Sometimes one person can make a difference. In 2 Chronicles 28, a prophet of the Lord was asked to speak out about the wrong actions of the northern tribes of Israel. “But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has even reached heaven. Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have transgressions of your own against the Lord your God? Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives whom you captured from your brothers, for the burning anger of the Lord is against you.” Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—arose against those who were coming from the battle, and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring upon us guilt against the Lord adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.”” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭28‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬  Read More

The chapter emphasizes God’s intolerance of persistent injustice, idolatry, and moral corruption. Verses 3–5 describe God “coming down” to judge Samaria and Jerusalem for their sins, highlighting the principle that divine justice holds nations and individuals accountable for violating God’s moral standards.The imagery of God “treading down the high places” and mountains melting under Him (v. 3–4) ...  Read More

It's fascinating that reading chapters 26 and 27 led me to consider that if my life were written down for millions of people to read, I might be nervous. Our lives are often filled with a collection of experiences. Moments of joy, fear, heartbreak, beauty, and ashes. I thought about what parts of my life might stand out. Would I be embarrassed about some of my decisions? Certainly.  Read More

Amos 6:1–3 warns, “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria” (v. 1). The leaders of Israel and Judah trusted in their wealth, military strength, and privileged status, ignoring warnings of judgment and assuming calamity was far off (v. 3). Amos challenges their false confidence by pointing to the fall of nearby city-states like Calneh, Hamath, and Gath, which were no better than Israel yet faced destruction (v. 2). Verses 4–6 describe the luxurious lifestyle of the elite: lounging on ivory beds, feasting on choice meats, drinking wine by the bowlful, and anointing themselves with fine oils, yet they “are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph” (v. 6). Their indulgence contrasts with their indifference to the suffering and spiritual decay of the nation.  Read More

In the Book of Amos, we see that the children of God have turned their backs on God, and Amos is warning them to repent or they would be taken into exile.Throughout chapters 1, 2, and 3 we see that the Israelites are no longer worshiping God, but they are practicing idol worship, immorality, sexual sin, and drunkenness.They were getting the nazarites who were God's chosen men to be prophets that w...  Read More

Isaiah 6 describes the prophet Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne and his commissioning as a prophet.REAL LIFE PRINCIPLES:Encountering God’s holiness reveals His majesty and glory, which demands worship and humility. It reminds us that God is not a casual figure but the sovereign Creator whose presence fills the earth. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and exalted” with seraphim proclaiming, “Holy, holy, ho...  Read More

Social Media is the world's report card nowadays.  Everything you see on people's personal pages is typically exactly how they want you to see them and how they live.  Everything is peachy.  Everything is relaxing, perfect, and prosperous.  This is how the world would have seen Israel at the time Isaiah opened chapter one in the book of Isaiah.  Isaiah jumps very quickly into his analysis of the c...  Read More

“When Success Becomes a Snare” King Uzziah’s story is one of breathtaking success and devastating failure. He came to the throne young, full of promise, and Scripture tells us that “as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (v.5). The Hebrew word for “sought” (darash) means more than a surface-level prayer or religious habit. It suggests earnest, continuous pursuit, the way a traveler searches for water in a desert or a lost child cries out for a parent. And Uzziah did seek the Lord, and God did bless him. His fame “spread far and wide” (v.15). He had everything. But then came the turn:  Read More

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. Jonah 1:2 But, Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:3 Has God called you to do something and you are running? Was it because of fear, pride, shame, insecurity, distractions, excuses, or comfort? There are many reasons we run from what God calls us to do. We are hoping if we ignore the hard thing, He is asking us to do, we will be at peace or maybe be able to silence His voice. But, true peace only comes from surrendering to God’s will. If we are not following God’s calling on our lives, we will never be at peace.   Read More

“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.” King Amaziah started off well. He followed God’s laws and made some good decisions early in his reign. He even listened to a prophet and trusted God for victory in battle. But after his success, things changed.Instead of thanking God, he brought back the idols of the enemy he defeated and began worshiping them. When a prophet...  Read More

2 Chronicles 24 tells us about King Joash who became king of Judah at just seven years old and reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. While Jehoiada the priest was alive, Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Under Jehoiada's influence, Joash initiated a restoration of the temple of the Lord, which had fallen into disrepair. He organized a collection from the people to fund the repairs, and the work was carried out successfully. However, after Jehoiada died, Joash's character changed. He listened to corrupt officials and abandoned the worship of God, turning instead to idolatry and pagan practices. God sent prophets to warn him and the people, but they were ignored. One of these prophets was Zechariah, Jehoiada’s own son, who boldly warned the people. In a shocking act of betrayal, Joash ordered Zechariah to be stoned to death, despite the faithful service of his father Jehoiada. As judgment for Joash’s unfaithfulness, God allowed the Aramean army to invade Judah. Though they were few in number, the Arameans defeated Judah’s much larger army because Judah had forsaken the Lord. Joash was severely wounded in the attack, and later, his own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in retaliation for killing Zechariah. Joash was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs, a sign of disgrace and disapproval over how he ended his reign. This chapter highlights how a good beginning does not guarantee a good ending, the danger of turning away from God after once following Him faithfully and how a godly mentor can guide us but cannot sustain us.  Read More

I found it interesting when I began to read these passages in preparation as I discovered that they relate to fulfillment of the promises of God to punish Ahab, his family, and his wife for his and Jezabel’s sinful actions. Those were the exact passages I was tasked to review for the last R3 Devotional I prepared. In 2 Kings 9 and 10, we find details of what happened to two sons of Ahab (Joram and Ahaziah) and to Jezebel his queen as God used Jehu, an appointed King of Israel to take them out (Joram and Ahaziah) as He promised. Chapter 10 depicts the continued pursuit of Ahab’s remaining descendants. Jehu is then obedient in taking out the prophets of Baal as well. We also see Jehu proclaiming his “zeal” for the Lord to Jehonadab, a key supporter of Jehu in taking out the prophets of Baal. The chapter closes noting that Jehu does not fully turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam (son of Nebat), but the Lord notes that Jehu’s good service to him would lead to him having four more generations on the throne.  Read More

In this passage, we see so many working parts of God. All working together, so that we might see the Glory of God. A leper, usually shunned and outcast yet used as by God in battled as a mighty leader. A little girl with such faith, suggested that a prophet of God, through God’s grace and mercy could heal him. A prophet, Elisha, being obedient to God.   Read More

2 Kings 2 is a powerful narrative about God's faithfulness in raising up leaders, the importance of spiritual mentorship, the pursuit of God's anointing, and the reality of His supernatural intervention in the lives of His servants. It calls us to reflect on our own spiritual journeys, our relationships with mentors, and our hunger for God's power working in our lives.   Read More

Psalm 82 is a brief, eight-verse psalm attributed to Asaph, part of the Psalter’s Book III. It depicts God presiding over a "divine council," confronting unjust rulers or judges (possibly human authorities or spiritual beings) for their failure to uphold justice, especially for the vulnerable. The psalm emphasizes God’s supreme authority, the responsibility of those in power to act righteously, and the certainty of divine judgment. It concludes with a call for God to judge the earth, affirming His ultimate justice. Thematically, it addresses justice, accountability, and God’s sovereignty, relevant to both ancient Israel and universal moral order.  Read More

Jehoiada, the Priest, was a godly man who was concerned with restoring the throne of David to the line of David, and taking it away from Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He was also the husband of Jehoshabeath, the woman who hid the young boy Joash and protected him from Athaliah’s massacre.  Read More

Have you ever found yourself seeking help and advice from others, and you keep looking for one more person to get advice because all the others are telling you the same thing, but you just want to validate what you have already decided? These passages of the Word of God tell a story of a similar case. King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat wanted to battle for Ramoth Gilead, a land that they claimed to be theirs. We see a good response from King Jehoshaphat: seek that the LORD wants you to do this (1 Kings 22:5).   Read More

We begin in 1 Kings 20 with thirty-three kings of the land coming against King Ahab. They first attempt to taunt and scare Ahab into submission; however, after consulting with the elders around him, Ahab defies the request of Ben-hadad and the kings with him. Ben-hadad, presumably in a bit of drunken stupor, does not take this rejection well and calls everyone to arms against Ahab. But we soon find God intervening in this situation with a word through a prophet. God promises to deliver Ben-hadad and the rest into Ahab’s hand even though they are far greater in number. Ben-hadad and the other kings are soundly defeated, not just once but twice! Then we see Ahab, who should be grateful and obedient after what God has done, defying one of His requests; Ben-hadad being done away with.  Read More

Have you ever whispered those words? “I’ve had enough.” Maybe you didn’t say them out loud, but you’ve felt them in your body: the tightness in your chest, the heaviness behind your eyes, the desire to just stop. Stop trying. Stop pretending. Stop showing up with strength you no longer have. Elijah had just experienced one of the most dramatic victories in all of Scripture. He called down fire from heaven. He faced off with false prophets. He should have been on top of the world. But instead, he ran. Because sometimes, even after you’ve been faithful, fear comes anyway. Sometimes, even after you’ve obeyed God, exhaustion still follows. That’s what makes this chapter so painfully real: Elijah was not a failure—he was human.  Read More

“The Slow Drift” No one wakes up one day and decides to completely walk away from God. It’s usually much quieter than that. A soft voice of compromise. A small sin brushed aside. A moment of silence when we should’ve spoken. Apathy where conviction once burned. That’s how it happens—a slow drift. That’s the story of Israel in 1 Kings 16. Reading this chapter feels like watching a slow-motion car crash. You want to look away, but you can’t. Each king is worse than the one before. One murders his way to the throne, another leads the people into idolatry, and the one after him repeats the same sin “Jeroboam had committed”—words that appear like a broken record throughout the chapter. Then comes Ahab. He doesn’t just continue the evil of his predecessors; he exceeds it. Boldly. Publicly. Without shame.  Read More

Reflection: While reading a commentary on 1 Kings 15, I came across this striking statement: “Occasionally you find truth in strange places.” The author referenced The Simpsons, where in one episode the main character comments about the Bible: “All these people in the Bible are a mess… except this one guy.” It’s a surprisingly honest takeaway—and profoundly accurate.  Read More

Rehoboam was one of the Kings selected by Israel to rule. As the son of King Solomon, it was a natural selection. Israel had high hopes. As Rehoboam was selected, in 2 Chronicles 10:6, he appeared to do the right thing in seeking counsel “6Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”.  Read More

In these 3 chapters of 1 Kings, we notice that after Solomon’s death, the northern tribes revolt, forming two separate nations. Each nation experiences disastrous consequences from having evil kings. Elijah appears on the scene, confronting these kings for their sins. God deals with sin in powerful ways. Although judgment may appear to be slow, God will judge evil harshly.  Read More

In a world overflowing with opinions, noise, and self-promotion, Proverbs 30 offers a refreshingly humble voice. Written by Agur son of Jakeh, this chapter stands out not for its grand declarations but for its honest confession of human limitation and reverence for divine truth. Agur doesn’t present himself as a wise man—he confesses his lack of wisdom and understanding, pointing us instead to the majesty and perfection of God’s Word. Lets look at verses 1-9.  Read More