(NOTE: This is the last in the two-year Word Traveler series of podcasts. The producers of Word Traveler sincerly hope you have enjoyed the teaching from the Bible. Please go back and listen to any one of the 313 podcasts any time you wish.)
Do you believe “the road to hell is paved with good intentions?” I don’t. It’s not a Bible saying. Nobody knows how this phrase evolved into popular language.[1] Many people dislike the idea of “good intentions” especially if they’re linked to inaction. But I think good intentions matter.
The problem of undocumented immigrants has been around for a long time. King Solomon dealt decisively with foreigners in Israel about three thousand years ago. He counted and documented them, legalized them, and gave them jobs. He found 153,600 aliens in the land so he made 70,000 of them common laborers. 80,000 became stone cutters, and 3,600 worked as foremen over the other 150,000 at the Temple construction project in Jerusalem.
This world is not my permanent home or possession. I will not forever keep my house, my clothes, or even my family. All of these precious things and people will be stripped away from me one day. I cannot stop the shadow of my life from shifting me towards its final destination. I have “no hope or expectation of remaining” here.
Hushai the Arkite fulfilled a unique role in King David’s life. He remained loyal to David at great risk of personal harm. Hushai earned the title “friend” and was the only person so named in the final days of the king’s reign.
Has God made a promise to you? Then He will fulfill His promise through you! Without Him you can’t. Without you He won’t.
You are an essential part of the equation. He boxed the ingredients of your destiny. You have all you need to fulfill His will. “Just Add [the] Water” of passion, hard work, and decisive action.
“Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you!” (1st Chronicles 22.16).
This podcast is an overview of week 24 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 22 – 29; 2nd Chronicles 1 – 8; Acts 27 – 28; Romans 1 – 3.
This week is the completes the two-year Word Traveler series having commenced on June 20, 2021. The final episode will be Friday, June 16, 2023, which will be the 313th Word Traveler podcast. The producers of Word Traveler sincerely hope you have enjoyed these Bible podcasts. Go back and listen anytime! Thank you for your support.
Joab and Abishai would have made good Marines. They exemplified the Marine Corps motto: Semper Fidelis. Joab and Abishai were “always faithful” to protect and defend each other in battle.
Not all ideas, even good ones, are in sync with God’s plans. Your good ideas may be right for someone, just not you. They may be right for a future time, just not now. Good ideas are exactly that... good ideas and nothing more.
God has ideas of His own.
I cannot succeed in marriage, parenting, business, ministry, or any other noble endeavor without facing the possibility of my own death... death of my income, image, reputation, or friendships. I must quit running, take a stand, and defend some ground.
Running away is slow death. Death of the spirit. It would be better to die valiantly attempting something great than to wither up and die from the shame of knowing I never had the guts to face my nemesis.
What is smaller than a fleeting thought? Not much. The number of thoughts passing daily through a person’s mind ranges from 12,000 to 65,000. That’s a lot of thinking; a new thought every single waking second! If “a penny for your thoughts” came true, it’s an easy $500.00 per day or over $180,000 per year. Plenty for most folks to retire on.
Unfortunately most of our thoughts aren’t even worth “a penny.”
Letting go of our children as they grow to adulthood is risky. They can be forever lost. Left on their own, they might take chances you and I would certainly discourage. They could even hurt themselves and cause us serious suffering and grief. Letting go of our children is hard to do... and right to do.
This podcast is an overview of week 23 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 6 – 21; Acts 22 - 26.
There are two things we know about Jabez from the Bible... “Jabez was honorable” and “Jabez cried.”
He had integrity and he had passion. I suspect life was not always easy for Jabez. That’s probably why he went to God in the first place. He treated God with respect by telling the truth. Jabez refused to gloss over his needs. He wept before the Lord from a soul filled with the anguish. Jabez struggled in prayer. God honored that.
According to the Genesis account, Nimrod was also an amazing leader who built huge empires and cities like Babylon, Shinar, Babel, and Nineveh. Assyria was known as “the land of Nimrod” according to the prophets (Micah 5.6). This remarkable man literally established the governments and controlled the politics of ancient Mesopotamia. Who was this man whose greatness surpassed Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, and Caesar?
For reasons known only to God, Nimrod was divinely empowered with abilities far transcending the human norm. This man not only moved nations, he created them.
You and I may never achieve the influence and greatness of Nimrod. But like Nimrod, we have been divinely empowered to lead someone... a family, a company, a committee, a church, or a community. To that end, we must apply ourselves diligently…
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,each of us is to exercise them accordingly:… he who leads, with diligence.”
Romans 12.6, 8
Lead “with diligence” those few precious souls who will bear your legacy to the end that on some future day they will say of you, “He was ‘a mighty warrior’ for his faith in Christ.”
God is patient with the human race.
“The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing for anyto perish but for all to come to repentance.”
2nd Peter 3:9 NASU
However, there is an end-point. Because Manasseh “killed innocent people... the Lord was unwilling to forgive.”
Divine un-forgiveness is an un-common occurrence in the scriptures, but it happens. Thankfully, the Lord is “patient,” “merciful and gracious,” “longsuffering,” and “forgiving.” But there appears to be a limit to His willingness to overlook sin.
King Hezekiah “was sick and near death.” The prophet Isaiah announced the gravity of his condition: “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” Facing the reality of his imminent demise, “Hezekiah wept bitterly.”
No matter what our condition, it’s terminal. Have you checked the statistics on death lately? It’s 100%. No one gets out of this world alive. We will all meet our Maker. Sooner or later our time on earth ends. I “shall die, and not live.” It’s inevitable.
The real question is… what will we make of our lives until then? I may have another thirty years or another thirty seconds. How will I use these precious moments?
Enthusiasm for a project will only get you so far. At some point your excitement must turn into energy if you expect to make the idea a reality.
Not so with the Lord. His zeal for a project is enough. Somehow, if the Lord God supports a plan, it just happens. He spoke and everything I have seen, known, or could possibly imagine, simply came into being.
“By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word...” Hebrews 11.3 “The Message”
This podcast is an overview of week 22 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Kings 18 – 25; 1st Chronicles 1 – 5; Acts 17 – 21 .
We cannot hide and keep secrets from God. Adam and Eve tried and failed. No secret you try to keep will be kept that way.
“The sons of Israel did things secretly” forming unholy alliances and creating a spiritual chasm between themselves and “the Lord their God.” They never got away with the secret plans they hoped to pull off.
Don’t go halve-sies. Finish the job. Gather some passion and perseverance. Show some stick-to-it-ive-ness. Go all the way. Invest yourself with total abandon.
It takes faith to work, pray, study, prepare, give, practice, and invest your life but Jesus will give you the strength.
Trust Him and don’t give up. Do whatever it takes to get the job He’s called you to do... done!