February 28, 2025, 2 Kings 12:19-21 19  Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?  20  His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.  21  It was Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son reigned in his place. Joash became a king as a result of a conspiracy and he lost his kingdom as a result of conspiracy. It appears Joash did not cry out to God for protection from Hazael, rather he attempted to buy off Hazael.   Just because our actions and deeds aren’t written in a book for others to see, doesn’t mean they don’t matter.   Our actions impact so many people every single day and God sees not only what we do, but He ...

February 27, 2025, 2 Kings 12:4-18 4  Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the  Lord , the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the  Lord ,  5  let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.”  6  But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house.  7  Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.”  8  So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house. 9  Then Jehoiada the priest took a ch...

February 26, 2025, 2 Kings 12:1-3 12  In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.  2  And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the  Lord  all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.  3  Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places. Jehoash did was right in the eyes of the Lord because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. However, we still see the high places were not taken away and the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places. Sometimes I wonder where in my life am I acting in a manner that is not pleasing to God. Join me today in asking God to show you and I what areas in our life need to be cleansed so that we may live a more righteous life.   Debbie Walker

February 25, 2025, 2 Kings 11:4-21 4  But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the  Lord . And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the  Lord , and he showed them the king's son.  5  And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house  6  (another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace.  7  And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the  Lord  on behalf of the king,  8  shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.” 9  The captains did according t...

February 24, 2025, 2 Kings 11:1-3 11  Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family.  2  But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death.  3  And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the  Lord , while Athaliah reigned over the land. I love seeing that God used the boldness of ordinary people to preserve His work. Think about the people around you. Can you see a place or time in your life where God used ordinary people to further His kingdom? Think about the people in the Bible that were less than “perfect” and yet God used them in a mighty way. This passage gives me comfort. I know that God has a great plan for me and you and...

February 23, 2025, 2 Kings 10:28-36 28  Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.  29  But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.  30  And the  Lord  said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”  31  But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the  Lord , the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin. 32  In those days the  Lord  began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel:  33  from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, f...

February 22, 2025, 2 Kings 10:18-27 18  Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.  19  Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.  20  And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it.  21  And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.  22  He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them.  23  Then Jehu went in...

February 21, 2025, 2 Kings 10:1-17 10  Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying,  2  “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons,  3  select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.”  4  But they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?”  5  So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.”  6  Then he wrote to them...

February 20, 2025, 2 Kings 9:30-37 30  When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window.  31  And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?”  32  And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him.  33  He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her.  34  Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.”  35  But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands.  36  When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the  Lord , which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In...

February 19, 2025, 2 Kings 9:14-29 14  Thus Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria,  15  but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) So Jehu said, “If this is your decision, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.”  16  Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram. 17  Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”  18  So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What do you have to do ...

February 18, 2025, 2 Kings 9:1-13 9  Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.  2  And when you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber.  3  Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the  Lord , I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.” 4  So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.  5  And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, “I have a word for you, O commander.” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.”  6  So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying t...

February 17, 2025, 2 Kings 8:25-29 25  In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign.  26  Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.  27  He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the  Lord , as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab. 28  He went with Joram the son of Ahab to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.  29  And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. ...

February 16, 2025, 2 Kings 8:16-24 16  In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign.  17  He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.  18  And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the  Lord .  19  Yet the  Lord  was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. 20  In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own.  21  Then Joram passed over to Zair with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, but his army fled home....

February 15, 2025, 2 Kings 8:7-15 7  Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,”  8  the king said to Hazael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the  Lord  through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’”  9  So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camels' loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’”  10  And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,’ but the  Lord  has shown me that he shall certainly die.”  11  And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept.  12  And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He ...

February 14, 2025, 2 Kings 8:1-6 8  Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the  Lord  has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.”  2  So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.  3  And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land.  4  Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”  5  And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O ki...

  February 13, 2025, 2 Kings 7:3-20 3  Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?  4  If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.”  5  So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there.  6  For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.”  7  So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their hor...

  February 12, 2025, 2 Kings 7:1-2 7 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” Sometimes we’re called to lean into faith. It doesn’t always make sense, but God calls us to follow Him and His word. What is God calling you to do that doesn’t make sense to the world?

February 11, 2025, 2 Kings 6:24-33 24  Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria.  25  And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove dung for five shekels of silver.  26  Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”  27  And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?”  28  And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’  29  So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.”  30  When the king heard the words...

February 10, 2025, 2 Kings 6:8-23   8  Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.”  9  But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.”  10  And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.   11  And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?”  12  And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”  13  And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Beho...

February 9, 2025, 2 Kings 6:1-7 6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us.  2  Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.”  3  Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.”  4  So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.  5  But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.”  6  Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.  7  And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.   These verses share ‘the floating ax head’.   One has to ponder why these verses that are seemingly somewhat i...