Day 187
2 Kings 12:1-14:22, Acts 25:1-22, Psalm 81:1-7
It was quite nice in the passages from 2 Kings to finally read the words "he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord", rare words at the moment. It still seemed to involve some killing but I think we have too accept the fact that this is the way in the pre-Christ, pre-cross Old Testament. Despite saying this, there is also the message in there that it is never too late. Take Jehoahaz in ch13, who, after a while, sought the Lord's favour and the Lord saw how oppressed the people of Israel were and had mercy.
Two very easy lessons we can bring in to the here and now. Firstly, that it is very important and very noticeable to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. When we do live our lives in ways that please God, we will stand out and set an example of all things good (and No! it does not mean we should go around killing people). The second message we can take forward reminds us that it is never too late. No matter what we might have done, no matter what our past holds, it is never too late to come to Christ and say "help!"
Paul also teaches us never to stop trying. If anyone could be forgiven for giving up on spreading the Gospel, it would be Paul. In prison, threatened with death, passed from pillar to post and even now, it still seems unlikely to stop. And yet any body who he comes before, all the people who try him, he still tries to tell them the truth of Christ, the very truth that we have comes across, that living for God really does make a difference, and that it is never too late to say "Yes" to Christ.
Never give up.
It was quite nice in the passages from 2 Kings to finally read the words "he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord", rare words at the moment. It still seemed to involve some killing but I think we have too accept the fact that this is the way in the pre-Christ, pre-cross Old Testament. Despite saying this, there is also the message in there that it is never too late. Take Jehoahaz in ch13, who, after a while, sought the Lord's favour and the Lord saw how oppressed the people of Israel were and had mercy.
Two very easy lessons we can bring in to the here and now. Firstly, that it is very important and very noticeable to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. When we do live our lives in ways that please God, we will stand out and set an example of all things good (and No! it does not mean we should go around killing people). The second message we can take forward reminds us that it is never too late. No matter what we might have done, no matter what our past holds, it is never too late to come to Christ and say "help!"
Paul also teaches us never to stop trying. If anyone could be forgiven for giving up on spreading the Gospel, it would be Paul. In prison, threatened with death, passed from pillar to post and even now, it still seems unlikely to stop. And yet any body who he comes before, all the people who try him, he still tries to tell them the truth of Christ, the very truth that we have comes across, that living for God really does make a difference, and that it is never too late to say "Yes" to Christ.
Never give up.
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