"The Lord had said...'I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them...' But the people did not listen." - 2 Kings 21:7-9
Today's Bible reading gives us absolutely no good news to work with. Manasseh is a horrible king. The people turn from God. God is not pleased. And the prophets are God's mouthpiece to tell the bad news to the people.
However, all is not lost. Someone once gave me a book for a high school graduation gift, which said, "Everyone is useful, even if only as a bad example."
And there's our "in" for today's devotion; the people, in today's Bible reading, were a bad example. Specifically, "the people did not listen." (2 Kings 21:9)
Listen!
In her book, "Reach for the Summit," retired Tennessee women's basketball coach, Pat Summitt, barely gets started before she's talking about the value of listening in successful teamwork. Listen!
Our premarital and marriage counseling tools at church make clear the value of listening in successful relationships. Listen!
And God, of course, is very clear on the matter in the Bible. From Moses to Matthew, God speaks through all the Bible authors to emphasize the value of listening, especially listening to God. In Proverbs 4:10, God plainly says to all who will listen, "Listen...accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many."
May God bless you with peace and goodness as you listen for him and to him today!
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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