“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Ps. 100:3)

2 Kings 10:10,
“Know now that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the Lord has done what He spoke by His servant Elijah.”

“You are God possessing all power and strength... omnipotent You reign” sings in the background.

Omnipotent means all powerful. One source notes that common characteristics of omnipotent include:

• Ability to do anything one chooses
• Ability to do the impossible
• Ability to do anything in accord with one's own nature
• Ability to do anything in accord with one's established laws
• Ability to do anything that corresponds with one's overall worldplan. [1]

One thing for certain the 2 Kings demonstrates is that God is all powerful and at the same time highly engaged in the lives of His people. He is actively involved with them - reflecting His nature, His laws, and His purposes. He is completely sovereign.

As one source notes, sovereignty is not only the ability to act in power, but the exercise of that power. This source notes that “An important factor of sovereignty is its degree of absoluteness. A sovereign power has absolute sovereignty if it has the unlimited right to control everything and every kind of activity in its territory.” [2] One who is all sovereign is by no means limited or restricted -other than the limitations or restrictions one chooses to place on oneself.

While giving each person complete freedom of choice, throughout 2 Kings, God was involved in the lives of His people and was working out His purposes in their lives. He made Himself and His will evident at every turn.

In 2 Kings 1:2-4,17 it says,
“Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, 'Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.' But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' Now therefore, this says the Lord: 'You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.' So Elijah departed... So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.”

Elijah was a spokesperson for God. He did not proclaim his own will or desires, but rather, he made God evident to those around him by speaking forth that which He heard the Lord speak to him. He did not hope that Ahaziah would die. But, rather by speaking forth the word of the Lord to Ahaziah, he was giving him an opportunity to repent and turn back to the Lord so he could be healed rather than perish in his sin.

When Hezekiah was sick and near death, Isaiah came to him and said to him, “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” (2 Kings 20:1b) Then Hezekiah wept bitterly and cried out to the Lord. And before Isaiah had made it to the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” (2 Kings 20:5-6)

Psalm 2:10-12 says,
“Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.”

God specifically chose Elijah to deliver this message of confrontation to Ahaziah about inquiring of other gods. Psalm 139:13-16 says, “For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

Elijah some time earlier when Ahab was king, called the people out of their idolatry in serving other gods, turning their hearts back to God. Elijah had told the people, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21) He then proceeded to call down fire on the altar of sacrifice. And he prayed, “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to you again.” (1 Kings 18:37) Once their hearts turned back to God, he told them to sieze the prophets of Baal and he executed all 400 of them. Jezebel then threatened to kill him and he ran for his life.

However, when Ahaziah's captain of the army and fifty men came to arrest him for the word he gave to Ahaziah, this time he did not run like he did when Jezebel threatened him. Instead, he sat on top a hill where he could be easily spotted and he called down fire from heaven to consume the men who came in a spirit of irreverence. He did this twice, and on the third time, the commander showed reference for God's power so Elijah went with him. (2 Kings 1:9-16)

One commentary notes that heavenly fire often signals God's divine judgment (see Gen. 19:24).[3] And another commentary goes on to say, “Elijah calls for fire from heaven, to consume this haughty daring sinner, not to secure himself..., nor to avenge himself..., but to prove his mission, and to reveal the wrath of God from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. This captain had, in scorn, called him a man of God: 'If I be so,' says Elijah, 'thou shalt pay dearly for making a jest of it.' He valued himself upon his commission (the king has said, Come down), but Elijah will let him know that the God of Israel is superior to the king of Israel and has a greater power to enforce his commands." [4]

“You said I was yours before I even lived one day” sings in the background.

How God was displayed in Elijah and Elisha was different based on how God had 'knit them together in their mother's womb' and the purpose for which God called them. Elijah demonstrated the wrath and divine judgment of God, calling down fire from heaven and calling people to fear of the Lord and serve Him only. Elijah was pretty much a loner and content to be on his own (2 Kings 2:6). Elisha, on the other hand, was much more relationship oriented, and he revealed a softer and more tender side of God. Many of the miracles worked through him helped and served others in need.

While Elijah and Elisha were unique in the way they represented God and fulfilled their callings, they also had similarities due to their overall call to be prophets. Both Elijah and Elisha called people out of their sin to live wholeheartedly for the Lord. Both of them spoke for God, making the will of the Lord evident. They often spoke of that which is to come, demonstrating God's sovereignty and working out of a bigger story. Their purpose was to reveal God's character, nature and will (heart) so that people would turn their hearts toward the Lord. They called people to see evidence of God in their circumstances, inspiring faith and belief. They were God's spokespeople.

Allen Hood notes that a spokesperson or a 'voice' for the Lord is a laborer, living a consecrated life, fully given to God so that when they open their mouth, they turn people to God by the very life they are living.[5] Prophets were not just voices speaking for Him (the gift of prophesy), but they lived lives that were fully consecrated to God. They put their whole hearts into serving God and seeing His purposes come forth.

“Jesus, I love You with all that I am” sings in the background.

Elisha, being more relationship oriented and tender hearted, lived with the sons of the prophets and cared for their needs. When one of the wives of one of the sons of the prophets died, she came to Elisha with her need. She was out of money and the creditors were coming. Elisha told her to collect as many jars as she could and pour oil into them from her one jar of oil and then sell the jars of oil. She did exactly this and the oil did not run out until there were no more jars available to fill. (2 Kings 4:1-7)

When there was a famine in the land, Elisha fed all the sons of the prophets. When someone brought him twenty loaves of barley bread and newly ripened grain, he said, “'Give it to the people, that they may eat.' “But his servant said, 'What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?' He said again, 'Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus say the Lord: 'They shall eat and have some left over.' So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.” (2 Kings 4:42-44)

As much as Elisha enjoyed relationships however, he pointed all who came to him toward God and not to himself. When Naaman came to Elisha to be healed from his leprosy, Elisha sent a messenger to him to tell him to go wash in the Jordan seven times and he would be clean (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman eventually humbled himself and went and received what God had for him. When he returned, Naaman offered to give Elisha something in return, but Elisha refused and pointed him to God. (2 Kings 5:16)

As a result Naaman found a relationship with God himself. He said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord,” (2 Kings 5:17)

Elisha spoke forth the will of the Lord in several key situations, making God evident to all. Elisha primarily was a spokesperson to leadership (elders and kings rather than the people). It was most often the leadership that had the greatest influence on people and circumstances, turning the hearts of the people towards (or away from) God.

When Jehoram, king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, inquired of Elisha about going out against Moab, because Jehoshaphat feared the Lord, Elisha agreed to seek the will of the Lord for them.

In 2 Kings 3:15-19 it says, “Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, 'Thus says the Lord: 'Make this valley full of ditches.' For this says the Lord: 'You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.' And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.”

And when there was a famine in the land because Ben-Hadad besieged Samaria, the king of Israel sought out Elisha. The word of the Lord came to Elisha and he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barely for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.' So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, 'Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?' And he said, 'In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (2 Kings 7:1-2)

Then in 2 Kings 7:17-20 it says,
“Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, 'Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flower for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria.' Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, 'Now look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be? And he [Elisha] had said, 'In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.' And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.”

Elisha was willing to confront ungodly leadership when needed. He trusted Himself to God and spoke forth His will. Often, prophets were persecuted by ungodly leadership for speaking forth the truth and being God's spokesperson. An example is Micaiah in 1 Kings 22. Micaiah told the king of Israel the truth, that he would die if he was to go into battle. The king then commanded, "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace." Elijah was also persecuted by king Ahab for speaking forth the truth from God. Ahab called him the 'troubler of Israel' (1 Kings 18:17) and Jezebel, his wife, threatened to kill him (1 Kings 19:2).

At the same time, prophets were called to submit to the leadership whose lives they spoke into, especially godly leadership. An example is Nathan. He prophesied into David's life, but at the same time, called himself David's servant. It wasn't a religious submitting out of duty or obligation. He genuinely cared about and respected David so he willingly came under him to support him in his position of authority.

In 2 Samuel 12:9, Nathan confronted David for his sin against Uriah the Hittite for murdering him and taking his wife. However, Nathan was also submitted to David. When Adonijah presumed to be king, Nathan came do David. He bowed before him and said, "My lord, O king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne'? For he has gone down today... Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" (1 Kings 1:22-27)

When God used a prophet such as Elijah or Elisha to proclaim his will, they were more than just mouthpieces. They were actively engaged and their hearts were integrally involved in the message they delivered. They most often (Jonah an exception) were deeply passionate about seeing the will of the Lord come about. They could speak for God because they had spent time with God in prayer, sharing His heart and will for the people and their situations that they were called to speak into.

They did not speak forth their own thoughts or will into a situation but only what God had spoke to them about it. In most cases, it was just a natural outflow from their prayer lives. Anna in Luke 2:36-38 was an example of this. She prayed continually in the temple. Then as she came out of her place of prayer, she naturally just continued to prophesy. She spoke of Jesus to all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy 18:22 says, “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”

Their words had power because they were the words and the will of God. And how it was evident that it was the will of the Lord, was that what was spoken came to pass.

God spoke to a prophet to proclaim His will for the children of Israel. But, He also spoke to them about those things that would come to pass that were not his desire but His permitting of man's free will.

An example is in 2 Kings 8:10-15 with Hazael, the servant of Ben-Hadad, king of Syria:
“And Elisha said to him [Hazael], 'Go, say to him[king Ben-Hadad], 'You shall certainly recover.' However the Lord has shown me that he will really die.' then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, 'Why is my lord weeping?' He answered, 'because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel; Their stronghold you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill will the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.' So Hazael said, 'But what is your servant -a dog, that he should do this gross thing?' And Elisha answered, 'The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.' Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, 'What did Elisha say to you?'' And he answered, 'He told me you would surely recover.' But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place.”

God frequently allowed man to influence and change circumstance by their active involvement. However, there were other times God decided the outcome He would have and that was the end of it.

In the first situation, and example is in 2 Kings 13:14-21. Elisha was on his death bed and Joash, the king of Israel, came down to weep over him. He told Joash to take a bow and some arrows, open the window and shoot. As he shot, he told him, “The arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.” He then told the king to take arrows and strike the ground. Joash stuck the ground three times and stopped. Elisha told him, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

Then in 2 Kings 13:25 it says, “Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities.”

An example of God in his sovereignty deciding the outcome of a situation, was in 2 Kings 9:30-37. When Jehu conspired against the king and Jezebel according to the will of the Lord, he had her eunuchs throw her down from the window of her place. He then went in and ate and drank with them. When her servants came back to bury her upon the request of Jehu, they found only her skull, feet and palms of her hands. Jehu told them, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, 'Here lies Jezebel.'”

The Israelites understood God's sovereignty. So much so that when they went to battle, it was not a matter of how much strength or force they had, but they wanted to know what God had to say about it. If God told them through the prophets or priest's ephod that they would have the victory, in faith, they would go into battle expecting to win. Often, falling in battle to their enemies had to do with sin, rebellion and disobedience in their lives towards God (Joshua 7:1-26).

The king of Assyria understood this about their culture. So when he came against the Israelites, he attacked them on the level of their faith in God. He sent messengers that spoke Hebrew to speak in the hearing of the people. They told the people, “But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, 'The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharviam and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” (2 Kings 18:32-35).

After receiving this same message in a threatening letter from the king of Assyria, Hezekiah took the letter and spread it out before the Lord and cried out to him, “Oh Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands -wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.” (2 Kings 19:15-19)

Isaiah sent a word to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.' This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:... 'He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor build a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city' says the Lord.” (2 Kings 19:20-21,32-33)

In 2 Kings 29:35-36 it says,
“And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty five thousand; and when people arose early in the mourning, there were the corpses -all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.

“Jesus, I choose now, to be humbled in Your presence, I choose now to fall upon my face” sings in the background.

God is totally sovereign, yet He acted on behalf of the people of Israel because of the prayers of Hezekiah. God rose up Hezekiah for this time and season and then answered his prayers and the cries of his heart. He used Isaiah, who he also raised up for this time and season, to be His spokesperson and encourage Hezekiah and the people to trust in Lord with all their heart, pressing into God in faith.

And, while God used the prophets so that people could clearly see His involvement and sovereignty in their lives, God also worked directly through circumstances to make Himself evident and bring His will to pass.

As an example, God had timed for Gehazi to be speaking to the king about a woman whose son was restored to life just when the woman was approaching the king to request her land back. 2 Kings 8:5-6 says, “Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, 'My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.' And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, 'Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field form the day that she left the land until now.”

Coming back to where I started, God is totally engaged with His people, not just in activities going on in the world. And he raises up certain people for specific purposes in a specific period of time to accomplish His will that He planned long before any of the people even existed. He is completely sovereign and capable of completing all that is on His heart. And He chooses to use His people to engage in His purposes according to how he formed them and according to the plans he established for them. We are all part of His bigger story.

“And I pray that You would use my life, in a way Your name is glorified... I know I don't have much to give, but I promise to give You all I have to give” sings

God, you amaze me. I get lost in the wonder of who You are. When I look at all my sin, I feel like such a mess. I have to confess that I often feel more like I am in the way of Your purposes rather than involved in bringing them about. I work so hard to try to get it all right and try not to blow it, and in doing so, I often miss Your will completely. Other times, I shrink back from Your will in fear. Yet, You used imperfect people throughout time and still accomplished all You had planned in Your heart. So I proclaim with David, “The LORD will fulfill His purposes... Your love, O LORD, endures forever--do not abandon the works of your hands.” (Ps. 138:8)

“And all that I've been through, Your love has never changed... You make oceans from the rain” sings

Lord, Your love never changes. It is relentless. May our hearts fully engage with Your purposes for us in this season of time. May we be a part of Your greater story for our generation. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. You are more than able to accomplish all that is on Your heart!!! We long to be a part of it.



1.Omnipotence. Wikipedia. Located at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence Last accessed: 12/16/1

2.Sovereignty. Wikipedia. Located at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty#Definition_and_types Last accessed: 12/16/10

3. Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson study Bible : New King James Version. Includes index. (2 Ki 1:10). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

4. Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (2 Ki 1:9). Peabody: Hendrickson.

5. Hood, Allen. IHOP-KC. Onething 2010 Podcast #6. Located at: http://blog.ihop.org/category/onething-2010/ December 21, 2010.

My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." (Proverbs 23:26)

“My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. (Proverbs 3:1-2)

Jesus says in Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Dallas Willard writes, “Actions are not impositions on who we are, but are expressions of who we are. They come out of our heart and inner realities it supervises and interacts with.” Our heart, is our will according to Dallas.[1] It is the place of choice where we say yes to those things that move us toward God or yes to those things that move us away from God.

Dallas Willard writes that exercise of the will is a choice. It is the “capacity of the person to originate things and events that would not otherwise be or occur.” He notes that to originate includes both freedom and creativity. He writes, “These are really two aspects of the same thing when properly understood, which is the power to do what is good -or evil.” [2]

Proverbs 11:23 says, “The desire of the righteous is only good..."

Too often, it is easy to see sin as those actions we do wrong that cause ourselves and/or others harm. We say or act in a way that causes us regret. When we repent, we are repenting for the actions we took on the negative thoughts that ran across our minds. However, too often we do not repent of sinning in our heart towards God.

For instance, when someone cuts us off in traffic, we may identify the sin if we shake our fist at someone but not for angrily swearing under our breath and desiring the same thing would happen to them.

Proverbs 16:23 says, “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.”

David knew of his need to repent of what was going on in his heart when he cried out in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Dallas Willard writes, “The thought of sin is not sin and is not even a temptation. Temptation is the thought plus the the inclination to sin -possibly manifested by lingering over the thought or seeking it out. But sin itself is when we inwardly say 'yes' to the temptation, when we would do the deed, even though we do not actually do it.” [3]

When someone causes me harm, I will often react negatively in my thoughts. I then fight with myself about those thoughts. And hopefully, as I take hold of scripture that says do not repay evil for evil, I will refuse to act on my thoughts and look to bless them instead. However, even when I don't act on my thoughts, I will sometimes judge them in my heart by their actions, hold a grudge, and then find it hard to desire their good.

Too often we will judge other's intentions towards us as evil when they cause us harm. However, when we act in a way that causes someone else harm, we use excuses and say to ourselves that our 'intentions' were not bad. We judge other's intentions by their actions and we judge our actions by our intentions.

Proverbs 15:28 says, “ The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”

With someone has caused me harm and I have not fully forgave them and let it go, I may carry an inner resentment that can at times come out unexpectedly. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Rather than dealing with the sin in my heart, I cover it up and hope it goes away.

I won't mean to cause a person harm in return, but my actions slip towards this direction. I will prefer to avoid the person where possible rather than enjoying to be around them. The word of God says, 'honor all people' (1 Peter 2:17) so I will work hard to honor them in my actions. However, I do not honor them in my heart. And my body language and actions will often give me away when I am around them.

Proverbs 15:26 says, “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant.”

What often gets me in trouble is my thought life. My beliefs, attitudes and experiences or perceptions about someone or certain events go in a direction that eventually leads me to sin. And sometimes will dwell on negative thoughts and play out sinful reactions in my mind.

Our thought life needs to be renovated. And to change our thought patterns, we need to stop old negative thought patterns when we become aware of them and change what we think on. Rather than dwelling on the worst possible scenario, we need to extend grace to others and hope and believe for the best in them and for them.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

I say this but I struggle with how to live this out. As an example, just recently I had some problems with my car so I had the maintenance done on it. They gave me the car back telling me everything was fine. Within a few days, my check engine light was on and I had engine problems. I called the shop and got the car back in for them to look at it. They then told me that my car needed a tune up for an extra $500. To be honest, I was not thinking the best of them or believing the best in them at this point.

However, not only do our thoughts need to be renovated but also our feelings. Dallas Willard notes that thoughts and feelings always go together. As I think negative thoughts about someone or something, I also have negative feelings towards that thing or person. He writes, “The connection between thought and feeling is so intimate that the 'mind' is usually treated as consisting of thought and feeling together.” [4]

Dallas Willard notes that our feelings make good servants but poor masters. As one article mentions that our emotions are not our enemy, they are part of who we are. It states, "Emotions propel us through life. Our destructive emotions call us to respond to ourselves with kindness, acceptance, and patience. We can learn to neither abandon ourselves to their indulgence, nor to blame ourselves for their arising."[5]

This article makes a couple of suggestions for putting to death destructive emotions. First, we need to acknowledge and be aware of our destructive emotions. The second crucial element for working with these states, according to the article, "is the willingness to let go of the emotion, to let go of nurturing and dwelling on the cause to which we ascribe the emotion. If, in our mind, we keep ruminating over the unpleasant event or situation, then we feed the wrong side in ourselves, giving energy to our downward emotional slide."[6]

Finally, this article notes that "we must find a way to 'own' our destructive emotions. Take the example of anger. As long as I inwardly blame another person for “making” me angry, I am feeding my anger." [7]

What can also get us in trouble at times are our past experiences and judgments. For instance, if we had a traumatic experience when we were young where we were robbed and beaten by a bald man with a tattoo, this can impact our thoughts and perceptions going forward. We may judge all bald men with tattoos in our heart as evil. When we encounter a bald man with a tattoo, we instantaneously have a negative reaction towards them, feeling tremendous fear.

Leanne Payne calls this phenomenon 'transference.' [8] It is where we transfer our perceptions and judgments subconsciously from one person to another. It is defined as “the unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another.” [9]

How it works is that when we encounter a person who reminds us of someone whom we do or did like and who is or was important to us, we infer, unconsciously, that this person is like this person. According to one source, “a myriad effects arise from this, including inferring that traits belong to the new person that in fact belong to our significant other.”[10]

According to this source, most frequently, it is associated with inappropriately relating someone presently in your life with an important relationship in one's childhood. It involves "the redirection of feelings and desires and especially of those unconsciously retained from childhood toward a new object." [11]

Leanne Payne notes that a small amount of transference happens in many of our relationships on a regular basis. Where it is a problem, is when it becomes idolatrous and one looks to the current relationship rather than to God to meet some important need that was lacking in one's
childhood.

For me, it is humbling to admit it, but I believe God has been speaking to me this week that I struggle with transference. This is especially true with people in authority in my life.

With men in authority, how this has played out in my life is by an immediate reaction of fear and intimidation (which is how I felt towards my father). The transference is hard to mistake since the fear has in times past been overwhelming for me. However, as I have experienced positive male role models of authority in my life, this initial reaction of fear and intimidation has subsided substantially.

With women in authority, it has been much more unclear to me how transference plays out. I know it is an issue, but it is much more difficult to put my finger on since it does not involve a strong immediate emotional reaction. I believe how this has played out in my life is by a strong desire for independence and separate decision making authority.

My father was violent when he became angry, and when my sister and I were young my mother would often protect us, stepping in the way. As the pressure grew in our household around violence, my mother had a nervous breakdown and was eventually hospitalized for a period of time. Her behavior had became unusual and decision making impaired. At this time in my life, I became fairly independent and was making my own decisions for myself. While I was deeply concerned for her, I think I failed to esteem her the same.

Whatever the reason for our thoughts or feelings, the good news is that there is an unlimited supply of mercy and grace as we look to God. He is longsuffering, quick to forgive, and does not repay us according to what our sins deserves.

One article notes that our problem's often arise from our fractured nature. Our emotions, our mind, our body, and our spirit all push or pull us in different directions. The spiritual challenge calls us to integrate our heart into our whole being. Within that wholeness, all our parts find transformation." [12]

He paid the price so that we could be made whole. As we look to Him, there is healing for those things in our lives that make us bent towards our sin. And as we put to death thoughts and feelings bent toward sin rather than acting upon them, we find greater and greater life in the Spirit.

Paul says in Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

But when we act on sinful thoughts and feelings by our words and/or actions, those thought patterns take deeper root in our life and begin to bear fruit. We will reap from whatever we sow. Proverbs 22:8 says, “He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow...”

Steven Covey once said something like, “it is not the snake the bites you, but chasing that sucker that drives the poison to your heart.” It may be painful when someone sins against us, but it is not the harm that someone else does to us that poison's our heart, it is our own thoughts, feelings and actions of sin in retaliation.

Paul says in Galatians 6:7-8, “ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

When we repeatedly entertain certain thought patterns and feelings and act upon them, they become strongholds. Beth Moore defines a a Stronghold as, “anytime you are preoccupied by a destructive thought processes..which exalts itself over the truth and scripture of God.”[13]

However, even in strongholds we are not helpless or hopeless. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

One commentary notes about this verse, “Paul cast down all rationalizations. He took captive to the obedience of Christ every perception and intention of the heart that was against God. Our actions reveal our thoughts. We should not cling to thoughts that do not conform to the life and teachings of Christ. Paul did not walk according to the flesh or his worldly desires; instead he conquered the flesh. He explains his strategy in 1 Cor. 9:24–27: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.” [14]

Paul says in Galatians 5:24, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Too often, we live with our flesh and its passions rather than finding mercy for them, coming to Jesus and allowing them to be crucified. We become comfortable in our sin and think it does not matter that much. Proverbs 1:32 says, “For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.”

Thomas Kempis writes, “Through neglect we may quickly lose that which by God's grace we have acquired only through long, hard labor. What, eventually will become of us who so quickly grow lukewarm? Woe to us if we presume to rest in peace and security when actually there is no true holiness in our lives.” [15]

Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”

We need to hate evil so that we desire to get rid of it in our lives. According to Dallas Willard, this is especially true with crucifying ungodly emotions.

According to Dallas Willard, “One has to feel strong revulsion toward the wrong feeling one now has or is likely to have and at the same time strong attraction to good feeling that one does not now feels. He notes that this is necessary in order to 'put off the old person' and 'put on the new person.' If we hate having the feelings, we will take steps to avoid them. [16]

Often, hating old habits and behaviors comes from having consequences as a result. When we 'hit bottom' and decide that the pain is no longer worth the short term pleasure, we will change. Dallas Willard notes that proverbs are full of wise sayings about good and evil feelings in life: [17]

• “He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not become rich (21:17)
• “The heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” (23:21)
• “A cheerful heart has a continual feast.” (15:15)

Two especially destructive patterns of emotion that I struggled with in my life have been self pity and anger. Not too long after I was saved, I realized they were sin and destructive in my life. I began putting them to death. When the feelings arose, I made a choice by my will not to act on them. Because anger was especially a stronghold for me, I also went through a study guide designed to help me identify and work through the root causes of my anger. While I didn't always hit the mark, over time, I became better and better at identifying my sinful feelings, the reasons for them and looking to God rather than acting on them.

Romans 8:13 says, “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” It is the Spirit that empowers us to put to death the old nature and walk according to our new nature in Christ. And Paul says in Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

We are all called to live and walk in holiness. Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” However, it can seem like a very steep path at times.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way. To believe the promise of Jesus that his followers shall possess the earth, and at the same time to face our enemies unarmed and defenseless, preferring to incur injustice rather than to do wrong ourselves, is indeed a narrow way. The way is unutterably hard, and at every moment we are in danger of straying from it.” [18]

He goes on to write, “If we regard this way as one we follow in obedience to an external command, if we are afraid of ourselves all the time, it is indeed an impossible way. But if we behold Jesus Christ going on before step by step, we shall not go astray. But if we worry about the dangers that beset us, if we gaze at the road instead of at him who goes before, we are already straying from the path. For he is himself the way, the narrow way and the strait gate. He, and he alone, is our journey's end.” [19]

It is in Him that we find 'the way' that is impossible by any other means. He is the beginning and end of all wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” By Him alone, for Him alone, and through Him alone do we find the steep and narrow way as the place we can proclaim, “He brought me out into a spacious place” (Psalm 18:19).

Too often, I get my eyes off Jesus and on to the path that is before me. I want to perform well and not sin. I work hard and wrestle with trying to force my actions to follow His commands. However, I am looking to get it all right rather than seeking Him alone as my journey's end. To an extent, I am not seeking His friendship but His (and my own) approval through my performance.

Proverbs 16:2 says, “All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits.”

When our eyes of off of Jesus, we are bound to sin. Bonhoeffer notes that it is possible to even do works of Christian charity and give our lives away without having Christ and the Holy Spirit. He writes, “But Christ's followers must ask by what ultimate criterion Jesus will accept or reject them. Who will pass the test, and who will not? The answer lies in the words of Jesus to the last of the rejected: 'I have never known you.'” [20]

In the last day he notes, “there is nothing left for us to cling to, not even our confession our obedience. There is only his word: 'I have known thee' which is his eternal word and call.... If we follow Christ, cling to his word, and let everything else go, it will see us through the day of judgment.” [21]

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.”

One commentary notes about this, “It is a very desirable thing to have our thoughts established, and not tossed, and put into a hurry, by disquieting cares and fears,—to go on in an even steady course of honesty and piety, not disturbed, or put out of frame, by any event or change,—to be satisfied that all shall work for good and issue well at last, and therefore to be always easy and sedate. The only way to have our thoughts established is to commit our works to the Lord. The great concerns of our souls must be committed to the grace of God, with a dependence upon and submission to the conduct of that grace (2 Tim. 1:12); all our outward concerns must be committed to the providence of God, and to the sovereign, wise, and gracious disposal of that providence. Roll thy works upon the Lord (so the word is); roll the burden of thy care from thyself upon God.” [22]

Committing our works to the Lord is not an act of doing but of trusting. We trust Him and let Him lead, committing our concerns to Him and looking to Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct [make straight] your paths.”

When we are in the moment of temptation, we need to 'roll the burden' of care for ourselves upon God. Rather than thinking that we have to defend ourselves or protect ourselves, making our own way, we can lean into God in dependance and submission, knowing He is in control and more than capable of caring for us. Rather than react in sin, we can choose to act in obedience when our eyes are off ourselves and on Him.

Paul says in Romans 8:5-8, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Lord, forgive me for the so many ways that I have set my minds on the things of the flesh. Forgive me for the complacency I have had towards sin in my thought life and indulgence. Forgive me for transference. I don't even know where to start to make changes. I just know that “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:l3) May I find much mercy.

Lord, Thank you for your unending grace and mercy. Keep our eyes fixed on You and draw us into greater holiness. May we not grow complacent or weary, but like Paul run the race with our whole hearts, minds, souls, and strength - in a way to win the prize. You are worthy of all we have to give!




1-4. Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. NavPress. 2002.

5-7., 12. Destructive Emotions. Inner Frontier: Cultivating Spiritual Presence. Located at: http://www.innerfrontier.org/Practices/DestructiveEmotions.htm Last Accessed: 12/22/10

8. Payne, Leaane. Transference. Restoring Personal Wholeness Through Healing Prayer. Volume II. 2000.

9-11. Transference. Wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transference

13. Moore, Beth. Located at: http://www.womensbiblecafe.com/2009/11/10-bible-verses-strongholds/

14. Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson study Bible : New King James Version. Includes index. (2 Co 10:4). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

15. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.

16-17. Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. NavPress. 2002.

18-21. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Touchstone, New York, NY. 1959.

22. Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Pr 16:3). Peabody: Hendrickson.

"...there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives." (Eccl. 3:12)

“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor -this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness... I say that a stillborn child is better than he.” (Eccl. 5:18-6:3

In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus tells a parable to the crowd, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 'So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.'”

Solomon says in Eccl. 2:10-11,
"Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”

Often, what we think will bring us joy is pleasure, performance, power, possessions, and prestige. We look to satisfy our souls for the moment in the things that God provides for us. And, like Solomon, we grasp and toil, trying to get our life from those things the world provides, only to find that they are empty and vain.

John Maxwell writes about the book of Ecclesiastes, “Leaders cannot find genuine fulfillment outside of linking their lives to God's purposes for the world. As 'the Preacher' explores various avenues for satisfaction- power, possessions, prestige, pleasure, -he finds them hollow. God moves him along the path of discovery until he finds no real meaning to life 'under heaven,' but only in relationship to God and His eternal purposes. God provides all meaning and fulfillment in this life. The author could not find anything of value apart from a life lived in obedience to God's calling.'” [1]

We find life greatly disappointing when we seek to fill ourselves with what the world can provide us. Solomon wrote, “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Eccl. 2:17)

As we find that seeking our joy from the world to satisfy our souls is empty and vain, we sometimes then can see the thing that we sought to get life from as the problem rather than dealing with the issues in our heart, and resolve to live without it. We shut pleasure, performance, power, possessions, and/or prestige out of our lives and determine to live without them.

We may resolve to live in poverty, live without pleasures, live without a position of power or prestige, and/or live without any significant accomplishments. We close our hearts and our lives to those things that have hindered us and renounce them as an evil influence.

For instance, someone who has been drinking too much may resolve to 'go on the wagon' and not drink at all. While this is not a bad thing, if one does not deal with the deeper issues that are causing them to drink too much, redirecting their hearts to God to be filled, but rather just determine that all drinking is bad, they will look for some other source to fill them.

Solomon notes that to enjoy the rewards of ones toil and labors is a gift from God. We can enjoy and receive all that God has for us -including pleasure, accomplishments, positions, possessions, and recognition with gratitude when our hearts are focused on the giver and not trying to be filled by the gift.

Solomon writes in Eccl. 5:18, “Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.”

One commentary notes about this verse, “In contrast to the greedy person and the disappointing life which is his portion, the Preacher recommends the adoption of a perspective that will allow one to enjoy the simple things of this life. The key words in this section of the message are God and gift. Man must view all of the good that passes to him as the gift of God. Wealth and possessions are of no ultimate significance; they neither disclose nor help man to attain a divinely appointed destiny. God does not give them for that..., but for the sweetening of life day by day... These are man’s portion in life and should be celebrated as gifts, rather than allowed to promote a spirit of avarice. [2]

What we need to put to death in our heart is our grasping to get life from the gifts of God (the spirit of avarice, for example) rather than the gifts (such as wealth) themselves. Paul says in Romans 8:13, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Incorporating disciplines such as feasts, mourning, and solitude help us to redirect our hearts to God to be filled with His Spirit, freeing us from grasping to get our life from the world..

Feasts.

God established feasts for people to celebrate Him. However, feasts were not just excuses to eat and drink too much – they had an established purpose. Feasts were times specifically set aside to honor and celebrate God. They are holy convocations, assembling the people of Israel for worship of the Lord. And they were times of great thankfulness.

Feasts were times of community worship and thinking of others rather than times of self absorption. Jesus said in Luke 14:13-14, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

One bible dictionary notes, “The poor, the widow, the orphan, the Levite, and the sojourner or foreigner were invited to most of the feasts.” This dictionary goes on to note, “All of the feasts were marked by thanksgiving and joyous feasting. Meat, a scarce item in the daily fare of the people, was eaten at these affairs, and wine was also consumed. The fat and the blood of the animals were reserved for sacrifice to God." [3]

Times of feasting were holy onto the Lord. Feasts can be just as much a discipline in growing deeper in Christ as abstaining can be. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1,4, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

Mourning and Abstaining.

Abstaining from something that is meant to be a gift from God for a period of time if it is causing us to stumble, can help us to refocus our hearts on God and give us freedom when we are seeking to get our life from it. Jesus says in Matthew 5:29, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

While gouging one's eye out does seem drastic, the sense of this scripture is that we are to take seriously those things that cause us to sin. We are not to ignore them and learn how to live with them, rather we are to use whatever means is available to us to put them to death.

Eccl. 7:4 says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”

Mourning speaks of putting to death those things that cause us to stumble and sin. James 4:8b-9 says, "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom."

However, the house of mourning also speaks of getting one's priorities in order. When someone is mourning, they realize how short life is and re-prioritize based upon those things that are truly important.

“May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.”

One commentary notes, “Sorrow or grief is better than laughter, for sorrow leads to reflection about the serious nature of life and its ultimate meaning. We also learn lessons from sorrow that we can learn in no other way. Sorrow accepted in the right way draws us closer to the Lord and closer to other people. Grief can help us get priorities in order (Is. 53, Grief).” [4]

The lesson we learn in the house of mourning is what really has value and importance. We learn those things that are worth investing ourselves in and those things that simply pass time.

Some time ago, I was told that I needed to have a biopsy and that I should have been in a year prior to have it done. I had misunderstood the certified letter that was sent to me and had disregarded it. Needless to say, my doctor was not happy with me.

Anyways, God gave me a word of assurance that the price He paid was sufficient to pay all my debt and all turned out to be fine. However, the time waiting for the biopsy results made me realize what a gift our time is on the earth. It also helped me to better prioritize my life. What I realized during the time was that things like momentary recognition, notches of success on the worlds terms, people pleasing, and what I obtained for myself meant very little in the big picture.

What really mattered most is what I invested of myself in others and the ways my life touched other's lives. I realized those things that God put in my heart to accomplish really mattered and were worthwhile.

“I want to make much of You Jesus.... I give you my life, take it and let it be used to make much of You” sings

What really matters is how we spend our time loving God and loving others. Everything else is vanity and grasping for the wind. Solomon says in Eccl. 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.” And to love others fulfills His commandments (Romans 13:8).

Solitude and Silence.

Sometimes stepping away from the world for a short time can help us gain clarity and perspective on what is important. The discipline of solitude and silence can refresh us, refill us and also help us re-prioritize so that when we step back into the world, we have God's perspective. Thomas Kempis writes, “Anyone, then, who aims to live the inner and spiritual life must go apart, with Jesus, from the crowd.” [5]

Thomas Kempis suggests, “If you withdraw yourself from unnecessary talking and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find enough time that is suitable for holy meditation.” He also recommends that in our time of solitude and meditation, we read "such matters as bring sorrow to the heart rather than occupation to the mind." [6]

He goes on to note, “If only a man would never seek passing joys or entangle himself with worldly affairs, what a good conscience he would have... Sensual craving sometimes entices you to wander around, but when the moment is past, what do you bring back with you save a disturbed conscience and heavy heart? A happy going often leads to a sad return, a merry evening to a mournful dawn. Thus, all carnal joy begins sweetly but in the end brings remorse and death...

Raise your eyes to God in heaven and pray because of your sins and shortcomings. Leave vanity to the vain. Set yourself to the things which God has commanded you to do. Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus, your Beloved. Remain with him in your cell [place of solitude], for nowhere else will you find such peace.” [7]

Whatever spiritual disciplines we practice, the purpose is to free us from the pulls of the world and refocus our eyes on our Beloved so that when we do go about our activities in the world, it is with clarity and perspective. Jesus celebrated feasts, practiced abstaining from God's gifts, and He had times of coming away from the world in solitude to pray and listen to His Father. In all these things, He drew Himself near to God. James 4:7-8a says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."

As we have our eyes on our Beloved and our hearts set towards eternity, we find that we do not “dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” Disciplines help us clear space out from all the worldly clutter so we can occupy our hearts and minds with that which can truly bring us joy - Jesus.

In Eccl. 3:11-13, Solomon says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”

One Commentary notes about this verse, “Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time.” [8]

Jesus says in John 15:9-12a, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I love told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you."

"Someday I'm gonna see the King,.. Yes, come Lord Jesus come" sings in the background.

As our hearts are filled with eternity, we can joyously love others wherever he puts us, free from the pulls of the world. We can invite others -the poor, the maimed, the lame the blind and all that are compelled to come to the greatest feast of all times (Luke 14:21-23). "The day of the joy of his heart" (Song 4:11b)

While God does not call most people to quit their jobs to serve Him, I thought the attached youtube video that was on a friend's Facebook site this last week was a wonderful example of someone letting go of the cares of the world, getting clarity of purpose and joyously inviting others to the feast. Located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_3BEwpv0dM

Lord, too often I seem to move between abstinence and indulgence. I think I miss the whole point of a feast – not to indulge myself on food and drink, but to celebrate You by loving others, giving my life away, and being a blessing in thanksgiving for You. While feasts may involve enjoying those things that have been given as gifts, the focus is honoring and celebrating You. Forgive me, give me better perspective and help me to incorporate more true feasts into my life. May the way I love others invite them in.

"At the top of my lungs I sing Hallelujah... I'll praise Your name, I'll let the whole world know I love You Lord."

Lord, prepare us for the feast of a lifetime that is to come. May we be about your kingdom work and not overly tied up with the cares of the world. Fill us with joy as we serve You. And may the way we love others give them an invitation to the celebration.

"How I love You, You are the One for me!!!"



1. Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.

2. KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (1269). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995).

3. Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.

4. Thomas Nelson, I. (1997, c1995). Woman's study Bible. (Ec 7:3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5-7. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.

8. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible. Located at: http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/ecclesiastes/3.htm Last Accessed: 12/14/10

“Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.” (Is. 26:12)

Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah [Literally Beloved of the Lord], because of the Lord. (2 Samuel 12:24-25)

Solomon is derived from the word shalom. Shalom means peace, completeness, welfare, and/or health. It's root meaning is “to be whole.” In relationships, it signifies harmony and wholeness over strife and war. It is a state of being at ease that is experienced both externally and internally. [1]

In essence, peace is freedom from oppression internally and externally. According to one bible dictionary, “'peace' is obtained by following the Law (Ps. 119:165).” And it can suggest security (Ps. 4:8), contentment (Is. 26:3), prosperity (Ps. 122:6-7), and the absence of war (1 Sam. 7:14). [2]

Jesus is the “Prince of Peace.” Isaiah speaks of his rule, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from this time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Is. 9:7)

“Lift us up above it all” sings.

Jesus gives us His peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace [shalom], whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

According to Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, in the New Testament, peace, or 'eirene' often refers to “the inner tranquility and poise of the Christian whose trust is in God through Christ.” This source notes, “The peace that Jesus Christ spoke of was a combination of hope, trust, and quiet in the mind and soul, brought about by a reconciliation with God.” [3]

Jesus says in John 14:27, “Peace [eirene] I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

And Proverbs 16:7 says, “When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Commentary notes about this verse that a righteous life disarms one's enemies as it leads to their benefit as well.[4]

The word 'peace' used here is the Hebrew word shalam, Strongs #7999. It means to finish, complete or make perfect. “The Hebrew root denotes perfection in the sense that a condition or action is 'complete.'”[5] As an adjective, shalem means 'perfect' in the sense of total obedience to God. 1 Kings 8:61 says, “Let [their] heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments …” (1 Kings 8:61). [6]

When Solomon was first established as king, he cared greatly about the will of the Lord being accomplished. When Adonijah promoted himself and tried to steal the place of king from Solomon, Solomon did not put him to death. Instead Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hear of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” (1 Kings 1:52)

1 Kings 3:3 says, “And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.”

One commentary notes, “High places were here used for the worship of the Lord. This was not strictly in accordance with the law; God was supposed to be worshiped only in the place which He designated. But it is here excused on the ground that there was no official house, since Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines about 1050 b.c. when the ark was carried away (1 Sam. 4). After the temple was built, high places continued to be used, but for idolatrous worship.”[7]

In a dream God asked Solomon what He could give him. Solomon responded, “give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9) Solomon desired more than anything to fulfill his calling to rule over the people with justice in a way that honored God.

This pleased God and He told Solomon, “I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.” (1 Kings 3:12-14)

Solomon was full of the wisdom of God and shared the heart of God for the children of Israel. 1 Kings 4:29 says, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand of the seashore.”

Solomon deeply cared for the people of Israel's relationship to God. Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple, “that Your eyes may be opened to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. For You separated them from among all the people of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers our of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Solomon also cared for the poor and the foreigner. In 1 Kings 8:43 Solomon requests of God, “hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.”

In Psalm 72, Solomon prophesied about the coming Messiah. Solomon prayed, “Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king's Son. He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.” (verse 1-4)

Solomon's great wisdom and understanding brought him great wealth and fame. There was so much pure gold that silver was accounted for nothing in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 10:21). Solomon was excellent at administration of all kinds and trade. The queen of Sheba said about him, “Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” (1 Ki. 10:7-9)

And 1 Kings 10:24 says, “Now all the earth sought to presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.”

However, with all that was given to him, Solomon compromised and fail to finish well. Solomon did not listen to God's command about foreign women: “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.”

As king, Solomon was used to being able to have anything he desired. And one of Solomon's desires was foreign women. It says, “Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.” (1 Kings 11:2-3)

These women turned his heart after their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep with the Lord had commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, 'Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.”

So where David left a legacy through Solomon, Solomon failed to leave this same legacy for his son. Rehoboam completely lacked wisdom. Rather than having a heart that was cultivated for justice, Roehoboam had a hunger for power. He wanted to show himself 'stronger' and more powerful than his father.

When all the people came to Rehoboam upon the death of Solomon requesting him to be a servant of the people, lightening their burdensome service, Rehoboam demonstrated absolutely no concern for the people. After some consultation, Rehoboam responded, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” (1 Kings 12:14) Therefore, all Israel, except Judah and Benjamin, rebelled against him and made Jeroboam king.

“Make us instruments of peace, in darkness light for all to see” sings in the background

When Solomon was following the Lord, God gave Israel peace from oppression and adversaries under his rule. As Solomon was preparing to build the temple, 1 Kings 5:4 says, “But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.

“Your peace You give me in times of the storm. You are the source of my strength. You are the strength of my life” sings.

The 'rest' that God had given him on every side is the Hebrew word nuach, Strongs #5117. It is frequently used to refer to the physical settling down of something at some particular place. It also sometimes “indicates a complete envelopment and thus permeation, as in the spirit of Elijah 'resting' on Elisha (2 Kings 2:15), the hand of God 'resting' on the mountain (Isa. 25:10), and when Wisdom 'resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding' (Prov. 14:33).'[8]

“You are awesome, God of power, Lord of glory, come and fill this place” sings.

The Spirit of God came to rest upon the temple and brought peace to the land of Israel. Upon completing the temple, as the priest placed the Ark into the Most Holy place, under the wings of the cherubim, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord (1 Kings 8:11). Solomon spoke, “The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely build You and exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever.” (1 Kings 8:12-13)

After Solomon completed the temple and prayed for God to hear their prayers from that place, he blessed the people. He spoke to them, “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.” (1 Kings 8:56-58)

Another commentary notes,

“The peaceable kingdom involves transformed relationships, places, and societies, as symbolized by peace between animals that are normally enemies (Is. 11:6–7). Moreover, the Spirit and fear of the Lord will help leaders rule with justice, righteousness, and faithfulness (Is. 11:2–5).

Ultimately, this vision cannot come about completely until Christ Himself assumes power. But even today it can serve as an ideal for God’s people to pursue as they live and work in the world’s societies, systems, and institutions. Renewal is God’s work, but God’s people can make a difference, especially if they are Spirit-led and fear the Lord (Is. 11:2–5). By promoting justice for the poor and equity for the meek, they can bring something of God’s peaceable kingdom to pass. The world desperately seeks peace, but as Isaiah shows, peace is largely the fruit of a just society.”[9]

Solomon built the temple and the glory of God filled it. The presence of God rested upon it and there was incredible transformation and freedom from oppression throughout Israel. Yet, after starting so well and accomplishing so much, Solomon failed terribly.

Solomon compromised and went after other gods. He lost that which is most important – His devoted relationship to God. So, the Lord rose up adversaries against him. He rose up Hadad the Edominte and Rezon the son of Eliadah. Also, Solomon's servant Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon. (1 Kings 11:14-25)

John Maxwell notes in my bible commentary, “How could the wisest man in history turn away from God? How could the leader whose gifts and focus once made him the talk of the world get distracted from his calling?” [10]

John Maxwell goes on to note several reasons. One of the main reasons as he notes, is that “Once we 'arrive,' it becomes easy to stop feeling hungry for growth and excellence.”[11] Solomon achieved those things that he had his heart set on completing and he became self satisfied.

Solomon's heart was set on achieving certain goals and accomplishments rather than friendship with and faithfulness to God as his primary objective. Thomas a Kempis writes, “He who seeks anything but God alone and the salvation of his soul will find only trouble and grief, and he who does not try to become the least, the servant of all, cannot remain at peace for long. You have come to serve, not to rule.”[12]

Thomas a Kempis notes that the saints that went before us were great because they had renounced and desired nothing of the world. He writes, “Strangers to the world, they were close and intimate friends of God.” [13]

“You are the source of my strength, You are the strength of my heart” sings

Paul chose intimate friendship with God over all that the world had to offer him. Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.” (Phil. 1:21-22)

James writes, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, 'The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously'? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'” (James 4:4-6)

John Maxwell notes Solomon became distracted from his call “to lead and be a light to the nations.”[14] Rather, he no longer saw himself as an undeserving servant. Solomon became proud and felt entitled to foreign women if he wanted them. John Maxwell notes, he became self-absorbed and pursued his own pleasure. [15]

“Your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed by alive in Your hands” sings

Paul, on the other hand, remained grateful and humble. In 1 Cor.15:9-10 he says, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

“Fire fall down on us we pray, as we seek You Lord” sings

Thomas Kempis writes, “The footsteps they [the early saints] left behind still bear witness that they indeed were holy and perfect men who fought bravely and conquered the world... How lukewarm and negligent we are! We lose our original fervor very quickly and even become weary of life from laziness! Do not you, who have seen so many examples of the devout, fall asleep in the pursuit of virtue!”[16]

“In my life be lifted high, in my world be lifted high, in my love, be lifted high” sings

Thomas Kempis suggests “Each day we ought to renew our resolutions and arouse ourselves to fervor as though it were the first day of our religious life. We ought to say: 'Help me, O Lord God, in my good resolution and in Your holy service. Grant me now, this very day, to begin perfectly, for thus far I have done nothing.'” He goes on to note, “As our intention is, so will be our progress.”[17]

“Now how could I after knowing One so great respond to You in any way that's less than all I have to give. But by Your grace I want to love You not with what I say, but everyday, in a way that my life is lived.”

Thomas Kempis notes that during holy seasons “we ought to prepare ourselves carefully, to live holier lives, and to observe each rule more strictly, as though we were soon to receive from God the reward of our labors.”[18]

“When I see You, there's no way I'll ever be the same” sings.

Paul was persistent in pursing Christ. He put all his energy into it as long as he lived. Success, accomplishments, setbacks or failure did not detour or distract Paul from pursuing what he most prized. Paul did not become satisfied in what he accomplished. His eyes were not set on achieving accomplishments but to pursuing Christ with his whole heart.

In a recent article, John Maxwell writes that character, discipline, sacrifice, tenacity are needed for any leader who wishes to finish strong.[19] Paul was someone who demonstrated all of these characteristics.

Character & Discipline.

According to John Maxwell, people led by emotion rather than character “are concerned about protecting their rights instead of taking care of responsibilities, and they are easily discouraged by adversity.” He notes, “Emotion might drive us to make a decision, but character, or discipline, is what keeps us going when the journey gets hard.”[20]

He goes on to note that “A person with character makes decisions on principle, not on the basis of what is popular. He or she honors commitments instead of catering to convenience. High-character, disciplined individuals work steadily regardless of circumstance.”[21]

Paul writes in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Sacrifice.

Any substantial goal demands a a significant investment, especially by leadership. John Maxwell writes, “If you desire to finish strong, you will need to sacrifice earlier than expected and to give up more than is comfortable.” He notes, “Sacrifice is a leader's constant companion.”[22]

Paul was willing to sacrifice all to achieve his goals. He wrote, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phil. 3:8-11)

Tenacity.

John Maxwell writes about tenacity, “Tenacity means quitting only when the job is done, not when you're tired. Much of life is spent laboring in the trenches. To reach the finish line, you must wade through tedious details, take care of thankless tasks, and tie up thousands of loose ends. Most people tire along the way, settle for second-best, and stop before reaching their goals. However, a select few push on, refusing to stop until they've taken hold of their dreams.”[23]

Paul put aside his accomplishments and failures and pressed on to the goal. He writes, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:12-14)

Forgive me for all the ways that I have been slack or compromised. Forgive me for so easily getting distracted some days. I long to be more focused and faithful to accomplish all You have for me. Thank You that You are quick to forgive and revive my heart.

Lord, You will establish peace for us. For, You have done all our works in us. Help us to not become satisfied with anything less then the fullness of all You have for us. Give us a hunger and thirst to persistently pursue You to the end. Would you give us the character, discipline, willingness to sacrifice and tenacity we need to finish well. And most of all, may Your Spirit rest in our midst and give us peace in our land.







1. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:203). Nashville: T. Nelson.

2-3. Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.

4. Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Pr 16:7). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

And, MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Pr 16:7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5-6, 8.Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words. Nashville: T. Nelson.

7. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (1 Ki 3:2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

9. Thomas Nelson Publishers. (2001). What does the Bible say about-- : The ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated. Nelson's A to Z series (293). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson.

10-11, 14-15. Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.

12-13, 16-18. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.

19-23. Maxwell, John. "Resolving To Finish Strong." Leadership Wired. December 2010, Issue I. Located at: http://www.giantimpact.com/articles/read/resolving_to_finish_strong/%20 Last Accessed: 12/7/10.