When we seek the favor of the Lord, He is ready to bless abundantly. My husband and I married when we were both very young, still in college. My heart cry was to do God’s will and his heart cry was for a wife who loved God. The first time we had a “heart to heart” discussion about our values, I was blown away by how much we thought alike. Although our families lived hundred of miles apart, our experiences were very different and yet our understanding of God lined up in miraculous ways. No wonder I said “I do” to my wonderful husband.

As a teenager, the love songs of the 70’s would often reflect my heart for Jesus. Passion for my “first love” was sweet. My time in prayer and Bible reading was more than just a pious activity. It was to deepen a relationship with the Savior who had reached out to me, intentionally and individually. The miracles I witnessed at 15 years old (when I was vocal about my doubts and asked for God’s help), helped me to see God’s willingness to not only answer my prayers but to deter all uncertainty.

This passage reminds me of that type of passion. The King was uncertain since Elisha the prophet was dying. Yet, Joash (whose father has sought the Lord’s favor), experienced true victory three times against those oppressing Israel. Passion is passed down from our “spiritual” parents in order to bless our lives.

Who has been instrumental in teaching you about Christ? Who has provided for you physically and spiritually by making an investment into your life? Remember that God ultimately rewards those who seek Him (and their families). -Teresa #Beritandfamily #Hans #Peter #Carly

I want to be passionate for those who are on God’s heart-showing His love to HIS family around the world!!❤️

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. – Hebrews 11:6

2 Kings 13:4-25 (ESV) 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (Therefore the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly.
6 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.)
7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.
11 He also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.
12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows.
16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.
17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.”
18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped.
19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”
20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year.
21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
22 Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.
24 When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place.
25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. – 2 Kings 13:4-25

Sometimes an early morning meditation will help clear our mind of worry or anxious thoughts. Even moreso, it can allow God’s Word and wisdom (the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom) to seep into our souls.

Quit striving with God. The more we argue, the more we will “kick against the goads”. The apostle Paul had one such conversion story. He was imprisoning Christians for their faith. In a day when prison led to certain death from a gladiator’s sword, Saul was considered merciless. Then, his name (aka character) was changed to Paul. Only an encounter with Jesus Christ the LORD can move us from stubborn resolve to a heart willing to suffer for His name.

In our daily relationships, we should stop striving with each other. End the quarrel before it begins (or you may be drowned in the deluge). Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God- Jesus (Matthew 5:9).

Judge rightly- Jesus (John 7:24). He alone can help us judge rightly beyond the worldly ways of politics, power and mere appearances.

An abomination to the Lord are those who side with the wicked, saying wickedness is goodness.

An abomination to the Lord are those who condemn the righteous, saying following God’s way does not look like that.

God’s way of righteousness always comes through the cross. When we take up our cross daily to follow Him, we too will forsake focusing on self to become more like Jesus. – Teresa

#turnyoureyesuponJesus #timewithHim #seekfirsthekingdomofGod #askHimforpeace

Proverbs 17:14-15 English Standard Version (ESV)

14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

When we first bought our home (26 years ago), we absolutely loved our backyard. There was enough room for the kids to roam. Three dogs later, we gave up on keeping the sprinkler lines working. The pandemic has provided extra time for my husband to complete the landscape projects we’ve been putting off. Our dog, Barbie, is old enough now to resist digging up lines!

Just as God worked with the nation of Israel, He is also willing to work with us.

God has time to give us a fresh start. He can restore our lives to that “beautiful” place we had been or hope to be. Maybe it was when we originally experienced the feelings of first love with Christ, where prayer was sweet. How wonderful to remember that God not only extends grace towards us but He abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness. – Teresa #restoration #readASevereMercy #lovestory #redemption=boughtback

I also want to acknowledge the current state of affairs in our country. Together, we can make a difference by embracing the compassion of our Savior. He touches us so that we can touch others with this same response of compassionate understanding. Empathy means we walk a moment in someone else’s shoes without judgment. #suspendjudgment #pray #givecompassion

Exodus 34:1-29 (ESV) 1 The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.
3 No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.”
4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone.
5 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.
9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
10 And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.
11 “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
12 Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.
13 You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim
14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice,
16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.
17 “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.
18 “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.
19 All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep.
20 The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed.
21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.
22 You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.
23 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel.
24 For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.
25 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning.
26 The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
27 And the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. – Exodus 34:1-29

What seems right for a person’s future may in fact be the ways of death. Adonijah thought he was right when asking Bathsheeba for Abishag, the beautiful Shunammite girl, to be his wife. King Solomon understood Adonijah’s request as a way to subvert their father’s plan. It did not end well for Adonijah. Similarly, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit about their intentions to give less than what they had told Peter and the church leaders. It did not end well for them either.

The ways of death may seem right but without humbling ourselves to God’s will- they are not right. What can turn our humble actions into His kingdom come and His will be done? Just as the windmill converts the energy of the wind to electricity, we rely on God’s will to make an impact for eternity. It’s not always what seems right that we should be doing but what is right.

God ultimately is our judge and defender. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. When we allow ourselves to fall upon Him, we will he broken- (listen to sweetly broken by Jeremy Riddle).- Teresa #eternalife

Proverbs 16:25 (ESV). 25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.[a]

Footnotes. Proverbs 16:25 Hebrew ways of death

IKings 2:14-25 (ESV) 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord. 16 And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” 17 And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18 Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar[f] the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! 24 Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

Acts 5:1-11 (ESV) 5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you[a] sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.