June 29-July 5, 2025

HEART PREPARATION:
 This week, the downfall and depravity of the nation of Israel continues to spiral. It is easy to read these passages and place judgement on Israel, without looking at our own lives and seeing that we are not far from making the same mistakes. Though our idols aren’t silver and gold, they are those things that we run after, placing our hope in, and letting go of God for. Pray that God would reveal any idol in your life that you might be running after. 


WEEK’S READING PLAN:

• Sunday, June 29 — 1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18
• Monday, June 30 — 2 Chronicles 19-23
• Tuesday, July 1 — Obadiah, Psalm 82-83
• Wednesday, July 2 — 2 Kings 1-4
• Thursday, July 3 — 2 Kings 5-8
• Friday, July 4 — 2 Kings 9-11
• Saturday, July 5 — 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

WHAT TO EXPECT:
We pick up our reading with Ahab preparing to take Judah to battle with him against Syria. After consulting about 400 “prophets”, Jehoshaphat called for a prophet of God to find out what they should do. Micaiah starts out by flippantly telling Ahab to go ahead into battle and he would prosper. Ahab knew that there was some sarcasm in this response, and pressed Micaiah for God’s answer (knowing full well that he was going to do whatever he wanted). Micaiah disagreed with all of the the other prophets and told Ahab that he would not survive this battle. Ahab decided that the king of Israel should wear his robes into battle but Ahab would dress as a normal soldier (Not a guy I’d want to fight beside). His plan seemed to work at first until a random arrow struck a fatal spot between his armor.


After the death of Ahab, we continue the messy succession of kings in Judah and Israel. During part of this time, we get to witness God’s power working through Elijah and Elisha. These men were totally committed to following God. Elijah was so committed that God took Elijah home with him in a whirlwind with a horse and chariot of fire as an escort. With Elijah gone, we see God working amazing miracles through Elisha including parting the Jordan, keeping the widow’s oil flowing,  raising a boy back to life, purifying a poisonous pot of stew, healing a leprous commander, transferring leprosy to a lying greedy servant, making an axe head float, and leading the army that was searching for him blindly into the center of Samaria.


We also see the temple repaired with money provided by the people. 


We see Obadiah speaking about putting our trust in the Lord rather than trusting in our own power and might.


ThePsalms of this week remind us that God doesn’t take to kindly to people bullying his chosen ones (even though He uses these situations for His glory).


Don’t forget to finish reading the saga of good and evil kings that followed God, followed Baal, killed family members, married for power and even piled up the heads of Ahab’s 70 sons by the gate.


WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
The thing that keeps jumping out to me through all of this week’s reading is the depravity of man and our constant cycle of calling out to God, Him rescuing us, and us turning our back on Him again. The flip side to this cycle is how God continues to love His people through their pride and stupidity.


PERSONAL INSIGHT:
The personal insight that I would pick out for this week would have to land on Elijah. This guy was so in touch with God that he was taken into the presence of God while his successor stood watching it happen. God used him to tell others what they needed to hear and He also showed him who to train for his replacement as well as what to teach him. Life was not butterflies and roses for Elisha, but he continually trusted God to meet his needs and guide his steps and devoted his entire life and existence to following God wherever He led him. The mission and goal that I receive from this section is to live a life truly devoted to Jesus, in constant communication with Him.


PRAYER:
God, as I look at the history of Israel, it can look gloomy, for it is. Your people turned their back on You and rejected You. Yet, I am capable of the exact same sin. I can run to the idols of comfort, money, status, or any other thing. Yet, throughout Your Word, You show that You are a merciful God, who continually gives us the opportunity to repent. And so, I repent of the idols that I have placed over You. I repent that I am chasing the things of this world, and not You. Give me the strength to destroy the idols in my life, no matter the grip they might have on me, and run after you continually! Thank You for Your many opportunities You give me, and for Your unconditional love. Thank You also for sending Jesus as the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world!


This week’s devotional was prepared by Todd Lace