I usually do not spend much time thinking about feet, but when I do, I must confess the words “No Trespassing” come to mind.  

I am not sure when or how I developed such an aversion to having someone mess with my feet. During my childhood, my Dad would wrestle with my brother, two sisters and myself. Perhaps holding us down and tickling our feet left a deep scar within me that has led to my feet phobia.

Or maybe I cannot shake the thought of the many times one of my three precious girls would come and tickle my feet while I was peacefully resting in the permanent indention of my recliner.  The thought of their little eyes peering over the footrest brings warmth to my heart and yet confirms the reality of how much I dislike people messing with my feet.

I always have assumed that because I do not want someone touching my feet, all others felt the same way. I was mistaken. During each of my wife’s pregnancies, I was asked, begged or coerced, depending on your perspective, into massaging her feet. I must admit this was not easy for me.

I understand that she was uncomfortable and miserable, but can I just go get the stereotypical pickles and ice cream at 1 a.m.? After weighing my options, I decided a few foot massages were probably deserved under the circumstances brought about by pregnancy. Ultimately, my love for my wife overcame my phobia of feet and made getting out of my comfort zone bearable and even rewarding.

I knew that this simple act helped make the pregnancy more endurable for my wife. Even in this mundane act of massaging my wife’s feet, I realized there was nothing I would not do for her because of the love I have for her and she has for me.

All of this talk about feet leads us into one of the most powerful acts Jesus performed, and there was not one miracle to be found. John 13:1-17 is the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. This is the first story written by John in the second major part of the Gospel. The first major section of the Gospel focused on the signs Jesus performed which showed that he is the light shining in the darkness.

This second section begins to show how he also is the light who will overcome the darkness.  Jesus now clearly is focused on the cross and the rest of the Gospel of John builds to the culmination of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

These next few chapters of John’s Gospel are powerful and amazing, but the section begins with the simple yet profound act of washing feet. Imagine what the disciples must have been thinking when Jesus, the Messiah, takes off his outer clothes, wraps a towel around his waist and proceeds to reach for their rough, dirty and smelly feet. Feet stained with the dirt from the roads of Jerusalem Jesus and the disciples recently had walked as Jesus entered the city with cries of “Hosanna” and “Blessed is the king of Israel.” Now this king, this Messiah, is bowing before them and washing their feet.

As Jesus scrubs and cleans the disciples’ feet, his hands are stained with the dirt and grime built up after the miles of walking. The “King of kings,” “Lord of lords,” humbling himself to take up the work of a common slave. The silence in the room must have been deafening, only broken by the splashing of water. Surely the disciples simply sat in awe of what they were experiencing and witnessing. Jesus, washing each of their feet, even the feet of the one who would commit the ultimate act of betrayal.

When Jesus finishes, he no doubt has the complete attention of the disciples, and he says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (vv. 14-15).

This last week of Jesus’ life was not just about defeating sin and death. Jesus is showing the disciples and us what living a life in Christ is all about. Jesus is demonstrating the true nature of what following him is all about; serving. We are called to serve God which means we serve others.

Jesus does not simply talk about serving or give some spiritual, mystical definition of what serving means. Jesus physically serves through the washing of feet and ultimately through giving his body to be crucified. If this is the example the Savior of the world gives, what does that mean for us?

As Christians, we are called to serve as Jesus served. This means we get our hands dirty. Serving as Christ served will take us to places where we are out of our comfort zone. We should not settle for talking about serving or simply applauding when others serve, we need to grab a rag and start washing feet. This may mean going to people overlooked by society and offering them the love of Christ through serving them. One thing is clear, when we serve as Jesus served our hands will get dirty.
Our first thought may be that we can never serve as Christ, but when we open our hearts to the amazing love Christ has shown us through his mighty acts of service, we find ourselves compelled to respond. God’s gracious love motivates and strengthens us to live the life of a servant.

Are you serving as Jesus served? Have you experienced the love of God that compels you to follow Jesus’ example? Are you getting your hands dirty for God?

The church in Philippi and the Apostle Paul had a rich relationship based on some endearing events. Their collective story began with Paul’s vision of a Macedonian man beckoning him to “come help” the people there (Acts 16:9).

Paul immediately sailed to Macedonia. He landed at Neapolis and curiously traveled nine miles inland to Philippi for his first recorded contact with Macedonians.

Philippi was a storied city named for Philipp II, the father of Alexander the Great. It was the hub for a famous gold rush in antiquity. It also was the locale for the legendary Roman battle that made Octavian, better known as Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome. The city also was near the famous Via Egnatia, an east-west Roman highway that ran the width of southern Macedonia.

At Philippi, Paul spoke to a gathering of women, drawing one of their number, Lydia, to faith in Christ (Acts 16:14). A Christian presence had been planted in Philippi and Macedonia. Nevertheless, Paul was jailed after ruining a fortune-telling scheme by exorcizing a demon from a slave girl (Acts 16:16-24).

In the middle of the night, God sent an earthquake to open the doors of the prison. Fearful for his life, the jailer begged of Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul dutifully delivered the simple truth: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Thus the gospel message and its ministry of grace to the hearts of the spiritually needy was forever associated with the city of Philippi.

Though Paul was asked to leave Philippi the morning after his stay in prison, he and his ministry associates returned many times in the years to come. Through these visits, Paul developed an intimate relationship with the Philippian church, perhaps the warmest and most dear between Paul and any of his churches, if the epistle to the Philippians is any indication.

Late in Paul’s ministry, the church in Philippi heard Paul was being held in a Roman prison. The people decided to send a gift to help support him. Out of gratitudem, Paul composed the rich and widely cherished epistle to the Philippians. The epistle is extensively quotable and is the favorite of many who seek, among other things, “the peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and the assurance to be “able to do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

The close connection of the Philippian church to the ministry of Paul is convincingly expressed in the opening section of the epistle to the Philippians. Paul thanked God for them upon every remembrance of them (v. 3), praying for them with joy (v. 4) because they were partners (vv. 5, 7) in the gospel ministry. They were in his heart (v. 7); he deeply missed them (v. 8); and he had experienced their love (v. 9) which he prayed would continue to grow. By the time Paul wrote this letter, his intimate partnership with this church was approximately a decade old. This enduring relationship provides the background for the present lesson.

Get started (Philippians 1:1-2)

The salutations of Paul’s epistles always are rich, as is the case here. Paul identified himself and Timothy as co-senders of the epistle. In several epistles, Paul refers to himself as an apostle, whether to defend his apostleship or to remind his readers of his apostolic authority. In Philippi, however, Paul’s apostleship was not in question. Therefore he identified himself as a bondslave of Christ Jesus. Paul had bound and submitted himself to Jesus in a way that resembled the humble servitude of a slave.

Jesus with his titles is mentioned three times in two short verses. Paul was sold-out completely to Jesus, after all this time, and especially as he awaited his hearing before the Roman emperor.

Paul addressed his epistle to the “saints” or “holy ones” in Philippi. These had set themselves apart as servants of the Lord just as Paul had. The “overseers” were those who had executive supervision over the operations of the church. The deacons were the ministers or servants of the church who took spiritual care of the people. The Philippian Christians also served Christ Jesus and as such they were co-servants with Paul. They shared in Paul’s ministry by supporting him and served in local ministries that proclaimed the gospel just as Paul proclaimed the gospel in other parts of the world.

Paul’s customary greeting, a blessing, is recorded in verse 2. “Grace” was the common Roman greeting. Paul used it to call for God’s grace in the lives of his readers. Grace is the agency of God’s salvation. It is by God’s grace that people are saved, as Paul writes elsewhere (Ephesians 2:9).

Paul’s greeting also used the word “peace,” reflecting the Hebrew word “shalom.” Paul used the word to bless his readers with God’s peace through Jesus Christ. Using these two words together, Paul had a powerful Christian greeting that represented the beginning (grace) and result (peace) of God’s work in the lives of Paul’s beloved readers through Christ Jesus. Even Paul’s greeting was a mini-statement of the gospel.

Be involved now (Philippians 1:3-6)

Verse 3 indicates a prayer tactic of Paul’s: to pray for every person as he remembered them. One can imagine Paul prayed frequently for the Philippian church. He prayed for them out of joy, especially after receiving their support during his stay in prison. But what he was most thankful for was their partnership in the gospel.

Paul states that the Philippian participation in his gospel ministry had been from the “first day until now.” The spread of the gospel to as many lives as he could reach was Paul’s compelling desire. The Philippians were beneficiaries of Paul’s extreme commitment to the gospel. Seeing the results in their own lives, they had joined instantly him as he sought to reach out with the gospel elsewhere.

Paul expressed his confidence in the gospel’s effectiveness in verse 6. This verse tells us the ministry of the gospel is a continuing endeavor. Through the gospel, Jesus started a good work in the lives of the Philippian readers. The world is not good, though it had been created good. Similarly people are not good, though humanity had been created good. Therefore, defying worldly reality, Jesus began a good work in the Philippian Christians. By his grace, Jesus set in motion a ministry to transform the Philippians into good and godly people. Because of his reliability, Jesus would continue this life transformational “work” until the “day of Christ Jesus.”

The Old Testament prophets refer frequently to the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 2:31; Amos 5:18; Malachi 4:5). This is the dreadful day when the Lord will end time and judge everyone. The purpose for salvation is to rescue people of the day of the Lord’s great wrath.

Just as the prophets proclaimed the Lord’s salvation in the advance of the Lord’s certain day of judgment, Paul also proclaimed salvation to his readers and listeners. Paul’s gospel, empowered by the Lord, is sufficient to last until the day of the Lord, thereby delivering God’s people through the coming wrath.

Now Paul expressed complete confidence in the Lord’s work among his people. He could see the Lord working in their lives. He was more persuaded than ever that the Lord’s work of salvation would endure so that his people would be delivered to the rightful destiny. This knowledge and confidence should energize the Philippians to serve the Lord with enduring faithfulness.

Assist in various ways (Philippians 1:7-8)

Paul’s affection for the Philippians is most clearly declared in these verses. The Philippians are in Paul’s heart (v. 7) because they are partners in grace in two ways: as Paul’s supporters during his incarceration and as co-laborers in the gospel.

Verse 8 perhaps contains the single most direct statement of Paul’s affection for his people in Philippi. His expression of affection is affirmed through the witness of God. God could testify to Paul’s prayers for the Philippian Christians.

Naturally, Paul was concerned about the defense and the establishment of the gospel. From our perspective two millennia after Paul’s ministry, we have knowledge of the long-term effectiveness and power of the gospel Paul was not able to see. As an apostle, Paul was charged with the establishment of gospel in this world in a way that it would not wane or become ineffective. Even in chains, Paul could see the gospel increasing in influence and reaching ever more people. He could also see the gospel at work in the ministry of the Philippian church. An equal concern for the gospel should be found among God’s people today.

Stay with it (Philippians 1:9-11)

Paul always had prayed for the Philippians, but now writes a specific prayer for them. The prayer has four points. First, Paul prayed the Philippians’ love would keep growing. Love is the hallmark of Christian maturity. This love has two characteristics: knowledge and discernment. Just as Paul prayed the gospel work Christ had started in them would continue until the last day, he also prayed the Philippians’ love would grow. Thus, a byproduct of the gospel’s effectiveness in the lives of the Philippians was the cultivation of love within them.

Second, Paul asked his people to use their discernment to determine what really mattered in their lives. This refers to the discerning of the movement of Christ in their lives who would be developing the elements of Paul’s third request within them.

Third, Paul prayed his people would be pure and blameless in the day of Christ. Purity of living means to live a wholesome life with minimal invasiveness by sin and evil. Blamelessness has to do with being cleansed of sin so that one stands without blemish before the Lord. Blamelessness does not mean one never sinned, but that one has had a life-changing and life-cleansing encounter with the Lord (2 Samuel 22:24).

Fourth, Paul petitioned that his people would be filled with the fruit of righteousness. Righteousness refers to having a right standing with the Lord. Believers are expected to pursue righteousness, not as a work that results in salvation, but as the pursuit of the new life that God created when he applied his salvation to people’s lives. The pursuit of righteous living generates “fruit.” This fruit is not specified. Generally it includes the maintenance of a right standing before God. By implication in this passage, Paul likely had in mind involvement in the ministry of the gospel.

Paul had a powerful and deep relationship with the Philippians. They had been encouraged to participate as coworkers and supporters in Paul’s ministry. In support of this goal, Paul frequently prayed for them.

What is missing here is the response of the Philippians to Paul’s letter. But perhaps their generous gift of support to Paul is enough of a message pointing to their participation in the gospel ministry and their commitment to the life-changing message of Christ Jesus.

Everyone experiences times of difficulties and trials. This is because we live in a broken world. We Christians are not exempt—even though we serve a graceful and benevolent God. Peter teaches in 1 Peter 1:1-9 that Christians can live a confident life regardless of circumstances. We will learn in this series that even in times of suffering we can continue following God’s commands and live righteous lives.

To be a follower of Jesus during the time 1 Peter was written meant being obedient to God instead of fitting in to the world around them. These Christians understood what true persecution is. Peter wrote this letter to encourage them to keep living lives for God in the midst of trials and persecution. However, it encourages all Christians to keep the faith in spite of hardships.   

Living hope

Peter first wrote that Christians are set apart and chosen. God understands all our circumstances and every difficulty we have been through and will go through. He has redeemed us through Jesus and sanctifies us through the Holy Spirit. God also calls us to live in obedience. As Paul wrote in Romans 6:6, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

We have a living hope in Jesus. Our hope is not dead, but is alive because Jesus is alive. Our hope is in Jesus to cover us with his grace, in the present, the past and the future. We need this hope now to spur us on to live as he desires. We have this hope even in times of difficulty, because we know one day we will be one with him forever.

Revelation 21:4 tells us: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This is relevant for all believers especially in times of hardship or trouble, because when confidence cannot be found in anything else, it is found in the grace and power of God.
 
In the midst of difficulties, we must focus on, cling to, and put our confidence in what is truly important: our inheritance as God’s children. That includes heaven as well as God’s grace and strength for today. We should not compare our lives with the lives of those living in the world, nor should we put our faith in worldly things.

Unshakable faith

One becomes a Christian by having the faith that Jesus is Lord and that he died to save sinners. Faith is the central theme in our lives. Genuine faith is not wishful thinking; it is a deep conviction that God is who he says he is. Genuine faith enables us to courageously meet the challenges of the world because we know our inheritance is secure and that our suffering will last only a little while. Through 1 Peter 1:6-7, God assures us the trials and tribulations we face while walking with him will be used for spiritual growth.  

Our entire social system, culture and way of life revolve around money. Unlike money, faith will last for eternity and it will never perish. Peter compares our faith with money or gold, by saying that our faith is of greater worth than gold and that through trials our faith will be strengthened.

Glorious grace
    
To live a holy life in times of difficulty does not mean we cannot make mistakes. For we all know that when the pressures surround us and we feel the stress of the circumstances, we are more capable of slipping up. Christ redeems us from our past sins and the ones in the future. He covers us with his blood so that our souls can have rest and so we can live with freedom in his grace. He walks with us in our trials and promises to never leave us.

As sinful creatures, we know it is impossible to be completely perfect and obedient to God. We somehow always mess up and can never quite live up to the holy standards of a perfect God. However, God has given us a way to be holy and clean from sin.

He sent Jesus to be the blood sacrifice, so that we can live clean lives as he desires. Jesus gives us a new birth, so we are no longer slaves to our sinful desires, but we are born of the spirit and now belong to God’s family.

1 Peter 1:3,4 says: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”

So, what more shall we do when we undergo suffering or trials, but rejoice and walk through them with joy? Knowing that Christ went through many trials, understands our pain and he has chosen us to live the lives we have. We also can rejoice because we know in the end that our faith will be strengthened and our trials will result in greater praise and glory to our God.  

Questions for reflection
 
• Why is it more difficult to be obedient to God during times of hardship or struggle?

• What are some things you can do to live a more Godly life in difficult situations?

Do you know what it means to be satisfied? Webster says to be satisfied is to supply fully with what is desired, expected or needed. To please; gratify. To free from doubt or anxiety; convince. To give what is due.

The Hebrew word for “satisfy” means the same thing. Take a moment to see what God says about his people in Hosea 13:6. He fed them, they were satisfied and then they became proud.

How satisfied are you with your walk with Christ? Being satisfied is a dangerous place to be; it leads to apathy and pride. It also makes you lazy and dulls you to what’s going on around you because you become only concerned with you being satisfied and no one else.

And what about the two way street our faith is supposed to be. We always are ready to receive all we think we are due—that we are entitled to—from God, but isn’t he due something as well? Being satisfied can cause us to live within a bubble. Christianity should give us great comfort, and yet it should also stir within you a certain level of discomfort. How—or will—you go about finding the healthy tension that exists between these two?

The people of Hosea’s time were experiencing the exact same thing we as Christians, experience today, and in that time, God encourages them to return to him. Hosea tells the people to approach God and say “receive us graciously.” This is to let God know they know who he is—the God of grace. He loves it when his people acknowledge him for who he is.

Throughout Scripture we see an ongoing theme of God asking—even begging—his children to return to him. The writer of Hebrews encourages readers to approach the throne of grace with confidence, so we can receive mercy and find grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

If you want to find mercy and grace, you have to go to God for it, because it all comes from him. Sure, you and I can try and find it in other people and things, but they will never satisfy what you’re looking for. And although you may feel like you’ve found mercy and grace somewhere besides God, you haven’t. You’re being lied to and lying to yourself. Return to God.

But Hosea isn’t done. He also tells the people to offer God the fruit of your lips. What does he mean? Essentially that they would go to God with praise and admiration that is so powerful and deep inside them that it pours out of their mouths as adoration, telling God how great he is.

When was the last time you went to God for the sole purpose of telling him how wonderful he is? I wonder at times why we don’t have worship services set aside for the sole purpose of worship. I mean, they’re called “worship services” right?

But Hosea still isn’t done. When God’s people return to him with the hope of finding grace, telling God how great he is, they (we) need to acknowledge nothing in the world can save us, only God. Oh sure, they tried it with a big nation like Assyria and war horses and power and it just didn’t work. I’m sure it seemed like a good idea to them at the time but what they didn’t realize was that God was not in those things.

What do we look for salvation in our own times? Our country? Our ability and technology as a world power? It’s easy to see how we are very much like our forefathers in the faith isn’t it? And yet, God continues to say the same thing to us as he did to them back then. “Return to me. Only in me will you find what you’re looking for and be loved.”

Hear God’s response to their pleas. Look at God’s “I will” statements in verses 4 and 5: “I will heal you and love you; I will refresh you and give you strength.”

Understand that God is waiting for us to do our part; and when we do, he will do his part. However, he won’t do his part unless we do ours.

So there we go, we know what it takes to make it happen. But will we do it? Think of it like this, we have seen and read the very simple fact that for the most part losing weight is about simple math—addition and subtraction. When you consume more calories than you burn throughout the day, your body will store the leftovers. If you want to lose weight, you burn more calories than you consume.

We know this, it’s a common fact. However, just knowing it doesn’t cause fat to fall off our bodies. If only it were that simple! We have to move and change our minds and habits on some things.

Looking to be fruitful in your life? It comes from God and he says so in verse 8. I have to remember that if I want to be more productive, effective and fruitful in my life, it starts with God.

Keeping hope alive in the middle of severe and difficult circumstances is not an easy task. In our text, we read the account of the surrender and eventual destruction of Jerusalem, the forced exile of the city’s population to Babylon, and King Jehoiachin’s imprisonment and eventual release.  

These passages encourage readers to can keep hope alive in the midst of personal and/or national tragedy.  

In the last eight chapters of 2 Kings, we see how Judah declined spiritually between the reigns of King Hezekiah and King Jehoiachin. The period between Hezekiah and Jehoiachin was a time of rebellion against God through the worship of false gods. The chronicler noted, with the exception of the reformer Josiah, all the kings and their spiritual leaders refused to call for or lead the nation to repent of their collective sin and follow the living God. Instead, they encouraged and demanded their people to continue their hedonistic path.  

Because of this rebellion, we read in 24:2-4 that the Lord sent the nation of Judah’s enemies against them “in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh … and the Lord was not willing to forgive.”

The writer tells us in 24:12-14 that Nebuchadnezzar took into exile King Jehoiachin, his household, the soldiers, all of the treasures of the temple and the palace, the elite soldiers, craftsman, artisans, civic leaders and government administrators—close to 10,000 people. Nebuchadnezzar then installed Zedekiah as king, who would reign 11 years. Zedekiah was as evil as those whom he followed.

Even with these great losses, there remained a remnant of believers who kept hope alive although they had lost most, if not all, their treasures, including their freedom. This should encourage believers to keep alive their hope in God no matter what precious things they lose.  

In 24:19-20, we see where God’s patience ends. King Zedekiah’s evil actions against the Lord and his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar resulted in the Lord’s decision to use the king of Babylon to destroy Judah and send its people into captivity. In doing so, the Lord banished them from his presence.

Believers are reckless if they count on God’s repeated forgiveness when they continually reject his instructions. God is patient and longsuffering, but there comes a point when he brings judgment according to what his people deserve. The Lord’s warnings are meant to preserve the believers’ relationship with him and to prevent his judgment.

When the Lord decides that he must bring judgment on his people for their persistent disobedience, believers still can keep alive their hope in God.

In 2 Kings 25, we read of the total destruction of Judah’s military, political and spiritual leadership. First, Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem for a period of two and one-half years. It is at this time that the last of the food was gone, the Babylonians broke through Jerusalem’s wall and Zedekiah tried to escape.

After leaving the city, the king’s men deserted him which made the Babylonian army’s mission of capturing Zedekiah easy. Upon his capture and Nebuchadnezzar’s judgment, Zedekiah was made to watch his sons killed, then his eyes were gouged out and he was led away to Babylon.  

Later, the Babylonians burned down the temple of the Lord, the royal place and every other building in Jerusalem.  Then, they tore down the walls of Jerusalem. These actions were taken by the Babylonians to discourage any further resistance or insurrection by making the city defenseless.  

The Lord allowed this because the Jews considered the temple to be a sign of his presence. The destruction of the temple signified to the Israelites God’s presence was no long with them. After the destruction of the city, the Babylonians took the majority of the population into exile.  

Even in the midst of the chaos and loss that overwhelmed these residents/exiles, we can see in the words of Jeremiah to them that they should keep their hope in the Lord alive because he still is in charge. “‘For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you … plans to give you hope and a future … you will call on me … you will seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity’” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  

This should encourage modern-day believers when confronted with chaotic situations causing many to experience panic and hopelessness to remember there is hope to be found in a living God. Thus, we are able to keep hope alive.

2 Kings unexpectedly ends with a story about Jehoiachin, who had been in prison 37 years, being released by Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Evil-Merodach, and given a place of honor among the other exiled kings in Babylon. With Jehoiachin being of the linage of King David, the Holy Spirit-inspired author held out a glimmer of hope to the people of Judah by recording the release of their king.

The hope for a better future still remains because neither the Lord nor Israel’s remnant are dead. God’s word and his promises to David remain in effect even though the signs of the relationship between the Lord and Israel, such as the temple, no longer existed. The writer is telling his readers, then and now, to trust the Lord and find hope in him. Believers can keep their hope in God because he will give evidence he is working in the course of human events for their benefit.

Christians—by definition, and more importantly by faith—have put their ultimate hope in the Lord. Still, they or their loved ones may experience long-lasting, hard circumstances that put their hope and faith to the test. They may contract terrible illnesses, lose their possessions or be victims of violence. They may wonder whether God hears their prayers and, if he does, why he hasn’t helped.

Every Christian goes through challenges like these during their walk with God. This passage gives encouragement and hope to the readers the Lord is at work to fulfill his plan for their lives. They can keep hope alive.

After more than 2,000 years, is the work Jesus did on the cross still significant? What does it mean for the modern believer to have a Savior who died for us centuries ago?

The early church believed Jesus would return quickly and adjusted their lives accordingly. It’s easy, when you expect someone to arrive at any moment, to remain vigilant. I’m sure the early Christians carefully obeyed Jesus’ teachings, urgently sharing their faith so none of their friends would be left behind.

As the years passed, however, it may have become difficult to remain focused on their faith. Perhaps it even faded somewhat. Life became less about living for Jesus and more about preparing for tomorrow.

The significance of faith

When Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to all the disciples except Thomas. Let’s be honest. Thomas’ only experience with a man being raised from the dead was Lazarus. But Lazarus didn’t raise himself. It was Jesus who restored him to life, and Jesus was now dead. Needless to say, Thomas was skeptical.

After Jesus showed himself to Thomas and allowed the disciple to touch his wounds, Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Faith extends beyond experience. It believes even without the evidence of sight or touch. It also nurtures itself over time, growing stronger, not weaker, throughout the years.

It was easy for the early church to believe. Their memories of Jesus were fresh. If they hadn’t seen Jesus personally, the person telling them about him had likely seen him. Or they knew someone who knew someone who had seen the Lord. Their faith could be strong because they had personally experienced the Light of the World.

The light that cuts through the centuries

Our faith is more pure—if we truly believe. We believe without seeing the Lord or touching his wounds, and according to Jesus, we are blessed because of it.

In today’s reading, Jesus says, “The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36).

The fact is, Jesus’ light is so strong and shines so brightly, it’s possible to believe without having seen the man Jesus. We experience him personally on a spiritual level, which creates a relationship that extends beyond our sight, touch or even time.

This makes our relationship with Jesus extremely significant, if not downright miraculous. This is a man who lived centuries ago, yet he offers relationship as real as if he were sitting beside us right now. Why is this?

“If I be lifted up”

Jesus tells the crowds that follow him, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:31-32).

Jesus allowed himself to be lifted high on a cross so all people would be drawn to him. Because of his selflessness, we can overcome sin and death and rest in the certainty of eternal life.

As Paul says, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Romans 6:8).

Now, as sons of light, we must continue to lift Jesus up. By living with him and allowing him to change us, we demonstrate his power even now, 2,000 years after he walked the earth. By allowing our lives to reflect his glory, we help him accomplish his will, which is that everyone believe he is the Son of God.

Is Jesus significant for your life?

In your daily life, is it apparent you belong to Jesus? We all struggle with the old sin nature. One of our greatest responsibilities as believers is to daily rip more of ourselves out of the grip of our sin nature and give it to Jesus to be remade and renewed.

Can it be discouraging never to achieve our goal of being perfected? Of course. But our faith must be strong enough to carry us through. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Renewal doesn’t occur by itself, though. We must commit to relationship with Jesus and work on that relationship every day. Don’t read the Bible once a week for church. Read it daily. Study it and memorize it. Don’t pray only at church or when others are watching. Pray without ceasing, as Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Allow God to transform your heart, mind and attitudes. Then let your light shine as a true child of the light.

Food for thought

What is it about relationship with Jesus that makes it significant for you? Have your life changed because of him?

What is the foundation of your faith in Jesus? Has your faith growth throughout the years? Why?

Have you ever loved someone that didn’t love you back? How about if that person didn’t love you back the way you wanted to be loved? Frustrating isn’t it?

Even now, those of you who have experienced this at a very deep level probably are having some old feelings try to come back. Why? Love is a powerful emotion and state of being (there’s the understatement for this article).

Now imagine—we can’t, but try—how God must feel. Love is  who he is; it’s not an emotion to him, but intrinsically who he is. And think about all he has done for you and me; all he’s given, to the point of offering up the life of his only Son, because of his great love for you. And yet, how do we love him back?

Let me say this is going to be a terrible analogy, but have you ever seen a dog that was just neglected and abused and yet kept going back to its owner, tail wagging, desperately longing and hoping for love and acceptance? It blows our minds, doesn’t it? Why doesn’t the dog just run away? I mean, it could easily find a better home, right?

Sure, because we live in such an “I’m a victim” society, we’d like to believe we are the dog and God is the owner, but the exact opposite is true. God is the one who gives himself totally and completely to us even though many times we have nothing but neglect for him. And yet he continues to stay. Why? Because unconditional love is who God is, he simply won’t leave you, he loves you too much.

Remember the understatement about love? It’s about to get even crazier. It’s one thing to pour out love for another person, the chance for your love to be reciprocated is certainly there and that hope is what keeps us hanging on sometimes. But what if that love isn’t for someone, but for something. What if that same kind of driven love isn’t even focused on a person but on an inanimate object that doesn’t even have—nor ever will—have the ability to respond to or give back that love? Would that not be the height of lunacy?

And yet, how many times do we find ourselves pouring ourselves into things that will never give back to us? Homes, cars, clothes, electronics. All those things have the capacity to draw your love out of you and to keep you from directing it where it should be going, to God, your family and others.

What will your funeral look like? We’re all going to have one. What are they going to say about how you loved? Sure, no one is going to have someone stand up at their funeral and say, “Ol’ Tom, here loved golf more than anything on earth, including God and his family.” Or, “Laura here loved clothes and shoes more than her Savior or her children.”

But people will know what or who you loved and how you loved them. God help us all to have someone stand at our funeral and say, “Tom/Laura here was loved by God and he/she loved God with all that they had.” And then have all in attendance nod their heads in agreement because they know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it’s true.

One of the glaring questions for us as Christians is, “What do you and I need to get rid of to help us love God more completely?” Let me say this, it will be a dangerous question to ask God because he will show you what that is, and he will expect you to do the right thing.

Think about it, because we love in degrees, our love is negotiable or conditional but not with God. His love is 100 percent all the time. He will never love you more or less than he does at this very moment. What an amazing Father we have. Maybe it’s time to take a moment or two and be thankful of that.

Hosea 11:4 is a beautiful picture of how God leads us. Sometimes when we think about being slaves and servants, we get the image of chains and shackles. And quite honestly, if you are enslaved to the world, then that’s exactly what you have.

However, Hosea gives us a much different picture. God “enslaves” his people with kindness and love, then goes a step further and lifts the burden from off our necks and feeds us when we’re hungry. I don’t know about you, but sign me up for that kind of slavery.

And continuing on with our theme of lunacy, how utterly crazy is it when we walk away from God’s idea of “slavery” and return to the cold iron shackles and weight around our necks? We would all agree that it’s totally nutso. But the changes are so subtle we don’t notice it until things get so bad that we notice we’re wearing the wrong shackles and carrying a burden we were never meant to carry.

Feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Maybe it’s time to return to your Master who will love you enough to trade your shackles for kindness and love, because that’s the kind of Father he is.

When our world is falling apart and there seems no way out of the situation in which we find ourselves, there is a tendency for believers to turn to the word of God. As one studies the Bible, there is a word, an emotion, a conviction that reaches out to us in our desperation.

The Bible calls it “hope.” The psalmist testified, “Blessed is he … whose hope is in the Lord” (Psalm 146:5). Emil Brunner is quoted as saying, “What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.”  

Even though Judah’s King Hezekiah had made several mistakes during his reign, he instituted religious and spiritual reforms that pointed his subjects back to God. He was able to make these changes by developing a powerful prayer life through a growing, personal relationship with God. It was his faith and hope in God that brought about the results of 2 Kings 19-20.  

In this week’s passages, we find the nation Judah in a desperate and dangerous situation. The nation had been invaded by the Assyrians and their king, Sennacherib. There seemed to be no hope at all for Judah and Jerusalem to survive an assault by Assyria’s army.

Although Hezekiah had made peace overtures and paid a high tribute to Sennacherib, the Assyrian army advanced to take the land, the cities and exile the people to another land. In a pre-battle negotiating session between Sennacherib’s and Hezekiah’s representatives, the Assyrians spoke with volume and authority as they strived to destroy the forces of Judah’s hope in their king, their God and their future.

However, we find Hezekiah’s subjects resisted the temptation to distrust those who had brought revival and purpose back to their nation. They remained loyal to their leaders and the hope of their future.  

A lesson to be learned from this temptation is that no matter how desperate our circumstances may become, as believers, we can have hope by trusting the Lord knows about our situations and will help us persevere.

In the days after Hurricane Ike struck Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, there were great emotional, spiritual, physical and financial struggles that faced everyone who lived in the area. In most cases, the basic utilities were not available to meet needs. However, the lesson we learned and preached each day to all who came was God knows where we are and he knows our difficulties and in him we have hope. In the middle of the temptation to distrust and blame, we turned to faith and hope in the One who had brought us this far.

When he received the report from his servants concerning the dismal picture painted by Sennacherib’s representatives, the Scriptures tell us Hezekiah “tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went to the temple of the Lord” (19:1). Hezekiah then sent his servants to Isaiah the prophet and asked for the prophet to intercede with God.  

After a time of prayer, Isaiah sent the servants back to the king with a message of encouragement. The prophet quoted God, “Do not be afraid … I am going to put such a spirit in him … he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword” (19:6-7).

When our faith is being tested, and we are in the path of losing hope, as believers, we can gain strength from other believers. We can bolster our hope for the future by encouraging one another to relay one the Lord’s saving power.

After the great reassurance from Isaiah, Hezekiah once again is threatened by Sennacherib as he quoted the histories of other kings who had stood against the army of Assyria and how each one had been conquered and destroyed. Sennacherib warned Hezekiah not to trust in his God to deliver Jerusalem.

At this time, the king of Judah went up to the temple of the Lord, prayed for himself and his nation and their deliverance from the Assyrians. However, his request is not only for their deliverance but “so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone are God” (19:15-19).

We read in verses 35-36, God powerfully answered Hezekiah’s bold request for His help. That night the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. With this intervention from the Lord, Sennacherib withdrew his army and the siege of Jerusalem was broken. A hopeless situation was overcome by a God who responded to a bold prayer of a desperate and obedient king.

Throughout our lives, we spend much of our time thinking about, planning for and working toward the future.  Yet because we realize the future holds uncertainties, we spend a lot of time worrying about the future.  To live with an enduring sense of peace and purpose—whatever the future holds—as believers, we need to base our hope on the Lord and his saving power.  We need to analyze challenges by basing our hope for the future on the Lord—no matter how hopeless the situations might seem. As the psalmist says, “Blessed is he … whose hope is in the Lord” (Psalm 146:5).

When one of Jesus’ close friends died, Martha, the sister of the deceased, wrapped her disappointment in a statement of faith. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).

Jesus purposely had delayed going to Bethany when he heard Lazarus was sick. Now in response to Martha’s lament, he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).

He’s telling Martha death must submit to his authority. For us, however, the message is even more poignant. As the resurrection and the life, Jesus has full authority to resurrect our lives from whatever hardship we’ve experienced, whether physical, spiritual or emotional.

Resurrection requires death

The hard truth in this lesson is this: In order for resurrection to occur, there must be a death. Lazarus had to die before Jesus could raise him to life. In the same way, we must be willing to put our past to death so we can receive new life in Jesus.

This isn’t a new teaching, but it’s one we tend to forget, believing we can lay salvation over our existing life and still enjoy the earthly benefits of salvation. Paul says, “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection” (Romans 6:5).

Death first, then life. We must give up our past and anything that ties us to this world. As born again believers, our first loyalty must be to Jesus. Then we’ll experience the blessings we’re looking for.

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17).

Believe and live

How do we access this resurrected life? Through faith. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Every good gift from God is accessed through faith.

First, we must be willing to accept the truth about life without Jesus. Without Christ, we have no redeeming qualities: no goodness, no purity and no power to overcome. So the process begins with repentance.

Then we must confess and renounce our sins and ask God to remake us in his image. Whatever we lay at the cross is put to death. We can then access new life where death once reigned.

New life can’t look like the past, though. We can’t return to our old patterns of thought or our old ways of doing things. We must be completely remade. And to do that, we must first pass through the cross. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world…. What counts is a new creation” (Galatians 6:14-15).

Do you believe?

No matter what your past contains, Jesus is big enough to take care of it. His death on the cross covered every sin and every pain with his cleansing blood. We must simply believe in what is ours and step into it by faith.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

The gift of salvation is life. But not just any life: life more abundant. This gift does extend beyond the grave. It also begins today.

Does abundant life mean no troubles? No. By aligning ourselves with Jesus, we often become target practice for the enemy. He’d like us to return to our old ways of living. Through Jesus, however, we have the self-discipline and the power to overcome these temptations and enjoy the fruit of a life dedicated to Jesus.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:22-24).

Whether you’re a new Christian or a long-time Jesus follower, new life is available. Whatever in your past hasn’t been put to death may still be nailed to the cross. All it requires is the courage to lay it down and ask Jesus for resurrection in that area of your life.

Food for thought

Are there past pains you’re having a hard time overcoming? Do past sins wrack you with guilt? Do temptations make you doubt the power of God in your life? Jesus’ death on the cross covers all these situations. But you must believe. With Jesus, you can overcome.

Begin by confessing your weakness. Then begin transforming your mind by reading the sections of the Bible that pertain to your situation. Ask God for guidance. He’ll lead you to the verses that can speak to your heart.

One of the things that quickly jumps out about Hosea 6:1-7:2 is the phrase Hosea uses, “let us.” It really is a beautiful thought, one of encouragement, and we’re all in this together. You don’t get the idea that he is leaving everyone else behind with an “every-man-for-himself” attitude. No, let us return to God and seek him.

What an amazing challenge and encouragement for the church today. Perhaps it’s time we, as God’s children, stand next to one another with our arms across each other’s shoulders and say with the resolve and commitment that God wants from his children that we will follow after our Father.

The attitude goes back to Cain and Abel. You know the story, Cain kills Abel and when questioned by God about where Abel is Cain replies, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Yes, Cain you are. And yes, church we are our brothers and sisters keepers.

We’d like to think the people of Amos’ time responded positively to his encouragement, and they all jumped on board and chased after God with all they had. However, God knows his people all too well and knows they are very shallow in their commitment to him.

Yes, they know God is faithful, but they find themselves taking advantage of God’s grace and mercy—not that any of us know what that’s like.

Essentially the people’s attitude was one of “Oops. Sorry, God, you just fix us.” And there is no change in their lives yet they fully expect God to just love them while they do what they want to do.

Much of it is like the proverbial band-aid analogy. The people just wanted God to put a band-aid on their wound and cover it up, but God wanted to heal them completely from within. One is what it means to be truly healed, the other remains a source of discomfort and continued infection.

However, Hosea knows the faithfulness of their God. In the first three verses we see “let us” and “he will.” The resolve of “when we do this, we know God will do this.”

What would our individual lives look like if we had this resolve? If, in faithfulness, you attempt something knowing full well that God will show up in a big way.

Is this part of the reason why you don’t attempt more things—or anything—for God? What is it that you’re afraid of? Hasn’t God told you to not be afraid and that he is with you always? So what’s stopping you?

Let’s take this into the context of your church. What would your church attempt or go after if it knew and believed that it would not fail? Community outreach? Missons? So what’s keeping it from moving on these?

Typically, the answer is one of two things: We don’t know how, and/or we don’t have the money. Perhaps you and your church need to spend some time praying with “let us, he will.” I know I could sure use some more time in this area of my own life.

Through Hosea, God is calling them to repentance. Repent is simply a word that means you are walking in one direction and you stop, turn around and go the other direction. Repentance is not walking in one direction stopping, saying you’re sorry, then continue walking in the same direction you were headed.

Think about this in our lives with one another. Many times when we say we’re sorry, we really don’t mean it. Why? Because when you say you’re sorry it means—or should mean—you feel bad for something you’ve done, and you will make the effort to not do it again. When you say you’re sorry but then don’t make the effort to change, what you are really saying is you just feel bad and nothing more.

What does this look like in the context of our work environments? More importantly, what about our marriages? And certainly, in our relationship with God?

He wants us to change and continually be changed into what he wants us to be. This means as we are walking, God will point out to us at times that we are going in the wrong direction. The choice is then up to you whether or not you keep walking in the same direction.

Verse 6 is a great reminder that God doesn’t want us to merely jump through the hoops of following him. He doesn’t need a bunch of dead animals. The people believed they could appease him by offering a sacrifice to him and that would be enough.

Some people today think they can appease God by dropping some money in the offering plate and make things right between themselves and God. In doing so, all they do is try and ease their own conscience.

We have to remember that it’s all God’s money anyway, and when we give to him, we are actually giving back to him what’s already his. God isn’t sitting at his accounting table in heaven thinking, “If I just had more money I could put on a great Vacation Bible School or send a missionary to Africa.” What he wants are his children to trust him and believe in him and in so doing be kind and loving to those around us.

Imagine the confusion the Jews must have felt when they met Jesus.

For centuries, they had been waiting for the Messiah. Then along came Jesus, who time and again did or said things that were remarkably Messiah-like. Yet this was Jesus, a commoner from Nazareth, the son of a carpenter. In and of himself, he was nothing remarkable.

On the one hand was John the Baptist’s confession that Jesus was the Lamb of God. Equally convincing were the miracles he performed. But then there were the Pharisees, the accepted religious leaders of the day, who would throw them out of the synagogue for choosing to follow Jesus.

As a result, many rejected Jesus. Still others followed him secretly. Only the Twelve were overt Jesus followers.

Is it any different today? When touched by Jesus, we still must decide what to do with him.

Jesus calls to each one of us. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Will we answer his call to follow him? Even more to the point, what does it mean to follow him?

His promises to us

When we accept Jesus as Savior, on a spiritual level, we begin a new life. We also become beneficiaries of the promises of God. The wonderful thing is, what the Lord promises, we can count on. As the Bible says, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

What are we promised? Here’s the short list:

1.    Forgiveness of sins. “… to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:77).

2.    Eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

3.    Security. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hands” (John 10:28).

4.    Holy Spirit. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17).  

5.    Blessing. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Our responsibility as Christians

We tend to get so caught up in the freedom of God’s grace through salvation, we forget the relationship requires something from us. Relationship with Jesus isn’t a badge we pin on the lapel of our secular suit or a set of Sunday clothes we put on once a week. It’s a life commitment. We must be transformed by “God with Us.”

Here’s what that looks like:

1.    Intimate relationship with the Lord. In this week’s lesson, Jesus says his sheep know his voice and follow only him. To do that, we must learn Jesus’ voice. How? We must read the Bible and spend time in prayer.

2.    Dedication to continued growth. Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Only when we’re fully submitted to God can we desire God’s purpose. That requires us to make relationship with God our highest priority.

3.    Obedience. Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). Our greatest testimony as Christians is a changed life, and obedience is the simplest way to demonstrate change. If you think about it, obedience is a small thing to ask after granting total forgiveness of sins.

4.    Commitment to represent Christ well. The Great Commission calls us to share our faith and teach others to obey Jesus as we do. We forget our actions speak louder than our words. Are we obeying Jesus ourselves? Can people know we’re Christians simply by watching our actions? Do our lives serve as a billboard for the abundant life available through Jesus? Here’s what Paul says:

•    “You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Romans 2:23-24).

•    “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

The invitation has been extended. Jesus wants us to follow him and experience abundant life through him. Let’s accept his invitation and commit to let it show in our everyday lives.

Food for thought

Is it possible to be holy as God is holy? How?

Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Is it hard to live as a Christian in a secular world? What are your challenges? What’s one change you could make to bring your faith a little more into the forefront of your life?

Our passages this week deal with the Northern Kingdom’s fall to Assyria. It had been Israel’s opportunity to listen and obey God’s warnings about the consequences of their disobedience. He had urged them to repent from their worshipping other gods and to follow the God of Israel.

However, Israel had ignored and rebelled against the pleadings of God’s prophets. Now we find where the God of Israel uses Israel’s enemies to bring about judgment to his own people.

As it was in the day of Israel’s fall, many followers of Jesus seem not to take sin or its consequences seriously. They attempt to justify actions the Bible calls sinful by rationalizing them as cultural differences or outdated restrictions. Many try to cover up their rebellious attitudes and actions through words and actions that do not reveal the true nature of their hearts. Others blatantly turn their backs on God and ignore the biblical commands and warnings.

Our lesson calls us to examine our attitudes and actions that invite God’s judgment on his people and decide to repent without delay.

The editors of this lesson have opted to use as the outline headings titles of three of the greatest sermons ever preached on repentance by three well known preachers of other generations.  

The first heading is “Payday Someday” comes from 2 Kings 17:5-9. This sermon was preached by the late R.G. Lee, former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn.

These verses basically lay out the historical facts of Israel’s fall. The final years of Israel’s life as a nation were characterized by increasing political and social chaos. The nation had been ruled by a series of kings who persisted in the sinful practices of previous rulers. It was these actions and attitudes that provoked the judgment of God on the nation. More than 200 years had passed since the prophet Ahijah told the wife of Jeroboam I that idolatry would lead to Israel’s exile (I Kings 14:14-16).

During these two centuries with no reform occurring, no repentance emerging and no leader willing to lead the nation back to Jehovah, God brought forth his punishment. This came in the form of Assyria’s invasion of Israel, the siege of Samaria and the deportation of its citizens to Assyria.  

Applying these verses to today’s followers of Jesus, we can be certain living in rebellion against the Lord ultimately brings the consequences of his judgment on us as it did the Northern Kingdom. There is always a “payday” when one rebels against the leadership and commands of God.

The second heading is from the great English pastor, Charles H. Spurgeon entitled “Turn or Burn.” In 17:13-15, the writer of our text shows his frustration by describing the people of Israel as completely in rebellion against God. Although this loving Heavenly Father, through his prophets, had time and time again warned them and attempted to guide them, the Northern Kingdom rejected all his overtures and guidance.

Today, the Lord warns people to repent of their sins in many ways: through the Scriptures, through those who preach and teach his word, and through his examples of his judgment throughout history. The Lord continually teaches and warns us to repent because of his grace and patience. When he continues to graciously give us opportunity and warning to repent of our sins, we should to do it without delay. If we don’t “turn,” we will face God’s wrath.

There is nothing more frightening than the last passage of our lesson. In 17:18-20, we see where Jonathan Edwards, an American Congregational minister, got the title of his 1741 message, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”   

The writer tells us, “So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence” (v. 18). This anger is his holy wrath. The Lord was longsuffering toward his people and made every opportunity and provision to bring them back to him, but they refused. His anger is discipline motivated by love, which is anguish.  It is the anguish of a father who wants the best for his children, while they prefer to go their own way.

The ultimate punishment for Israel’s sin was God removing his presence from them. When his presence was removed, so was his influence. Paul describes the results when this happens in Romans 1:24, 25: “… God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts. … They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator … .”

We can be motivated to repent when we fully appreciate the extent our sinful attitudes and actions hurt our relationship with the Lord.

Israel did not heed the warnings of God for over two centuries. By their attitude and actions, they continued to rebel and disobey the calling of their Heavenly Father to repent of their sin and follow the teachings of the prophets. Finally, God withdrew his presence from them and allowed his judgment to come in the form of the total dismantling of their nation by the Assyrians.  

Today, God still is working in his people. When he convicts us of disobedience through our attitudes and actions, we are to heed his warnings and repent without delay.