June 30
2 Kings 17:1-18:12; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 18:6-7
As a young child I attended several rodeos and my favorite, most frightening event was bull riding. The bull would fly out of the chute, leap in the air, and try to unseat the cowboy. When the bull was successful, he would lower his horns, paw the ground with his hooves filling the air with dust, and charge at the cowboy as he scrambled up the wooden fence lining the stadium.
Please forgive me if I have offended you with my childhood memories and note Psalm 148:14. The Lord “raised up for his people a horn…the people close to his heart.” The Contemporary English Version translates this verse, “Like a bull with mighty horns, the Lord protects his faithful nation Israel, because they belong to him. Shout praise to the Lord!” The verse can be translated as the “horn” showing strength and protection for His people or the horn representing the King who will rule the earth someday. However it is interpreted, the horn symbolizes strength and power like the horn of a bull which was one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine. What an amazing fact! God has us so close to his heart that he is like a strong bull with wide spread horns protecting us!
Hezekiah “held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him” (II Kings 18:6). He clung to the Lord when he reformed the nation by removing the high places, tearing down the idols, and breaking the bronze snake that had been preserved for 700 years (Numbers 21:9). “And the Lord was with him….” (II Kings 18:7) Hezekiah conquered the land the Lord had allotted Israel and that had not been in Israel’s control since David and Solomon’s rule. He accomplished this in the strength (horn) of the Lord.
In Acts 20 we see Paul encouraging Christians, preaching repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, and warning of those who try to destroy our faith. Paul proclaims in verse 26, “I am innocent of the blood of all men.” He was faithful in sharing the “gospel of God’s grace” so their rejection of Christ was their decision, not his fault for lack of preaching the gospel. Paul’s goal in life was to “finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus” had given him. He was a bull with a horn.
What would it take in our lives to be like Hezekiah or Paul? Do our hearts need cleansing like the land of Judah – cleaning out anger, gossip, unkind acts, a quarrelsome spirit (Proverbs 18:6), pride, or idols of money or popularity? All this needs to go so we can cling to the Lord, share him freely and faithfully with others, and shout the praise of Psalm 148. David summons us to praise the Lord – and praise is primary.
Father, thank you for your mighty strength in protecting me. May I hold fast to you like Hezekiah, faithfully share you like Paul, act with a strong, clean heart, and praise you.
Question of the day: God proclaims you are close to his heart. What needs purging from your heart so you can be closer to him?
As a young child I attended several rodeos and my favorite, most frightening event was bull riding. The bull would fly out of the chute, leap in the air, and try to unseat the cowboy. When the bull was successful, he would lower his horns, paw the ground with his hooves filling the air with dust, and charge at the cowboy as he scrambled up the wooden fence lining the stadium.
Please forgive me if I have offended you with my childhood memories and note Psalm 148:14. The Lord “raised up for his people a horn…the people close to his heart.” The Contemporary English Version translates this verse, “Like a bull with mighty horns, the Lord protects his faithful nation Israel, because they belong to him. Shout praise to the Lord!” The verse can be translated as the “horn” showing strength and protection for His people or the horn representing the King who will rule the earth someday. However it is interpreted, the horn symbolizes strength and power like the horn of a bull which was one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine. What an amazing fact! God has us so close to his heart that he is like a strong bull with wide spread horns protecting us!
Hezekiah “held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him” (II Kings 18:6). He clung to the Lord when he reformed the nation by removing the high places, tearing down the idols, and breaking the bronze snake that had been preserved for 700 years (Numbers 21:9). “And the Lord was with him….” (II Kings 18:7) Hezekiah conquered the land the Lord had allotted Israel and that had not been in Israel’s control since David and Solomon’s rule. He accomplished this in the strength (horn) of the Lord.
In Acts 20 we see Paul encouraging Christians, preaching repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, and warning of those who try to destroy our faith. Paul proclaims in verse 26, “I am innocent of the blood of all men.” He was faithful in sharing the “gospel of God’s grace” so their rejection of Christ was their decision, not his fault for lack of preaching the gospel. Paul’s goal in life was to “finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus” had given him. He was a bull with a horn.
What would it take in our lives to be like Hezekiah or Paul? Do our hearts need cleansing like the land of Judah – cleaning out anger, gossip, unkind acts, a quarrelsome spirit (Proverbs 18:6), pride, or idols of money or popularity? All this needs to go so we can cling to the Lord, share him freely and faithfully with others, and shout the praise of Psalm 148. David summons us to praise the Lord – and praise is primary.
Father, thank you for your mighty strength in protecting me. May I hold fast to you like Hezekiah, faithfully share you like Paul, act with a strong, clean heart, and praise you.
Question of the day: God proclaims you are close to his heart. What needs purging from your heart so you can be closer to him?
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