The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21:1 – 22:9
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 6:Kings and Prophets: God divides the kingdom people.
Background Information: 2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21:1 – 22:9
It’s important to keep in mind that the narrator is taking us back and forth between Israel (Northern kingdom) and Judah (Southern kingdom). At the same time, we often read of the Arameans (Syria) and their interactions and conflicts with Israel. Keeping the storyline straight can be difficult, but the main theme remains clear. God has raised up prophets to speak truth to power. The kings of the north are universally rebellious, and the kings of the south are partially obedient but largely bad as well. Keep in mind the three levels of God’s sovereign involvement with humanity. We see him working in the nations at large, as non-Israelites come to faith in him or are used as his instruments of judgment on his people. We see him at work in his people; often, his work is divine judgment on rebellion. Even his judgment on sin is a severe mercy, for he is not done with his people. One day, in their future and our past, Jesus bears the judgment for our sin. Finally, God is at work in the lives of individual people: kings, prophets, and untold unnamed people who lived and died during these times. God was at work among the nations, among his people, and is at work in the lives of people today. God is transcendent over the entire cosmos; he has created space and time and is untethered to either. God is imminent–this means that he is present with us. He is unable to be contained by space/time, but he is present with each individual in our small piece of space and time. Keep this tension before you so that you will continually remember that God is awesome in his great power, and he is present with you in his personal love and concern.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for FCA. Ask God to use Keith in the lives of student athletes and coaches. Ask God to draw these athletes to himself and strengthen them in the faith.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.