June 19 - 2 Kings 13:1-11 | 2 Kings 12:17-21 | 2 Chronicles 24:23-27 | 2 Kings 13:14-25

Good morning everyone,

We begin today back up in the north where Jehoahaz is now the king of Israel. This guy did evil in the eyes of the Lord and so, we’re told, the Lord’s anger burned against Israel for a long time. It had to have been very draining, exhausting even because, alas, Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor. He was wise enough to know that the oppression they were suffering was a direct result of them turning their back on God, their sinful behavior; so what what did God do when Jehoahaz called out to him? God listened to Jehoahaz and then provided a deliverer for them. This absolutely blows me away. Our God is such a loving, compassionate God. Here is a people God knows will turn their backs on him again, and yet He loves them so much that His cup overflows and he helps them out. 

Our God is so slow to anger and desperately wants to bless us and is prepared to give us the benefit of the doubt in any situation if we would but call on him.  Several years ago, a couple decades in fact, I was living in California and this dear girl in her mid twenties was moving to New Mexico to go to school. She was going to be driving by herself and pulling a U-Haul trailer behind a little Honda Accord, a huge task for her to take on. She did not have a relationship with Jesus or even believe in God for that matter and was a little nervous about the whole trip. She came to me one day before she left and asked if I would pray for her as she traveled across the country and of course I was honored to do so. If I remember correctly it was a three or four day trip crossing the desert, over treacherous mountain passes through countless cities and strange faces. When at last she arrived to her destination (this was in a day before cell phones) she called me, her heart obviously moved, as she relayed the story to me of how while on her journey she had encountered a storm over one of the mountain passes. She got a little frightened as the trailer she was pulling started getting a bit wobbly. It was then, she told me, a beautiful rainbow arched over the road in front of her and she knew all was was going to be okay. She knew I had been praying to “my God” for her and it was a sign from Him that all would be good. To this day she still does not call Jesus her Lord and Savior but there is a seed there growing.

The point is, God loves us ALL so very much. Why? Because God is love. An agape, selfless, unconditional love. An infinite and perfect love, greater than any love that we can ever imagine, love. Our human ability to love is finite, that is to say, we keep it in a box and limit it, and then ….. then we apply those same boundaries to God’s love. But friends, God’s love has no boundaries; God’s love is full of mercy and compassion for all who ask for it. Oh for sure He desperately wants you, he wants us, to have a personal relationship with him which would allow us to spend eternity with Him in heaven but relationship or not, God’s love is an absolutely free gift of God’s very self to all of us. That is so cRaZy great! Right? When I think about it, my mind can not get that big to wrap around it. (no old jokes please:-)) I find myself totally perplexed at why everyone does not claim the peace, joy and love of Yahweh. 

Romans 8:38-39 tells us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” NOTHING can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus! And all God’s people said …. Amen!

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …