II Kings 1
Moab rebels against Israelverse 1
Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab
King Ahaziah fell and seeks answersverse 2
And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice
in his upper chamber that was in Samaria
and was sick – and he sent messengers
and said to them
Go – inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall
recover of this disease
Angel of the LORD tells Elijah to confront messengerverses 3-4
BUT he angel of the LORD
said to Elijah the Tishbite
Arise – go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria
and say to them
Is it not because there is not a God in Israel
that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
Now therefore thus
says the LORD
You shall not come down from that bed on which
you are gone up BUT shall surely die
And Elijah departed
King asks why messenger returned so soonverse 5
And when the messengers turned back unto him
he said to them
Why are you now turned back?
Messenger told of meeting with prophetverse 6
And they said to him
There came a man up to meet us
and said unto us
Go – turn again to the king that sent you
and say to him
Thus says the LORD
Is it not because there is not a God in Israel
that you send to inquire of
Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
Therefore you shall not come down from that bed
which you are gone up but shall surely die
King asked what prophet looked likeverses 7-8
And he said to them
What manner of man was he which came up
to meet you and told you these words?
And they answered him
He was an hairy man
and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins
And he said
It is Elijah the Tishbite
First fifty soldiers: fireverses 9-10
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty
and he went up to him
and – behold – he sat on the top of the hill
and he spoke to him
You man of God the king has said
Come down
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty
IF I be a man of God
THEN let fire come down from heaven
and consume you and your fifty
And there came down fire from heaven
and consumed him and his fifty
Second fifty soldiers: fireverses 11-12
Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty
and he answered and said to him
O man of God – thus has the king said
Come down QUICKLY
And Elijah answered and said to them
IF I be a man of God
let fire come down from heaven
and consume you and your fifty
And the fire of God came down from heaven
and consumed him and his fifty
Third fifty soldiers: humbleverses 13-14
And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty
and the third captain of fifty went up – and came
and fell on his knees before Elijah
and besought him
and said unto him
O man of God – I pray you – let my life
and the life of these fifty your servants
be precious in your sight
Behold – there came fire down from heaven
and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties
with their fifties – therefore let my life now be
precious in your sight
Angel of the LORD tells Elijah to go with themverse 15
And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah
Go down with him – be not afraid of him
And he arose
and went down with him to the king
Elijah confronts Ahaziahverse 16
And he said unto him
Thus says the LORD
Forasmuch as you havesent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub
the god of Ekron is it not because
there is no God in Israel to inquire of HIS word?
Therefore you shall not come down off that bed on which you
are gone up – but shall surely die
Ahaziah diesverses 17-18
So he died according to the word of the LORD
which Elijah had spoken
And Jehoram reigned in his stead
in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat
king of Judah – because he had no son
Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah
which he did
Are they not written in the
book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, Is it not because there is not God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? (1875 “inquire” [darash] means to seek with care, investigate, to address a question to and expect an answer from, resort to, examine, or look for)
DEVOTION: The LORD communicated directly with Elijah through an angel. Many times when we read “the angel of the LORD” it could be Jesus Christ meeting with people in the Old Testament. This might not be one of those times but it is a genuine angel sent from heaven to speak to one of the servants of the LORD with special instructions.
Today we have the direct communication of the Word of God when we face issues in our life. We can turn to the Bible to find out how we should handle most of the situations we face in our daily life of service to HIM. We don’t have a prophet coming up to us and telling us what the LORD wants us to do. Most don’t have an angel come to them in a dream or other forms to tell them what to do. There are some who say an angel told them what to do even today in many countries where serious persecution is taking place.
We should not be looking for an angel all the time to help us with a problem. Our first source should be prayer for wisdom that can be found in the Bible. The second area we can ask for wisdom from is the Holy Spirit to use a spiritual individual in our life to help us with good decision making process.
God wants us to ask HIM for wisdom in our prayers. Here we have a king who didn’t go to the LORD in prayer but went to false religion. False religion can give false hope and wrong answers. Watch out for those who say they can know the future and tell you what to do by any other means but prayer.
Too many people who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ look for other sources for future plans rather than prayer.
CHALLENGE: This gives a foothold to the enemy in our lives.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. (8181 “hairy” [se’ar] means hairiness, body hair, a covering for the body, rough, or a man with hair-garment)
DEVOTION: Not sure if Elijah was a man that had a lot of hair on his body or was wearing some type of skin of an animal that gave him the appearance of being hairy. The king knew who it was by the description of him in this manner.
We are known by what we wear or by out type of skin. This is a fact of life. Too often we would like people to describe us in a different way but they describe us by the way we look or how we dress.
Elijah was a man that would be recognized by those who have met him at other times. He was a man of God who dressed and looked like he was a follower of God. These soldiers that came to get him knew what he looked like and how to address him.
Now how to do people address us today. Do they address us by our appearance or by the clothes we wear? Do clothes truly make the man or woman? Do people only want to talk with those who are dressed in a certain way? Do they want to make sure that those in leadership dress a certain way before they will consult them for information regarding the LORD/
We need to make sure we are willing to listen to the LORD when HE sends people who don’t fit what we think they should look like from our perspective. Do you know that we can go to a city mission and there could be someone there that could give us an answer to a question we have concerning our relationship with the LORD?
We want people to recognize us as someone who loves the LORD. They will listen to us or should listen to us whether we are dressed up or not dressed as well as some think we should be dressed.
We should be recognized by our relationship to the LORD. Elijah had a great relationship with the LORD and the soldiers found that out the hard way. The third group knew how to treat him right.
CHALLENGE: Are we treating others the way they should be treated even when they don’t dress the way we think they should?
: 10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
DEVOTION: Elijah knew what power was available to him when he was confronted with a force too strong for him. He knew that he had many sources of power from the LORD and he chose the one that would show these soldiers that he was serving the ONE TRUE GOD of Israel.
Sometimes when fifty men come up against one man they think they have the advantage. This is not always true if the one man who is confronted is a genuine follower of Jesus Christ.
We have power available to ask for from the LORD. We don’t always do it as we should because we doubt, which is a sin. God wants us to come to HIM realizing that we have power from above to fight our battles.
One genuine believer can cause a thousand followers of Satan to run. Our confidence has to be in the LORD when we go to battle against our enemy. We have the whole armor of God available to us when we go to battle. We need to realize that every day is a battle day.
CHALLENGE: Start your day with the armor of God to help you face each days challenges. Elijah did. We might not want to call fire down from heaven but it is available in the right circumstances.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. (3365 “precious” [yaqar] means valuable, weighty, to make rare, be prized, esteemed, dear or be set by.)
DEVOTION: This is quite a story. The son of Ahab fell and was injured from the fall. He wanted to know if he was going to get better.
He sent messengers to go to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Ekron was a town that belonged to the Philistines. The messengers were leaving the land of Israel to go to the land of their enemies to find out what this false god would say regarding this sickness.
While the messengers were on the way, Elijah met them with the word of the LORD that Ahaziah was going to die. The king didn’t like the message and sent for Elijah at the hands of a captain and his fifty soldiers. That captain told Elijah to “Come down.” Elijah had fire come from heaven to kill this group.
The king sent a second group of fifty soldiers. This captain told Elijah to “Come down quickly.” Elijah had fire come from heaven that killed the fifty soldiers.
Finally, a third group of fifty came to bring Elijah to Ahaziah. This captain was different. He was humble. He asked Elijah to consider the lives of the soldiers valuable.
The angel of the LORD, who is thought to be a visible appearing of deity in the Old Testament, commanded Elijah to go with this third captain.
Elijah gave the word of the LORD to the king. This was the second time Ahaziah heard why he was going to die. It was because he wanted to consult a false god instead of the only TRUE God. The king died.
In the last chapter God told Ahab that his son would die instead of him. Remember that the son made wrong choices. There was no repentance. There was no worship of the LORD. Ahab did. Ahaziah didn’t. That was the difference.
All of us are sinners. All of us deserve to spend eternity in the lake of fire. There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. All other religions are false. All other religions have evil angels behind them. They are following the lead of “the angel of light” who is Satan.
We have to approach the LORD in a humble manner and HE will forgive us. It was all in the approach. We need to come humbly to our God and ask for direction from HIM. God is the one who is our strength and protector. God is the only one who provides eternity in heaven.
CHALLENGE: When confronted with an enemy do we depend on the LORD to send judgment? Elijah depended completely on the LORD. Count on the LORD for your protection.
: 16 And he said unto him, Thus says the LORD, Forasmuch as you have sent messengers to enquire of Ba-al-ze-bub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of HIS word? Therefore you shall not come down off that bed on which you are gone up, but shall surely die. (1176 “Ba-al-ze-bub” [Ba‘al, Zabuwb] means lord of the fly, owner, master, local god of Ekron, pagan god, or a Philistine god)
DEVOTION: The king of Samaria or the ten tribes fell and wanted to find out what was going to happen to him because of the fall. He thought the he should send to the Philistine god of Ekron to find out what was going to happen.
This fact displeased Jehovah the God of Israel. The ten tribes had been worshiping the false gods of the people that were not conquered when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land.
So we find that Jehovah sent Elijah to meet the servants of Ahaziah to tell them what the one true God had to say about the whole event. HE was displeased that Ahaziah didn’t think to ask HIM instead of the false god of the city of Ekron.
The confrontation took place as the servants of Ahaziah met Elijah on their way to Ekron. They returned faster than he thought they would if they traveled all the way to Ekron. He asked what had happened and they told him that they met a man who told them that the king was going to die because of his consulting with the false god.
Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees in the New Testament with the fact that they believed HE was casting out demons by the power of this same false god. They didn’t give him credit for service to the One True God of the Jewish Nation whom they thought they were the only ones who were faithful to HIM because of their actions.
Jesus told them that they were not serving the one true God as Elijah told the servants of Ahaziah. Those who genuinely serve the God of the Bible will consult HIM regarding anything that is happening in their life. HE wants us to consult HIM. HE is a jealous God who will not share with false gods both in the Old Testament and in our time period.
CHALLENGE: Who are you consulting for major events in your life? Are you consulting the false gods of the world or the one true God of the Bible? God answers genuine prayers even today!!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Book of the chronicles of kings of Israelverse 18
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Inquireverse 16
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverse 17
Book of the chronicles of kings of Israelverse 18
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 3, 4, 6, 15-17
God – Elohim (Creator)verses 3, 6, 9-13, 16
God of Israelverses 3, 6
Man of Godverses 9-13
Word of the LORDverse 17
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angel of the LORDverses 3, 15
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Moabverse 1
Ekron – Philistine cityverses 2, 3, 6
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
False god of Ekron (Philistine)verses 2, 3, 6, 16
Inquire of Baal-zebubverses 2, 3, 6, 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Man of God – Elijahverses 9-13, 17
Call fire from heavenverses 10, 12
Life is preciousverse 13
Not afraidverse 15
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Ahaziah – king in Samariaverse 2
Elijah the Tishbiteverses 3, 4, 8-16
Hairy man
Girt with a leather girdle
Three captains of fiftyverses 9-15
Fire from heaven
Third captain of fifty fell on knees
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
1:2. This verse begins a new incident in Ahaziah’s life which occupies the remainder of chapter 1. The king had suffered an injury from falling through the lattice covering of a window in his upper story room, probably to the ground below. His serious injury later proved fatal. The king’s veneration of Baal can be seen in his sending messengers to Ekron, a Philistine city about 40 miles away (see the map “Elijah’s Travels,” near 1 Kings 17:8–11), to inquire of a pagan idol whether he would recover. Baal-Zebub was one of the many local male fertility gods which bore some form of the name Baal (meaning “lord”). Baal-Zebub means “Lord of the flies,” but the original spelling in Philistia was probably Baal-Zebul, which means “Exalted lord.” He was credited with healing powers. Ahaziah sought some prophetic word of encouragement from the oracle of Baal-Zebub. His failure to inquire of Yahweh, the God of Israel, reveals the depth of his apostasy. (Constable, T. L. (1985). 2 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 537–538). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Idolatry (vv. 2–4). A decade or so before Ahaziah’s accident, Elijah had won his great victory over Baal (1 Kings 18), but Ahab and Jezebel hadn’t been convinced or converted and neither had their family (1 Kings 22:51–53). When Ahaziah was severely injured by falling through a lattice, he turned for guidance to Baal and not to the Lord God of Israel. “Baal” simply means “lord,” and “Baal-Zebul” means “Baal is prince.” But the devout remnant in Israel, who worshiped Jehovah, made changes in that name and ridiculed the false god of their neighbors. “Baal-Zebel” means “lord of the dung,” and “Baal-Zebub means “lord of the flies,” one of the names Jesus’ enemies used to insult Him. (Matt. 10:25).
Why did the king decide to send messengers forty miles away to Ekron to consult the priests of Baal? True, Elijah had slain the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19, 22, 40), but that was ten years ago. Surely other priests of Baal were available in the land. The king’s parents had fed hundreds of these priests at their table (1 Kings 18:19), and it wouldn’t have been difficult for King Ahaziah to import priests of Baal to serve as court chaplains. Perhaps he sent to Ekron for help because he didn’t want the people in Samaria to know how serious his condition was. The temple of Baal at Ekron was very famous, for Baal was the chief god of that city, and one would expect a king to send there for help. Note that Ahaziah asked the priests of Baal for a prognosis and not for healing.
God keeps His servants informed about matters that other people know nothing about (John 15:15, Amos 3:7). This “angel of the Lord” could well have been our Lord Jesus Christ in one of His preincarnate appearances (Gen. 16:7; 18; 21:17; 22:11; 48:16). When God’s servants are walking with their Lord, they can be confident of His directions when they need them. This had certainly been Elijah’s experience (see v. 15 and 1 Kings 17:3, 9; 18:1; 21:18). Elijah intercepted the royal envoys and gave them a message that would both rebuke and sober the king. Why did he want to consult the dead god of Ekron when the living God of Israel was available to tell him what would happen? He would surely die! This ominous declaration was made three times during this event—twice by Elijah (vv. 4 and 16) and once by the messengers (v. 6). Instead of being spokesmen for Baal, the messengers became heralds of God’s Word to the king! (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be distinct (pp. 8–9). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)
1:2 Ahaziah. This king of the northern kingdom of Israel is not to be confused with Ahaziah of Judah (8:25–9:29). lattice in his upper chamber. Ahaziah’s rooftop room was enclosed with crossbars of interwoven reed or wood strips, which shut out direct sunlight while letting in cool breezes. It was not sturdy enough to keep Ahaziah from falling to the ground below (for unexplained reasons). This took place ca. 852 b.c. Baal-zebub. This was a local expression of the Baal cult at Ekron (see note on 1Ki 16:31, 32). Baal-zebub meant “lord of the flies,” suggesting that he was the storm god who controlled diseases brought by flies. On the other hand, the name may have been the sarcastic Israelite parody of Baal-zebul, meaning “prince Baal” or “exalted lord,” a common title for Baal in extrabiblical Canaanite texts. The NT preserved the name in the form Beelzebul, a name for Satan, the prince of the demons (Mt 10:25; 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15). Ekron. The northernmost of the major Philistine cities, located about 22 mi. W of Jerusalem (see note on 1Sa 5:10). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ki 1:2). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
2. a lattice] The “upper chamber” had probably a single latticed window, through which Ahaziah fell. Windows in the East are to this day generally closed by lattices of interlaced wood, which open outwards; so that, if the fastening is not properly secured, one who leans against them may easily fall out.
Baal-zebub] Lit. “Lord (i.e., averter) of flies.” Flies in the East constitute one of the most terrible of plagues (Ps. 105:31; Ex. 8:24); and Orientals would be as likely to have a “god of flies” as a god of storm and thunder. To enquire (v. 3) of Baal-zebub was practically to deny Jehovah. Ahaziah cast aside the last remnant of respect for the old religion, and consulted a foreign oracle, as if the voice of God were wholly silent in his own country. (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: I Samuel to Esther. (F. C. Cook, J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (p. 226). London: John Murray.)
Ver. 2. And Ahaziah fell down a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, &c.] Which was either a window or lattice in the form of net-work, to let in light; or rather were the rails of a balcony or battlement on the roof of his palace, in this form, on which leaning, it broke down, and he fell into the garden or court-yard; or walking on the roof of his house, and treading unawares on a sky-light, which let in light into a room underneath, he fell through it into it: and was sick; the fall perhaps threw him into a fever, and which seemed threatening, being violent: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease; not to heal him of it, but to know the issue of it; a vain curiosity this! Ekron was one of the principalities of the Philistines, and this idol was the god they worshipped, which signifies a master-fly: which some think was a large metallic fly; made under a planet that rules over flies; and the Heathens had deities they called Myiodes, Myagros, and Απομυιος, which signifies a driver away of flies; as Jupiter and Hercules were called by the Eleans and Romans, and worshipped and sacrificed to by them on that account; and so the Cyreneans, a people of Lybia, worshipped the god Achor, which seems to be a corruption of the word Ekron, because he freed them from flies, after they had been infested with a pestilence through them; and Ekron being a place near the sea, and both hot and moist, might be much infested with those creatures. Within the haven of Ptolemais, or Acco, was formerly a temple of Baal-zebuh, called in after-times the tower of flies, and used as a Pharus. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 771–772). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
We think of Paul as being one of the great spiritual giants of the ages. Because of this, most of us don’t expect to receive the same reward that he will. However, we need to realize that the Lord does not reward talent or results – He rewards motive and faithfulness. At the end of his life, Paul wrote: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (v. 8). That means you and me! (Quiet Walk)
HOW WE KNOW GOD
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13
How do we have knowledge about God? “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us.” How? The answer is, “because he hath given us of his Spirit.” So it all comes down to that in the last analysis. How do I know I have received God’s Spirit? How may I know for certain that I have been given and received something of the Holy Spirit of God?
Are you concerned about these things, and have you a desire to have them? Are you concerned about the life of your soul? Are you concerned about knowing God? I assure you that if you are, the Holy Spirit is in you, for people apart from God “mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:19) carnal, fleshly things. Are you concerned about immortality and the things invisible and eternal? If you are minding these things, that is a proof that the Holy Spirit is in you.
Do you have a sense of sin? Are you aware that there is an evil principle within you? Not simply that you do certain things you should not do and feel annoyed with yourself because of it. No; rather, I mean that you are aware that you have an evil nature, that there is a principle of sin and wrong in your heart, that there is a fountain emitting unworthy, ugly, and foul things, and in a sense you hate yourself. Our Lord said that the man who loves himself is in a very dangerous condition. The apostle Paul was a man who could say about himself, “In me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing….O wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:18, 24). If you have ever felt yourself a sinner, and if you have hated this thing that gets you down, that is proof that you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Thought to Ponder: If you have ever felt yourself a sinner that is proof that you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. (From The Love of God, pp. 96-98 by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Master Builders by Barbara Rainey
The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails. ECCLESIASTES 12:11
When your marriage relationship hits a trouble spot, it may be difficult to find much to praise about each other. Yet those are the times we need praise the most. So I urge you to initiate praising your spouse. Make it a deliberate effort. Bring the power of positive words to him or her in the midst of trouble.
In the verse above, the author (who may have been Solomon) gave some very descriptive characteristics of well-spoken words. When you choose to encourage and praise your spouse, your words carry the ability to prod, or goad, him or her in the right direction. And notice the result: Those words become like “well-driven nails,” the kind that secure all types of building projects.
In the hands of God, your words can be used like nails to secure your mate’s self-esteem. Your wise and truthful words bring perspective to his or her life, to your relationship and to your situation as a couple. They make finding solutions to your problems a real possibility.
You may be asking, “What if all this praise goes to my spouse’s head? Won’t he become prideful?” There’s a difference between truthful praise and flattery.
Flattery gratifies a person’s vanity, but praise is based on a person’s character and deeds. When you truthfully praise and applaud your spouse’s choices, you reinforce the value of building godly character.
Paul exhorts us, “Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). A keyword in that phrase is “truth,” which is the only real standard for bringing value to another person. Truth results in assurance and security, in worth and value. It becomes the compass during the storm that confidently steers us in the right direction.
So praise your spouse in all situations, using wisdom to meet the need of the moment, speaking truthfully to help construct character. Your words of affirmation can help rebuild what life has torn apart.
DISCUSS
What’s been blocking the flow of affirming words in your relationship? Share three real compliments with each other.
I make no claim that pastors are perfect people. We mess up. We can be arrogant and uncaring at times. At the same time, though, most pastors I know are genuine, faithful followers of God who love their congregations. They’ve learned, too, that the work of pastoral ministry often carries heartache with it. Here are some of those aches:
We mourn when marriages fall apart. We usually hear both sides of the story, and we’re privy to both anguish and sin. Often, we’ve seen the pain that divorce can cause.
We hurt when young people make decisions that lead to trouble. None of us wants our church young people to go down paths that could lead to long-term difficulty. Nor can we always stop it, however.
We occasionally beat ourselves up when our sermon wasn’t nearly as strong as we thought it would be. We’re usually our own worst critics. And, some of us will think for days about how we could have done better.
We sometimes grieve the sin of others more than they do. We know we can’t bring them to repentance on our own, and it’s agonizing to watch them continue toward destruction.
We ache when our church must carry out church discipline. In all my years of ministry, few situations were as painful as removing a church member who chose to ignore our attempts at guidance and reconciliation. It felt like I had failed in reaching him as his pastor.
We struggle when the churches we lead aren’t growing. I realize that we can become idolatrous of numbers, but most pastors I know aren’t comfortable when the churches they lead are not reaching people.
We sometimes hurt alone when we see the loneliness and struggles of our families. I’m casting blame on no one here; I’m simply making the point that some pastoral families struggle under the weight of the task—and we keep that struggle to ourselves.
We quietly grieve funerals for persons who showed no evidence of Christian conversion.We have to lead in those situations, but the tears sometimes come in the quiet rooms of our lives.
We wrestle with loneliness when we don’t know how to develop strong friendships. Frankly, I think this problem is more often our issue than our congregation’s issue, but it nevertheless can lead to aloneness.
We often feel guilty even expressing any of these thoughts. Maybe I’m the only pastor who’s ever felt these things, but I doubt it—so I use this post to ask for prayer on behalf of all my pastoral colleagues.
Say a prayer for your pastors this weekend. (Churck Lawless)
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