Reading for today
Old Testament: 2 Kings 9, 10, 11
New Testament: Acts 19
Thoughts from today’s reading
2 Kings 10:15-17. Jehu was anointed to be king over Israel and to bring judgement on the house of Ahab, he however also followed in the sins of Jeroboam therefore the Lord said his descendants would reign for only four generations. In these verses, we see that he meets a man called Jehonadab the son of Rechab and they go on to execute the judgement of the Lord together. If you read Jeremiah 35, you will see that God gave Jehonadab an instruction to carry out also.
Many generations later, Jehu’s family have fallen away from obeying God, but Jehonadab’s family still hold faithfully to what the Lord instructed their father. God therefore commends them in Jeremiah 35.
We must remember that we are called to live for God and to encourage our generations to do so. Serving Him is not about carrying out His instructions for His work only. We can do well with the work but then fall short with the long term goal of living everyday to glorify God.
Acts 19:9-12. Paul taught from the scriptures daily for two years and we see the results of being in the word constantly manifesting in special miracles for healing and deliverance. Continuing in the word certainly sets men free.
Acts 19:21-41. The silver smiths realised that their trade of selling idols was seriously affected by the revival in their region. A lot of times, persecution of the way of Christ comes from a financial perspective when peoples behaviours and lifestyle choices changes so they can honour Christ, then those that profited from them will fight the gospel.
Prayer
1. Heavenly Father, may we always remember that all manner of works could be done in your name, yet we may not be known by you as Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23. Let us always put our relationship with you first so that after we have preached or done works in your name, we will not be cast away.
2. Lord Jesus, may we do the works of a disciple by diligently immersing ourselves in your word on a daily basis. As we continue in your word, let there be miracles and wonders that spark a revival in our communities. May we stand faithful whenever persecution arises for Your words sake. Thank you Lord for helping us do this in Jesus’ name.