Author: NBibens

Play

Unity is a beautiful thing. In Scripture, unity is praised, and God’s people are commanded to seek unity. But are there times when unity is bad? Well, yes. If we are unified in error, our unity is nothing to be proud of. 

In 2 Chronicles 18, King Jehoshaphat of Judah joined with King Ahab of Israel to wage war against Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat wanted to inquire of the Lord before going up, so Ahab summoned four hundred supposed prophets. All of them agreed that battle should be joined, and God would give victory. 

Another prophet named Micaiah was summoned and was told, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king.” Hundreds of men were of one accord—they were unified. But their message was false. Their unity was destructive. Micaiah didn’t join them, but he was the one in the right. Pursue unity, but never at the expense of truth and faithfulness. 

Play

In Revelation 14, John sees one of several pictures of victory and deliverance. Verse 1 says, “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb…” Lambs hardly seem to be apt symbols of strength and victory. A lion appears much more appropriate. And in Revelation, Jesus is called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” But Revelation never backs away from the imagery of the Lamb. In fact, over 25 references are made to “the Lamb” throughout Revelation. 

What a reminder that God’s ways are different than ours. We may not think of lambs as a symbol of power, yet in the end, the Lamb stands victorious. The world may scoff at the apparent weakness of the Lamb, but one day all will bow before the Lamb. Our adversary may be like a roaring lion, but if we are faithful to Christ, we will find victory in the Lamb of God. 

Play

People can be a real pain sometimes. Have you ever grown so irritated and frustrated by others that you lost control of your own temper? Perhaps you justified your outburst because, after all, it was other people who pushed you to lose control. But as difficult as people can be, we are always accountable for our words and actions. 

Psalm 106:32-33 recounts when Moses lost his right to enter the promised land. It says, “They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.” Moses’ frustration and anger is entirely understandable. But his frustration broke out in rash words and actions, and God punished Him. Don’t let others be your undoing. Even when others are at their worst, don’t let their wrongdoing create bitterness in you, and don’t respond rashly, lest you too end up guilty of sin. 

Play

King Saul got off to a good start. But Israel’s first king spiraled into stubbornness and rebellion, and the nation began to pay the price. After Saul’s demise, the nation didn’t immediately unite under David. For a few years, conflict ensued. But ultimately, the entire nation saw the blessing of uniting under David, a man after God’s own heart. First Chronicles 12 records how the nation turned over the kingdom to David. The closing verses record a time of celebration, and says, “there was joy in Israel.” 

Good leadership is a great blessing. David would make mistakes, but he was a great king who sought God wholeheartedly. And the kingdom was blessed during his reign. If we are godly leaders, we can bring joy to others. But also, unity brings joy. Israel had suffered from division, but unification brought peace and joy. In our homes, communities, and congregations, we should pursue unity in truth and therein find great joy. 

Play

Do you enjoy hardship? Would you consider affliction a good thing? Typically, we do all we can to avoid affliction and pain. But there are times that affliction might prove to be a blessing. The Psalmist reflects on this a few times in Psalm 119. 

In Psalm 119:67, we read, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” Times of ease might lull our spiritual senses and pull us into unfaithful lifestyles. When that happens, affliction might be an apt reminder of what is truly important. A few verses later, in verse 71, the Psalmist writes, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Sometimes, God might use affliction as a reminder to return to His way. Such times may not be pleasant, but they are a blessing. In times of affliction, don’t give up on God—return to His Word and walk in His ways.  

Play

We often hear the adage, “You get what you pay for.” It’s tempting to choose an item because it’s cheaper. With some items, that may be ok. But with others, we learn the hard way that cheaper may not be better. Things that are cheaply made are rarely built well, and usually don’t stand up to the test of time. But what about our faith? Do we have a cheap faith, or a well-built faith? 

In Matthew 6:47-48, Jesus says, “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.”^[1] A well-built, solid faith is that which obeys Jesus. Anything less is not guaranteed to last the tests of time and trials.

---

^[1] CSB

Play

How can we be more effective as workers in Jesus’ kingdom? How can we truly follow the Lord’s example of working for God? This week, we’ve considered Jesus’ actions in Matthew 9:35—that Jesus went, taught, preached, and healed. We can be proactive, teach the truth, preach the gospel, and help others. But there’s one more key we need to consider—our attitude towards the lost. 

Matthew 9:36 says, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” 

How do you feel about unbelievers? What’s your attitude towards the world? If we genuinely want to labor in the Lord’s kingdom, we must develop a love of souls. While we don’t condone sin, we should pity the tragic plight of the sinner. Like Jesus, we should have compassion towards the lost. Such compassion will motivate us to go, teach, preach, and help. Are you ready to labor like Jesus?