There are a lot of things going through my mind as I start this not the least of which is that there is no way I am ever going to be able to pay back everyone for the kindnesses my family and I have received over the last 3 years.  There are two main reasons for this.  ONE:  even if I had been keeping track of all the monetary kindness I have been shown, there is plenty that I haven’t known of, and even more that nobody would ever cop to because of the desire to remain anonymous.  TWO:  many of the gifts and kindnesses I have received are priceless and, as such, I couldn’t even begin to assign a dollar value, or even hope to repay the favor exactly.  For how does one place a price-tag on a well-timed sermon that is just what you need right when you need it?  How does one place a dollar value on a hug from a friend? 

Nobody is asking me to pay them back.  That’s not where I’m going with this at all.  No, what I’m thinking about has more to do with the my inability to ever fully repay a debt when I cannot even comprehend its breadth.  Sounds a little like having one’s sins paid for by someone who never knew sin, who was perfect. 

The friends and church family who have helped me out so much, who have been there for me in ways I will likely never be able to comprehend, in many ways, I feel I owe my life to them.  Maybe not literally, but figuratively for sure.  There was nothing I could’ve done to deserve their kindness.  They just felt compelled to bless me and my family out of their own blessings.  As a friend of mine said today, “What?  It’s not ours anyway.  We’re just giving it back to God.”  Knowing that is the truth, but really experiencing the truth of it are two TOTALLY different things.  And if I feel like I could never repay these people for their kindness, and like I owe them a debt of gratitude for just making my life possible for the time being, how much more do I owe Christ who has, most assuredly, given His very life for me and, with his sacrifice, has paid my way into Heaven by paying off debts I didn’t even know I owed.  Is my obedience enough?  Is my praise enough?  My worship?  I could be cliché and say that I would pledge my undying devotion to Him, but I’m human, and that’d be a lie.  The truth is that my devotion will wane.  It has many times in the past, and likely it will in the future because I forget just how much I’ve been given and forgiven.  Then, something will happen that will remind me, and once again, I will be “on fire” for Jesus again.  Until the next time. 

Why is it always like this?  Because, far too often, I forget to remind myself of what all God has done for me.  I get bogged down in the busy-ness and daily-ness of life, and I forget to remind myself of the gospel of Jesus Christ that says I was a sinner and I needed a Savior. 

I can even take it one step farther.  Given all that I have received so freely from a God that I could never repay, how could I hold onto that gift so selfishly?  I did nothing to deserve it.  I could never earn it.  And yet, I benefit from the blessing of that gift everyday.  Yet, when it comes time to share with others, I balk.  I let fear stand in the way.  Where’s the undying devotion then?  Where is my obedience?  My praise?  My worship of the God that made my very life possible? 

Well…guess what?!  This week the county fair starts.  Our church has an evangelism booth at said fair.  I’ve worked the fear a couple of times, and have always let fear stand in the way of my saying anything substantial to passers-by, or even to those who stop.  Perhaps there is a reason I am having these thoughts and feelings on the eve of the week that I am scheduled for two shifts at that booth………..

READ:  2 Kings 22:11-17 (or the extended passage at 2 Kings 22 & 23)

(11-13) When the king heard what was written in the book, God’s Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay.  And then he called for Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal aide.  He ordered them all:  “Go and pray to God for me and for this people–for all Judah!  Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found!  God’s anger must be burning furiously against us–our ancestors haven’t obeyed a thing written in this book, followed none of the instructions directed to us.”

(14-17) Hilkiah the priest , Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went straight to Huldah the prophetess.  She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, who was in charge of the palace wardrobe.  She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.  The five men consulted with her.  In response to them she said, “God’s word, the God of Israel:  Tell the man who sent you here that I’m on my way to bring the doom of judgment on this place and this people.  Every word written in the book read by the king of Judah will happen.  And why?  Because they’ve deserted me and taken up with other gods, made me thoroughly angry by setting up their god-making businesses.  My anger is raging white-hot against this place and nobody is going to put it out.”

THINK:  Read the passage again.  As you do, listen for words or images that especially impact you, such as raging anger that “nobody is going to put…out,” or the king ripping his robes “in dismay.”

PRAY:  Take time to silently repeat this word or phrase from the passage or to let the image play itself out in your mind.  See how it matches with your thoughts, feelings, and memories.  Eventually let your contemplation lead you to consider whether there are any questionable or sinful areas of your life that you have been ignoring lately.  Can you tell why you’ve been ignoring them?  Bring them before God.  What is your posture?

LIVE:  Picture this God whose “anger is raging white-hot.”  What’s it like to be before him?  Now see Jesus, the mediator between the holy God pictured in this passage and the sinful people God loves.  Turn to Jesus and together examine your heart.  Watch his response to the sinful areas you noticed.  What is he inviting you to do in response to what you see?  Respond to his invitation.  Watch God the Father accept Jesus’ redemption of your sin–see God’s white-hot anger cool–and experience being welcomed back into full fellowship with him once more.

My dear readers, I am happy for the chance to deliver each of these devotional days to you.  I think this one, however, does not need anything more from me.  You know what God is speaking to you.  I know what God is speaking to me.  I pray that each of us has the courage to take a good, honest look at ourselves and find those areas God would have us see, those areas that need to be addressed, that we’ve been withholding from God, and find out why.  I pray for the strength to get brutally honest, knowing that God cares more about our character than our comfort, and that we would allow him to do the work necessary to pry those sinful areas out of our heart, regardless of how deeply lodged they are.  Then, I pray that we would allow Him to fill those areas of our hearts with what ought to be there:  more of Him and more of His Word.

READ:  2 Kings 11:17-12:2 (or the extended passage of 2 Kings 11 & 12

(17) Jehoiada now made a covenant between God and the king and the people.  They were God’s people.  Another covenant was made between the king and the people.

(18-20) The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing the altar and images to smithereens.  They killed Mattan the priest in front of the altar.

          Jehoiada then stationed sentries in The Temple of God.  He arranged for the officers of the bodyguard and the palace security, along with the people themselves, to escort the king down from The Temple of God through the Gate of the Guards and into the palace.  There he sat on the royal throne.  Everybody celebrated the event.  And the city was safe and undisturbed–they had killed Athaliah with the royal sword.

(21) Joash was seven years old when he became king.

(1) In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began his kingly rule.  He was king for forty years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Gazelle.  She was from Beersheba.

(2) Taught and trained by Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what pleased God for as long as he lived.

THINK:  Read the passage again slowly, trying to picture the priest Jehoiada and his young pupil, Joash, who becomes one of the few good kings of Judah.

          (1) What about Jehoiada do you most admire or dislike?

          (2) How would you like, or not like, to resemble Jehoiada as a teacher and leader?  (Think of a teacher as anyone from whom others learn, and think of a leader as anyone who finds others following him or her.  Even in friendships, sometimes one friend is the teacher and the other is the student, although they may not realize it.)

In this day and age, I appreciate anyone who is capable and willing to pick a hard to place to stand and stay there.  It takes courage to do the right thing, especially when it becomes uncomfortable.  So, when I see someone able to do that, even fighting against the odds to stand there, and remain steadfast, I cheer them on.  THAT is what I admire about Jehoiada.  In a time when the nation of Israel had basically turned her back on God, there as a man who would not.  This man went on to be a teacher to one of the last good kings of the Israel.

In response to question #2, my kids come to mind.  I pray that I am setting a good example for them.  There’ve been times when I’ve had my doubts.  For sure, they will have plenty to tell their future spouses or a therapist about all the times I’ve messed up.  But, I hope that they can always say that, when I did them wrong, I always made an effort to right that wrong and that I did so without making excuses, or without trying to justify or rationalize my errors in a desperate attempt to look less guilty or to make myself feel better.

PRAY:  Pray for people who look up to you–either for good or bad.  In that case, you are their teacher and leader.  Ask God who he is asking you to reach out to as an informal teacher or leader.  Or you may want to simply pray about what you pass on to others.

Dear Heavenly Father, there are days when I am painfully aware that I do not put forth the example you prefer.  Some days, I don’t even put forth the example I would prefer.  But Lord, I pray that, on those days, I would not diminish terribly your name in the eyes of those that desperately need to see you.  I ask forgiveness for when I’ve led others astray.  I pray for the wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen.  I pray for the words to say that I might honor you, and for the appropriate actions to take when something more than words are required, and I pray for discernment to know the difference.  I pray for strength not to act when I shouldn’t.  I pray for the courage to act when action is necessary. 

LIVE:  Sit in the quiet with God, holding before him those who follow you or look up to you.  You might wish to ask God, “What do I need to know about myself as a teacher or leader?”  Ideas might not come to you right away.  Note those that do, and keep watch for them in the coming days and weeks.

If you are a parent, then you already have an idea who your followers are.  But, what you may not have realized yet is that your children’s friends, if they visit often, could also be your followers.  It never occurred to me until my kids were in high school, and one of my daughter’s friends remarked about how cool it was that we had “rules and stuff.”  For her, it was a given, and sometimes an annoying one.  But for her friend, who seemed to have no curfew, and who frequently was locked out of his house, it was a novelty.  Not long after making that remark, this young man found out that his family was about to move, and he asked if he could come stay with us.  It didn’t happen for a number of reasons, not the least of which comes down to the fact that moving is just a part of military life, and for whatever reason, God decided this young man needed to be born into a military family, and with that, comes having to move. 

Take a look around.  See who’s watching you.  Maybe you teach Sunday School.  Are the siblings of your students watching you?  Are their parents?  Are you a crossing guard?  Are you employed outside the home?  There are probably many more people watching you than you think?  Likely, there are as many people watching you as you are watching.  If that’s the case, then isn’t it also likely that your sphere of influence is much larger than you think?  Isn’t it possible that you are affecting many more people than maybe you thought when you initially read this passage?  Keeping that in mind, what example are you setting?