT

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Romans 12:2 NLT

But all this is only possible when we follow the Lord completely, whole-hearedly. No compromise. No accomdation. So we pray for a spiritual turning point. One back to the Lord and His ways.

Bible Verse for Today:

Because they did not know the way that God makes people right with him, they tried to make themselves right in their own way. So they did not accept God’s way of making people right. Romans 10:3 NCV

I recall many years ago a man saying to me, “I try to live a good life and if that it not good enough for God, it’s not my fault.” Hmmm. It is interesting how people believe they can establish their own criteria when it comes to being right with God, when everyday we accept the standards set by other authorities.

No one says, I am a careful driver so it doesn’t matter how fast I drive. No one applies for a loan and determines their own criteria for what should be acceptable to the lender. No student determines their own criteria for the work and activities needed to pass a course.

It is one thing not to know how to be right with God and so try our best to do what we think is right. This may be the Ten Commandments or our own set of standards. It is another to know and to ignore. Hebrews 2:3 (NLT) gives this warning:
So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? (Hebrews 2:3 NLT)

The Bible makes it clear on how to be right with God.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved.  (Romans 10:9,10 NCV)

We then have this assurance:
The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives many blessings to all who trust in him, ¹as the Scripture says, “Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NCV)

That is good news. We don’t need to be confused or to uncertain as to what the Lord requires. We don’t need to work and try, hoping it is good enough. We can just follow God’s plan and provision Jesus Christ has made for us on the cross.
Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29 NLT)

So “get to work” and start believing. Place your faith in Jesus Christ and accept His forgiveness by confessing your sin and placing your life in His hands.

Bible Verse for Today:
No one worships you
    or even asks you to help us.
That is because you have turned away from us
   and have let our sins destroy us. Isaiah 64:7 NCV

As we look at the world and prophetic events described in the Bible, are they a result of God’s judgment or a natural consequence of a godless world and sinful behavior? Perhaps the answer is, “Yes.” However, this verse caught my attention because it addresses this question at least in part.

We are living in a day when faith is more and more “out of style.” God is pushed to the periphery of life or viewed as nonessential or impractical to life by many. There are a host of reasons for this, but the consequence is the same, no recognition of God or worship of Him or seeking His help and favor.

You can count on it, a godless world is a world in trouble. That trouble comes from people who believe they have the power to address all the problems people have created through society and human activity.

I still recall years ago a youth camp speaker’s message, entitled, “When God Says Have It Your Way.” The bottom line is we don’t realize the grace of God that protects us from our sin and full brunt of the consequences of our actions, lifestyle and behavior.

The most telling verse from the story of Samson is when he was being probed by Deliliah about the source of his strength and kept toying with her until he told her the true source. He woke up and thought, “I’ll leave as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. (Judges 16:20 NCV)

I believe much of what we see in the book of Revelation is what happens when the Holy Spirit is withdrawn and allows the full consequence of rebellion and rejection of God take place in nature and in human conflict.

What is the application? What should be our response? We continue to worship the Lord and ask for His help, even in the midst of a world or personal and cultural chaos. When it doesn’t look like our prayers are being answered, we must still pray. When it seems like there is no hope, we must still have hope in the Lord. We need to be quick to turn from sin keep our hearts open to the Lord and seek to understand from scripture and our relationship with Him how we are to live and respond to what is taking place around.