Doubting God's power

2 Kings 6 tells of a great famine in Samaria, with verse 25 (KJV) indicating how bad things got in terms of prices,

An ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

Although those units don't make sense to us today, the subsequent verses illustrate that the economic suffering had become so severe that people began resorting to cannibalism!

But then, in 2 Kings 7:1 (KJV), Elisha delivers a message from God that relief was on the way,

Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel.

Again, the units don't make sense to modern ears, but those decreases in prices must have been substantial, even hard to believe. In response, one of the Kings helpers responds with doubt (verse 2, KJV),

Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?

The remainder of the chapter indicates that, not only did God bring relief from the great famine, but the King's helper died as a result of his skepticism.

The King's helper's sin was three-fold:
1) He doubted the power of God.
2) He doubted God's creativity, in that God can solve problems in ways we don't expect.
3) He doubted Elisha, who already had a demonstrated record of reliability in speaking for God.

Of course, we commit those same sins every day. Let us not doubt God's power, God's creativity, or God's messages delivered in a variety of ways.

Proverbs 3:6

Verse 6 of chapter 3 might be one of the most recognizable of Solomon's Proverbs. It reads (KJV),

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

(The verse directly before this one makes clear that "him" and "he" refer to God.) This proverb, in many ways, sums up all the other proverbs. It's simple and easy to memorize. Whatever happens throughout our day -- whether we encounters joy, sadness, stress, pain -- let us try to "acknowledge him." The proverb promises that he will direct our paths!

Simple advice from Samuel

In 1 Samuel 12:24-25 (KJV), Samuel warns the Israelites of the dangers of a king. But his words offer a general path of advice for all of us, in all settings. He says,

Fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed.

So much of the bible boils down to this: Serve God with all your heart, ponder his blessings, and avoid sin.

How to respond to God's gifts

In the final chapter of Joshua (chapter 24), God, speaking through Joshua, recounts all the wonderful things he has done for the Israelites (verses 1-13). Then beginning in verse 14, God instructs the Israelites regarding how they are to respond (verse 14, KJV),

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served ... and serve ye the Lord.

The people, recalling God's works, agree to serve him, to which Joshua responds (verses 22-23, KJV), 

Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him ... Now therefore put away ... the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

And this is exactly how we are to respond to God. Let us reflect upon the gifts -- including life -- that he has given us. And then let us remove evil influences from our lives and "incline our heart unto God."

Counsel at the mouth of the LORD

Joshua 9 finds the Israelites having recently demolished Jericho and Ai. The Gibeonites, fearing they'll be next, devise a scheme to trick the Israelites into entering a peace treaty. The scheme works, and, as a result, the Gibeonites live amongst the Israelites, creating a constant source of moral corruption.

But a really fascinating aspect of the story appears in verse 14, when the narrator describes why the Israelites fall for the Gibeonites' deception (Joshua 9:14, KJV),

The [Israelites] ... asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

How often do we fall into trouble -- perhaps even moral corruption -- by failing to consult God? The message is clear and simple, and it give us a roadmap for avoiding such trouble. Pray without ceasing!

Strive to enter in at the strait gate

In Luke 13:24 (KJV), Jesus says,

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

This does (and should) sound scary. Is he saying that many will seek salvation, but still won't be able to achieve it? And if so, how do we go about achieving salvation?

Rewinding back a few verses in the same chapter, we see that the path to salvation really isn't a mystery. In verses 1-5, Jesus recounts two recent catastrophes that resulted in the deaths of many people. Jesus stresses that their deaths were not punishment for their sins. But Jesus does caution that (verse 5, KJV)

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

And that's it! God's commands to us are not meant to be mysterious or hard to understand. Simply put, we must repent our sins, and accept that Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of those sins.

I see men as trees

Mark 8 tells of Jesus restoring sight to a blind man. Fascinating as that is, the story contains a curious element. Specifically, at first the man's sight is only partially restored.

After putting his hands on the man's eyes, Jesus asks what he sees. The man responds (Mark 8:24, KJV),

I see men as trees, walking.

Jesus then touches his eyes again, after which we're told (Mark 8:25, KJV),

He was restored, and saw every man clearly.

This story seems to highlight an important aspect of spiritual growth. Rather than a one-time bolt of lightning, after which we're fully imbued with the wisdom of Solomon, spiritual growth is more often a process consisting of small, imperfect steps forward, and, unfortunately, occasional backslides.

Perhaps that start-and-stop process owes to our sinful nature, or perhaps it's a deliberate design by God. Or perhaps it's a combination of the two. Either way, we must avoid becoming frustrated and losing zeal when we "see men as trees." Because with continued faith and prayer, one day we'll eventually "see clearly."