Jeremiah 20 - 31: The roaring lion

- Boldness:  Jeremiah stood up to Pashur, the chief priest of the temple (Jer 20:1). For his boldness and courage, Jeremiah was thrown into the stocks, beaten, and publicly humiliated.
- Wingman:  "But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side" (Jer 20:11). At a low point, this truth comforted Jeremiah. I'm going to hang onto this one too for when I next need it.
- Are you kidding me?  Pashur, the chief priest who publicly punished Jeremiah, came back to ask Jeremiah for help against Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jeremiah couldn't help him; it was too late.
- Can't claim ignorance:  Israel could never say they hadn't been warned. Multiple prophets explained in detail the coming judgment. How could the people ignore this?
- Don't be a know-it-all:  "Don't pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all" (Jer 28:37-38). Ouch.
- The Lion:  When angry, "God roars like a lion from high heaven" (Jer 25:30). At the SF Zoo, the lions are in a Lion House with marble floors, and when it's feeding time, their roars echo and resonate throughout the zoo. It's an incredible sound and makes your heart pound. There's a vibration in the air that's hard to describe.
- More boldness:  Jeremiah stood up to a false prophet named Hananiah (Jer 28) who was giving the people false hope. The people were not happy.
- Faithful:  God told his people, "I've never quit loving you and never will" (Jer 31:2-6).
- The Master Gardener:  Jer 31:27 says that God plants people and animals in their place & time like a farmer plants seeds.

Elena's verse of the day:  "I am everywhere--both near and far, in heaven and on earth. There are no secret places where you can hide from me" (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

Jeremiah 7 - 19: Rotten shorts & the shattered pot

Lots of judgment and emotion unleashed in these chapters!
- A strong caution against "performance religion." God defines this as religion "whose life is all outsdie but no insdie" (Jeremiah 9:25-26).
- Rotten shorts:  God created an interesting illustration with a pair of linen shorts. He ordered Jeremiah to get some linen shorts, wear them, then bury them under a rock. Much later, he told Jeremiah to go and get the shorts. Of course they were rotten from the exposure and no longer good for anything. God told Jeremiah that the people were rotten, just like the shorts (Jer 13).
- The burden of ministry:  Jeremiah got personally involved as he experienced God's feelings due to the closer relationship and job as a prophet. In Chap 13:15-17, Jeremiah weeps bitter tears over the people's stubborn arrogance. I've seen pastors do this over their people, too.
- No hiding:  God searches our hearts and examines our minds (Jer 17:9-10).
- Don't forget the Sabbath:  God reminds the people to keep the Sabbath holy and not go about our "self-important" business. It's important to God, so this principle should be important to us (Jer 17:24-26).
- The shattered pot:  God uses another visual illustration when he instructs Jeremiah to take a clay pot and shatter it in front of the people to show them the coming judgment, and how hard it will be to put the pot back together.

Elena's verse of the day:  "Lord All-Powerful, you always do what is right, and yo know every thought. So I trust you to help me..." (Jeremiah 11:20).

Isaiah 60 - Jeremiah 6: The bridegroom in mourning

Extravagant love:  God loves his people like a bridegroom with a new bride (Isaiah 62:1-5).
- The waiting thing again:  "Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him" (Isaiah 64:1-7).
- Isaiah is done, and on to Jeremiah (his nickname is The Weeping Prophet). Eugene Peterson writes that the prophet Jeremiah led a troubled life. These were "disruptive times," including the decades before the fall of Jerusalem, the Fall in 587 BC, and the subsequent exile in Babylon. "What happens when everything you believe in and live by is smashed to bits by circumstances?" That's the subject of Jeremiah. Peterson calls Jeremiah a "true, honest, and God-revealing companion for the worst of times."
- A picture is worth a thousand words:  God used visual images in chapter  1 to help communicate his message to Jeremiah (including a walking stick and a boiling pot).
- The bridegroom mourns:  The people traded God for cheap imitations. God felt like a bridegroom whose beloved bride walked out on him (Jeremiah 2:12-13).
- No more Ark:  The days of the Ark of the Covenant were over. "Jerusalem will be the new Ark," writes Jeremiah. Jerusalem will be "God's throne" (Jeremiah 3:17).
- God's Decree:  What does that mean? It appears over and over in this book. I checked a few sources. Here are the results: God's decree is "his purpose or determination in respect to future things." Another says God's decree is "his eternal purpose." A third says: God's decree is "the unfolding of circumstances and events that reveal God's will." Jeremiah was not just sharing God's thoughts or feelings or wishes, but what was going to happen. And God was gracious in sharing his feelings and explaining to the people why judgment was coming.

Elena's verse of the day:  I am God! I can be trusted. Your past troubles are gone; I no longer think of them...I alone am God who can be trusted" (Isaiah 65:16.

Isaiah 45 - 59: Black sheep & papooses

Isaiah is a loooonnnggg book! At this point, it seems to be veering away from pronouncements of judgment and instead there is a focus on Messianic prophecy and God's goodness.
- Not always obvious:  It's not always clear what God is doing. Sometimes we'll only understand years down the line. "You are a God who works behind the scenes" (Isaiah 45:15).
- Did you know you're a little papoose?  God said, through Isaiah, "I've been carrying you on my back from the day you were born" (Is. 46:3-4).
- Why was Israel chosen?  "I'm setting you up as a light for the nations so that my salvation becomes global" (Is 49:6). God's plan is for all people, not just the nation of Israel.
- A promise:  "The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard" (NKJV, Is 52:12).
- Love this:  God compared to a nursing mother in Is 49:15-16. A tender image.
- The man of sorrows: Chapter 53 is probably the most well known and powerful of the OT prophecies about the Messiah. In it, Jesus is called "The Servant."
- Black sheep:  Jesus loves sinners. "He took up the cause of all the black sheep" (Is. 53:12).
- Another promise:  "Salvation is just around the corner!" (Is 56)
- For all people:  "My house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people" (Is 56:6-8). Grace Cathedral in San Francisco is a beautiful Episcopal church and this verse in inscribed in the doorway.
- What matters to God? Is 58:6-9 spells it out.
- The armor of God:  This idea was not unique to the apostle Paul. Isaiah uses this image here, with Jesus donning the armor (Is 59:15-19). "He dressed in Righteousness, put it on like a suit of armor, with Salvation on his head like a helmet, put on Judgment like an overcoat, and threw a cloak of Passion across his shoulders."

Isaiah 30 - 44: Hovering eagle & shepherd with his lambs

More than anything else, Isaiah has impressed on me that God loves his people, and not only loves us, but longs for us.
- Wait, wait, wait:  "God takes the time to do everything right" (Isaiah 30:18). I've always heard that God's timing is best, and this verse helps to explain why. He waits and works and prepares so things are done right. The verse goes on to say that those who wait on him are "the lucky ones."
- Is anybody up there?  Sometimes we question God, especially when bad things are happening. Isaiah 31:1-3 calls him "a most wise God who knows what he's doing." Sometimes we need to be reminded that we don't always know why things are happening in a certain way or order or time frame, but God does. He knows what he's doing.
- Eagle hovering:  Love this image: "Like a huge eagle hovering in the sky, God-of-the-angel-Armies protects Jerusalem" (Is. 31:4-5). We are under his wings. He is hovering over us like a huge eagle. Love it!
- Big mistake:  King Hezekiah became boastful and proudly showed off all of his precious possession to the messengers for the king of Babylon. Big mistake. They later returned and plundered everything. Moral? Don't be a showoff.
- The shepherd:  Love the image of God gathering his lambs up in his arms (Is 40:9-11). What a gentle, tender image.
- Intelligent design:  God personally forms and makes each one of us (Is 43:5-7).

Elena's verse of the day:  "Please Lord be kind! We depend on you. Make us strong each morning...you are the foundation on which we stand today" (Isaiah 33:2,6)

Isaiah 13 - 29: Deadly ambition

 - Deadly ambition:  Isaiah offers a string of prophecies against evil nations, but Babylon is by far the worst, with the strongest prophecy against it. It's doomed, says chapter 13. The king of Babylon, who is censured here, is aligned with Lucifer/Satan, and sometimes this passage is read as being about Lucifer and his anti-God agenda.
- Satanic characteristics:

• Selfish ambition: "I'll climb to heaven"
• Thirst for power: "I'll set my throne over the stars of God"
• Defiance of God's authority: "I'll take over as king of the universe"
• Plan to take over God's job: "I'll run the assembly of angels"

- Results of this ungodly plan?  Oblivion, lack of honor or legacy, death, humiliation. "Flat on your face in the underworld mud, you, famous for flattening nations" (Isaiah 14:12).
- Current events:  An interesting note on Babylon today--it is associated with modern day Iraq. In fact, Saddam Hussein rebuilt a portion of the city of Babylon and held some festivals and ceremonies there.
- Peace:  I don't ever remember reading this before, but Isaiah 19 promises that on the Day of the Lord, that parts of Egypt and Assyria will turn to God and worship alongside Israel. God will love and accept them. Finally, long sought peace in the Middle East.

 
Elena's verse of the day:  "The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. So always trust the Lord because he is forever our mighty rock" (Isaiah 26:3-4).

Proverb 30 - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon 4: Two simple instructions

- She's a hard act to follow:  The Proverbs 31 woman is amazing. One thing I noticed today is that she is not insecure or stressed or guilt-ridden, like so many women. She knows who she is, why she does what she does, and she exudes confidence and quiet self-assurance. "She senses the worth of her work" (Proverbs 31:31).
- Futility:  Eugene Peterson notes that the book of Ecclesiastes, probably written by Solomon, doesn't say much about God. Instead, the writer's task "is to expose our total incapacity to find the meaning and completion of our lives on our own." And this was from the man who was the wisest, smartest, and richest man in the world.
- Profound:  "We work to feed our appetites; meanwhile our souls go hungry" (Ecclesiastes 6:7).
- God's work compared to a pregnancy:  "Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, so you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does" (Ecc. 11:5). Some things are not meant to be understood. God's work? That's one of them.
- Two simple instructions from the wisest man who ever lived:

1. Fear God
2. Do what he tells you

- For every woman reading this:  "You're beautiful from head to toe, my dear love, beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless" (Song of Solomon 4:6-7).

Elena's verse of the day:  "A very little food eaten in peace is better than twice as much earned from overwork and chasing the wind" (Eccl 4:6).

Psalm 144 - Proverb 14: Flourishing tree or dead stump?

- Encouragement:  "God gives a fresh start to those ready to quit" (Psalm 145:14).
- Shepherd of the stars:  "He counts the stars and assigns each a name" (Psalm 147:26).
- Do animals know there's a God?  Love this one: "let every living, breathing creature praise God!" (Psalm 150:6).
- I'm ready for wisdom.  Eugene Peterson writes that "wisdom is the art of living skillfully in whwatever actual conditions we find ourselves." Writers of the Proverbs include Solomon, Hezekiah, Agur (an Arab), and Lemuel (another non-Israelite). I love that God's love and wisdom were already reaching out beyond Israel. God's plan for his people includes the Gentiles, too, and that's so clear from early on.
- Want wisdom?  "Those who look for me find me" (Proverb 8:12-21).
- Tree or stump?  "A God-shaped life is a flourishing tree...a life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump" (Proverb 11:28).
- Teach me:  "Fools are headstrong and do what they life; wise people take advice" (Proverb 12:15).
- A last promise:  "The homes of good people hold together" (Proverb 12:7).

Psalm 113 - 143: A free and full life

- Giving back:  A psalmist wrote, "What can I give back to God for the blessings he's poured out on me?"

• "Lift high the cup of salvation--a toast to God"
• "I'll pray in the name of God"
• "I'll complete what I promised God I'd do"...AND
• "I'll do it together with his people" (Psalm 116:9-11)

- Small but mighty.  Loved Psalm 117. It was only 5 lines!
- "A free and full life" -- it only comes from living God's way, but I want it (Psalm 118:21-25).
- The race:  "I'll run the course you lay out for me if you'll just show me how" (Psalm 119:32)
- Workin' your fingers to the bone?  "God enjoys giving reset to those he loves" (Psalm 127:1-2)
- The blessing:  "Children are God's best gift" (Psalm 127:3). Thank you, God, for two of them.
- My goal:  "My life a prayer" (Psalm 130:3)
- You are precious:  We are God's "prized possession" (Psalm 135:4). The Psalmist describes Israel this way, but through Christ we are adopted into God's family and we can enjoy the promises he made to his beloved people of Israel.
- Remember this next time you pray:  "Angels listen as I sing my thanks" (Psalm 138:1-3).
- Why David was a man after God's heart:  "I only have eyes for you," David wrote to God (Psalm 141:8). Pure and simple, David was in love with God.


Elena's verse of the day:  "You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path" (Psalm 143:10).

Psalm 89 - 112: Mud people & Mountain biking

Reading through the Psalms this quickly is like a mountain bike ride. We sweated through the hard hill climb over the rocks and ditches in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Now we're on the downhill portion--it's exhilarating and like going to some crazy turbo-filled multi-day worship service. Loving it!
- Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day:  Have you ever had a day like this? Psalm 102 has this title in the Message version: "A Prayer of One Whose Life is falling to Pieces, and Who Lets God Know Just How Bad It Is."
- Mud people:  God as a parent:  "As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keep in mind that we're made of mud" (Psalm 103:6-18). I don't know if you've ever read anything by Tosca Lee, but she's a historical novelist and her books are amazing. Her novel Demon: A Memoir, is the story of Clayton, "an editor who has just been hired to author a memoir for Lucian, a demon with an extraordinary story to share. The fallen angel chronicles a life of heavenly bliss and rebellion, human creation and salvation, and God's relentless pursuit of mankind" (from the Amazon.com description). Lucian calls humans "mud people." Her book came to mind when I read this passage in Psalm 103 today. (Note: She has another great book about Eve called Havah, and she's at work on a book about Judas. Can't wait for that one!)
- The secret to a good life:  "The Good Life begins in the fear of God" (Psalm 111).

Elena's verse of the day:  "With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all I am I praise his holy name! I will never forget how kind he has been" (Psalm 103:1-2).

Psalms 66 - 88: Cloud-Rider and Granite Fortress

- Talking trees:  The Psalms portray the earth as actively worshipping God, along with all of Creation, including animals and trees. "You heavens, praise him, praise him, earth; Also ocean and all things that swim in it" (Psalm 69:34). Passages like this remind me of Narnia, CS Lewis' imaginary land where the animals talked and the forests were alive. Perhaps this is what God intended before the Fall?
- Freedom:  "He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out, he restore the wretched of the earth. He frees them from tyranny and torture--when they bleed, he bleeds" (Psalm 72:9-14).
- God-images:  Not all of the Psalms are by David, but I am finding that the most powerful and unique God-images are David's. Here are some more of his creative and poetic names/metaphors for God (in The Message version):

• Cloud-Rider
• Father of Orphans
• Champion of Widows
• Sky-Rider
• A Guest Room Where I Can Retreat
• My Vast, Granite Fortress
• My Bedrock
• Holy One of Israel
• My Home

Elena's verse of the day:  "We will always praise your glorious name. Let your glory be seen everywhere on earth. Amen and amen" (Psalm 72:19).

Psalms 36 - 65: Earth-Tamer and Ocean-Pourer

The Psalms cover the gamut of human emotion, from joy and happiness to fear, death, and despair. Part of the message of the Psalms is that we can be honest with God and tell him everything we think and feel. Nothing is off limits!
- A hiding place:  "God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him" (Psalm 46:1).
- Don't neglect to share your story:  "Tell the next generation detail by detail the story of God" (Psalm 48:12-14).
- Sorry, Donald Trump:  "Don't be impressed by those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune--They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind" (Psalm 49:16-19).
- You hear me when I cry:  "Ever tear entered in your ledger" (Psalm 56:8)
- First love:  "God the one and only--I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him" (Psalm 62:1-2).
- David comes up with poetic names for God:

• Earth-Tamer
• Ocean-Pourer
• Mount-Maker
• Hill-Dresser
• Muzzler of Sea Storm and Wave Crash

Elena's verse of the day:  "Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each of your concerns. God is our place of safety" (Psalm 62:8).

Psalm 7 - 35: Better than red, ripe strawberries

Like a cool and calm oasis in the middle of a dry and deadly desert, the Psalms are so refreshing and energizing. While the saga of King David's life in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings revealed many of his shortcomings (he was guilty of adultery, murder, and negligent parenting), the Psalms reveal a man who was unabashedly in love with God.
- Hope for the hopeless:  "I dare to believe that the luckless will get luck someday in you. You won't let them down: orphans won't be orphans forever" (Psalm 10:14).
- More:  "God takes the side of victims" (Psalm 14:5-6).
- Love song:  "My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice" (Psalm 16:5-6).
- Rewrites allowed:  "God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes" (Psalm 18:24).
- The road:  "What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him makes it" (Psalm 18:30). This is a great question for each day: Am I running toward God? Or away from him?
- Mouthwatering:  "God's Word is better than red, ripe strawberries" (Psalm 19:10). I had a few sweet Trader Joe's strawberries for breakfast. They were delicious. And so was God's Word.
- David's relationship to God he summed up like this:  "God-friendship" (Psalm 25:14).
- About to burst:  "I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can't thank you enough" (Psalm 30:12).
- True religion:  "I hate all this silly religion, but you, God, I trust" (Psalm 31:6).


Elena's verse of the day:  "What the Lord has planned will stand forever. His thoughts never change" (Psalm 33:11).

Job 28 - Psalm 6: You chew on Scripture day & night

When God finally answers Job, his words are stunning--strong, powerful, beautiful. The imagery of the horse, the leviathan (a huge sea creature that belches fire), the stockpiles of hail and snow, the boundaries set for the seas, the herds of stars--wow, just wow. Stunning.
- Shut up and listen:  Job responded in two ways, first by deciding to shut up and listen (Job 40:3-5), and next by acknowledging God's sovereignty and his own weakness and limitations (Job 42:1-6). I have a lot to learn from Job about listening to God. I do think God honored Job's honesty and his questions by giving Job an audience and by responding personally.
- Job taking a stand:  When God restored Job's health, family, and possessions (two-fold), I noticed that the passage notes that Job treated his daughters (named Dove, Cinnamon, and Darkeyes) the same as his sons and gave them the same inheritance (Job 42:12-15). In a time where women were treated as property, this godly man took a stand and showed that men and women are equally valuable in God's eyes. Love this.
On to the Psalms!
- Love songs:  Like a fresh breeze come the Psalms. After eons of battles, sin, evil, and judgment come love songs and poetry written to God. Last night Jim Sweetman mentioned that the book of Psalms encompasses over 1000 years. Here are a couple of passages from the Psalms that stood out to me today:

• "You thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf, always in blossom" (Psalm 1:2-3).
• "But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, You lift my head high" (Psalm 3:3-4).

Elena's verse of the day:  "I heard about your from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes" (Job 42:5).

Job 6 - 27: Is it okay to question God?

Out of order:  Job was a wealthy desert sheikh who lived during the times of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Not sure why the book of Job appears in this spot, when chronologically it belongs further back. Same with Esther--which belongs before Ezra & Nehemiah chronologically. I'll see if I can find an answer to this.)

Testing, testing:  Job underwent two divine tests: 1) His possessions, wealth, and children were taken away from him. 2) His health was destroyed. Everyone pretty much abandoned him, even his own servants who found him disgusting (he had weeping boils from head to toe). However, several friends came to visit. At first they seem sympathetic, but before long they accuse him of everything under the sun and even begin to mock him.
Questioning God:  Job decides to lay everything out on the table before God (Job 7). He makes several requests of God and begins to ask him questions (Job 14). I can relate to Job. Can you? Do you ever wonder these things or make these requests to God? Job was honest, painfully honest.

• Lay off the afflictions...they are too much for me.
• Address me directly. I need answers! 
• What are my sins (that you would punish me so)?
• If we humans die, will we live again? Will there be a Resurrection? 
• Why do the wicked prosper? Why do good people suffer? (Job 21)

Elena's verse of the day:  "You, the source of my life, showered me with kindness and watched over me. You have not explained all of your mysteries" (Job 10:12-13).

2 Chronicles 19 - 32: Clasp that outstretched hand

- Secret strength:  King Jotham had a secret source of strength--it "was rooted in his steady and determined life of obedience to God" (2 Chronicles 27:6). I want that for my life!

- Hang on:  When King Hezekiah called the people of Israel back to repentance, he exhorted them wtih this: "Clasp God's outstretched hand....Your God is gracious and kind and won't snub you--come back and he'll welcome you with open arms" (2 Chron 30:6-9). This reminds me of a scene in my favorite movie, Man From Snowy River, when a woman falls over the edge of a cliff in a storm. She ends up stranded on a ledge. The next day, she is found and her rescuer holds his whip over the edge. All she has to do is clasp it.
- God listened:  Hezekiah was a godly man and repaired the decrepit temple. They had a big festival of dedication including sacrifice and worship. The result? "And God listened, listened as the ascending sound of their prayers entered his holy heaven" (2 Chron 30:27). I picture the prayers as birds, gliding, climbing on a spiraling column of warm air into the heavens where God opens the window to his throne room and lets them in, embracing them with open arms.


Elena's verse of the day:  "The priests and Levites asked God to bless the people, and from his home in heaven, he did" (2 Chron 20:27).

1 Kings 16 - 2 Kings 3: Running man, chariot of fire, & heavenly bread

- Sin's growth:  Each king of Israel grew worse than the one before (1 Kings 16). It seems that sin multiplied over generations. Sin is active and alive; it grows unless stopped by something stronger.

- Exponential sinfulness:  Ahab was worse than all of the kings before him, put together (chap 16). Unlike Solomon, who built a beautiful temple for God, Ahab built a temple for Baal and a shrine for Asherah (the whore goddess, the Message version calls her). God was angry.
- Running man:  After the amazing, fiery display of God's power on Mount Carmel and the destruction of the Baal priests, Elijah hitched up his robe and ran in front of Ahab's chariot. What an image--he was a shaggy man with a big belt. Must have been sort of like Charlie Daniels running in front of Saddam Hussein.
- Heavenly meal:  God cared about Elijah's hunger and had an angel bake him a fresh loaf of bread. He also provided him with a jug of water. Just think, God cares about your needs, large and small. He even cares when you're hungry!
- A chip off the old block:  Ahab's son, Ahaziah, was worse than his father in terms of evil. Hard to believe (1 Kings 22:51-53).
- Chariot of fire:  Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot and horses of fire, with Elisha watching (2 Kings 2:11-14). Truly the most unique death scene in the Bible, I think.
- Baldy and the bears:  An amazing story about God's judgment on some wild kids (probably teens)who mocked Elisha (2 Kings 2:11-14).

Elena's verse of the day:  "A strong wind shook the mountain & shattered rocks..next an earthquake..then a fire..but the Lord was not in [these]...Finally, there was a gentle breeze, & when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat." (1 Kings 19:11-13)

1 Kings 7-15: 14 day party, golden calves, & relentless love

- Relentless God:  Solomon finished the temple and held a dedication ceremony where he blessed the people, then prayed: "O God, God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and relentlessly loves them...." (1 Kings 8:20-21). I love that--God is relentless in his love for us.
- A shepherd's heart:  Like his father David, Solomon had a shepherd's heart and interceded for his people with God: "Forgive your people who have sinned against you....They are, after all, your people and your precious inheritancae whom you rescued..." (1 Kings 8:50-51).
- Seven day party times two:  The temple celebration was incredible, with 22,000 cattle sacrificed. It's beyond imagination. Oh yeah, and 120,000 sheep! They started out to celebrate for seven days, then went another seven for two solid weeks of celebration.
- Obsessed with women:  The Message version I'm reading says that Solomon was obsessed with women. His pagan wives and concubines led him into worship of the pagan false gods and he openly defied God. How could the wisest man in the world be so foolish? A good, cautionary tale for us not to relax our pursuit of a holy life and to follow God our entire lives so we end well. Solomon loved God but lost momentum and allowed himself to be enticed away from his first love.
- Not the golden calves again:  Jeroboam made two golden calves for the people to worship, just as they'd done back in Moses' time. It's interesting how sin seems to run in cycles and come back around again.


Elena's verse of the day:  "There's not enough room in all of heaven for you, Lord God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple?" (1 Kings 8:27).

2 Samuel 7 - 19: Intrigue, battle, and family feuds

So much happened in these chapters, I don't even know where to start. Here is a smattering of events...

- A plain tent:  King David was a man after God's own heart. He loved God like a friend. "Here I am, comfortable in a luxurious house of cedar, and the chest of God sits in a plain tent," he said. He wanted to build God a temple, but God let him know that his son, Solomon, would be the one to build the temple. Not David.
- An intimate conversation with God:  David said "You know me, Master God, just as I am" (2 Samuel 7:21-29). God knows us and still loves us!
- Echoes of a friendship:  David showed kindness to Saul's family because of his past friendship with Jonathan (2 Samuel 9:1). He took in Jonathan's son, who was lame. He took him into the palace and cared for him, allowing him to eat at the king's table (2 Samuel 9).
- A walk on the roof:  David gave in to temptation and committed adultery with Bathsheba, who became pregnant. She was married to Uriah, who served in David's army. David ordered Uriah to go home and spend time with his wife--I never noticed this detail before but David was hoping that Uriah would sleep with Bathsheba and think the baby belonged to him. But Uriah stayed with his soldiers and David's plan didn't work. So he murdered him, and married Bathsheba. And guess what? "God was not at all pleased with what David had done." David's wives and children ended up causing him and the country many problems, including an attempted coup.
- Intrigue:  The rest of these chapters piles story upon story of intrigue, war, rape, and death. David was an amazing warrior and he loved God, but he wasn't always the best father. He seemed to let things happen without intervention, until it was too late to rectify.
- Soft heart:  David loved his sons. He loved Abalom, and bitterly grieved his untimely death, even though he had tried to overthrow his father. Wow--a powerful example of love with no strings attached.

Elena's verse of the day:  "God does not just sweep life away; instead he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him" (2 Samuel 14:14).

1 Samuel 25 - 2 Samuel 6: Dancing with abandon

- The good wife:  Abigail served David with great hospitality and in the process deflected his anger away from her foolish husband, Nabal. Her reward? When she became a widow, David married her. She became the wife of King David (chapter 25).

- Respect for the anointed:  David had a strong sense of justice and right vs. wrong. He refused to take advantage of the opportunities he had to slay Saul, who now hated him and was trying to chase him down and kill him. Instead, he spoke well of Saul as God's anointed, and punished others who did not show the proper respect to Saul and his family.
- Listening to the commander:  David consulted God before battle. God gave him the go-ahead and even gave him specific battle instructions (2 Samuel 5:23-24).
- Dancing with abandon:  David's wife Michal (Saul's daughter), mocked David as he danced before the Ark of the Covenant into the city. David said "I'll dance to God's glory--more recklessly even than this" (2 Samuel 6:20-22).  I remember experiencing this in some of the churches in Cuba--they dance before God with abandon. And it was so joyful!


Elena's verse of the day:  "David knew that the Lord had made him king of Israel and a powerful ruler for the good of his people" (2 Samuel 5:12).