Author Archives: cazehner

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About cazehner

I'm a woman who loves God's Word, the Bible. And I love sharing what it is God reveals to me through his Word. I pray that everything I write is consistent with Scripture, and that everyone who reads this blog will be drawn closer to the Savior. I am praying for you.

June 14

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I Kings 15:32-34, 15-24, 16:1-34, 22:41-46; 2 Chronicles16:1-14, 20:31-34, 17:1-18:1

Israel and Judah were at war. The very family God led out of captivity with one miracle after another, the people who were provided for so amazingly during their desert wandering, the ones through whom God revealed himself to the world couldn’t make it last. Jealousy and power and idol worship were signs that these people had abandoned the God who had brought them there.

There were those who tried to lead the people back to God. Asa and his son Jehoshaphat were kings of Judah who sought God. Jehoshaphat even sent a missionary team to the cities in Judah, teaching the Jewish people God’s law once again. The surrounding nations noticed the power of God in the lives of the people of Judah and that nation enjoyed a time of peace during Jehoshaphat’s reign.

How is your family doing? I hope you haven’t followed Israel’s example and allowed jealousy or power or idol worship to cause a war among you and your loved ones.

How is your church family doing? Is there harmony in the pews or is there a little war going on behind the scenes?

We can learn from this Scripture today that serving God, keeping his Word alive in our lives bring peace. If there is trouble, remember that trouble comes when our focus begins to turn to anything other that God Himself. In our families. And in our churches.

I pray for peace in your life today.

June 13

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I Kings 14:29-51, 15:1-15, 25-31, 14:19-20; 2 Chronicles 12:15-16, 13:1-15:19

Rehoboam’s grandson Asa became king of Judah after Rehoboam’s son Abijah died. Abijah’s heart was not devoted to the Lord and he only reigned three years. Asa, however, did have a heart for the Lord.

Asa took down the altars of the false gods and once again the sons of David worshiped the one true God. In fact, anyone who refused to seek the Lord was put to death.

But in 2 Chronicles 15:15 it says all Judah rejoiced about the oath because they swore to follow David’s God wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly and God blessed them with rest and peace on every side.

Once again I am reminded that rest and peace come from seeking God.

Oh, restless spirit, look to the Lord. If you think happiness and fulfillment lies in wealth or popularity or a spouse or children or success you are looking in the wrong places. Seek God. Love God. Trust him. Submit to him wholeheartedly and you will find rest for your soul.

It’s a promise demonstrated in the life of Asa and Judah during his reign. And we worship the same God they did way back then. He has not changed. He still brings rest to those who seek him.

Let’s be seekers of God today.

June 12

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I Kings 14:1-18, 22-28; 2 Chronicles 11:5-10, 18-23, 12:1-12; Psalm 89

Judah, under King Rehoboam, began living like the ungodly people God had driven out of the Promised Land. So when the king of Egypt attacked, God removed his protection over Judah and the Israelites were defeated.

The enemy invaded the temple and took the beautiful gold pieces Solomon had commissioned. What Solomon intended to serve the temple for generations were lost because of his own son.

Rehoboam probably didn’t have the resources his dad had. Or maybe he didn’t think temple utensils were all that important. Whatever the reason, he hired craftsmen to make replacement shields. The ones that were stolen were gold. Rehoboam’s replacements were bronze. Polished up, they probably looked like gold from a distance. But closer inspection couldn’t hide the fact they were not the original. They just couldn’t compare.

I might be grasping at straws here, but I wonder if some of our churches have replaced the gold of the Bible for the bronze of a politically correct, feel-good replacement. It still looks like a church, but upon close inspection you can tell it isn’t the original.

God’s holiness, his demands for our holiness, his law and the consequences for breaking those laws don’t always leave us feeling good about ourselves. Proclaiming Jesus as the only way to the Father doesn’t always sit well with non-believers. Holding the Bible up as the standard for living upsets people who think they have a better idea.

But any other gospel is no gospel at all. It’s a poor imitation. And, in the end, it cannot stand up to closer inspection. 

What is your church made of? I pray you are involved in a solid gold fellowship where Jesus is honored and God is worshiped in all his holiness. I pray, like Paul, you stand united, not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it alone has the power to save. 

Let’s toss out the bronze and hold on to the gold.

June 11

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I Kings 12:1-13:34; 2 Chronicles 10:1-19, 11:1-4, 13-17

God had told the man of God exactly what to do. Go to Bethel and tell Jeroboam that God punishes disobedience, then get out. Don’t eat or drink anything. Don’t even go back the way you came. Just walk away and keep walking. The man of God didn’t have to guess at any of the details because God had spelled it all out for him.

But when someone who claimed to have received a special message from God that contradicted what the man of God knew to be true, the man of God changed his course. After all, didn’t the old prophet say he had received the message straight from God? So it must be true, right?

Wrong.

Dear one, it’s important for you to know what it is that God has spelled out in his Word. The Bible and ONLY the Bible is God’s instruction manual. It’s ok to read blogs (I’m glad you read mine) or commentaries or books about God. It’s good to listen to preaching and teaching. But you must always measure what you hear with what you read in the Bible. Always.

God will not ever, ever give a word to anyone that contradicts what he has already said in his Word. The Bible is God’s truth. Not the Bible plus anything.

And beware of those who would take a verse and use it to justify their own agenda if that verse, taken out of context, doesn’t agree with the rest of the Bible and who God is as revealed in the entire book.

The man of God died for his disobedience, even if the old prophet sounded like he had a revelation from God. The warning here for us is that if we accept a religion or a theology that contradicts what God said in his Word, we too will die for our disobedience. 

So I hope you continue to read my blog. But don’t take my word for it. Read the Bible for yourself. I hope you go to church and soak up the message from your pastor. But read the text for yourself and the chapters before and after the text. Is what you read or hear consistent with the entire Word of God?

The Bible is God’s instruction manual. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Hold it close. Study it. Live it. Know it so that you can discern when something you hear isn’t consistent with God’s truths written there. We have such a treasure in these pages. Don’t miss out on the blessings of reading God’s message for yourself. Let him speak to you through his Word today.

Dear God, thank you for the written Word, your message to your people in 2013. Help us to read it, love it, use it every day. Help us to know what you have said in it’s pages so that we recognize when someone’s message isn’t consistent with Scripture. Give discernment to your people as we study those precious books we call the Bible.

June 10

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Ecclesiastes 11&12; Psalms 73&88; I Kings 11:41-43, 14:21; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, 12:13&14

What is Solomon’s conclusion to his experiment? After who knows how many years of earnestly seeking happiness and meaning what is his answer?

Ecclesiastes 12:13&14 say:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Solomon came to realize late in life that it’s all about God. He challenges young people to remember their Creator before the days of trouble come. Wisdom, pleasure, wealth, religion, morality, living for yourself are all meaningless. 

I hope Solomon found joy at the end of his life. I hope he turned back to God and repented of his wasted years. The Bible doesn’t really say. It just tells us Solomon died after leading Israel for forty years and was buried in the City of David. 

I don’t know where you are in life but I do know it’s never too early or too late to turn to God. If you are finding your life has no meaning, if you cannot find joy and contentment, Solomon and I would suggest you are looking in the wrong places.

Jesus died to give your life meaning. He longs to fill you with his joy. Just accept it. Repent of selfish ambition or misguided efforts. Recognize sin and lay them at his feet. I promise you will find the most amazing meaning to life .

It’s in God alone.

June 9

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Ecclesiastes 7-10

Solomon continues his quest to find happiness and meaning to life. In these chapters he takes a look at morality and suggests maybe living life in the middle of the road is the answer. But once again he will have to admit that there is still something lacking.

I knew a young man fresh out of seminary. He was an eager young youth pastor who knew God had called him into ministry and looked forward to the day when he could pastor his own church. There was nothing middle-of-the-road about this young man.

After church one Sunday evening he and I were sitting around talking about God and life and our church and he asked me what I thought was the meaning of life, the reason for humanity. It caught me off guard and I said something brilliant like, “I don’t know”.

He said something I will never forget. Something that changed my life. He said we are all created to love God. Period.

In Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 Solomon once again throws up his hands and laments that man can never discover the meaning of life. Well, Solomon, my young friend would disagree with you. He would tell you you can’t find the meaning of life because you are looking in the wrong places.

The truth is life is not a mystery. God has lovingly spelled it all out in his Word. Why are you here? To love God. What does God want you to do today? Love him. What is his plan for you? To love him more.

Period.

Everything else in life comes as a result of our love (or lack of love) for God. True meaning, happiness, contentment, joy, whatever it is you are looking for is found in that relationship with the Lord, the One who created you to love him in the first place.

Dear God, forgive us when we make life so complicated. Help us to grasp the enormity of the truth that we are created to fellowship with you, that we are meant to love you, that nothing is more important and nothing more satisfying.

June 8

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Ecclesiastes 3-6

J. Vernon McGee wrote a “Thru the Bible” commentary a while back and I dug my copy out this morning. I had remembered using it as a reference when I taught an adult Sunday School Class several years ago. Here’s how Dr. McGee sees Solomon’s experiment in finding fulfillment.

Chapter 3:1-15. The king adopts a fatalistic point of view. Whatever will be will be so what’s the use. Many religions and modern-day philosophies see life in this way. Solomon found there is no joy in believing that life is mapped out by some deity and there’s nothing you can do about it. 

Chapter 3:16-4:16 Solomon embraces the philosophy that it’s “all about me”. He says that since this life is all we get, why not live it up? He even toyed with the idea that man is no better than animals, that the end is the same for both. Again, Solomon was disappointed.

Chapter 5:1-10 Solomon takes a look at religion. It’s like he’s saying, go through the motions but don’t get too close. Going to the temple is one thing but don’t make a vow to God. We who are Christians understand that. Christianity is not a religion. It’s a person. It’s a relationship. It’s so true that religion falls short and cannot bring true joy or fulfillment.

Chapter 5:10-6:12 chronicles Solomon’s search for meaning through wealth. He’s not going to find fulfillment there, either.

Like I said yesterday Solomon was on a mission to find happiness because he hated life at this point. And Solomon had the means to conduct an elaborate experiment. What we’re seeing in Solomon’s experience is that fatalism, self-centeredness, religion, and wealth are incapable of bringing real happiness to anyone.

The void that God created in each of us is designed to be filled with only him. We might try to substitute something or someone else. But in the end, true happiness, joy in the midst of difficulties, hope, acceptance, love are the benefits we receive when God alone fills that void. 

Solomon’s going to keep experimenting and we are going to go along for the ride in the next couple of days. But my prayer is that we all will take inventory. Have we tried to fill a void in our lives with anything other than God himself? 

Lord, reveal any similarities we have to Solomon’s quest. May your people be filled with Jesus only.

June 7

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I Kings 11; Ecclesiastes 1-2

The wisest, richest, most productive, and most popular king that ever lived hated life. But before we talk about how Solomon was feeling, let’s look at some of the choices he had made.

I Kings 11 tells us Solomon had a weakness. He loved women. He married 700 of them and had sex with 300 more. And instead of insisting that these women worship Solomon’s God, he allowed them to continue to worship their idols. 

I can almost hear a Moabite wife, whispering to Solomon in a private moment saying: If you really loved me you’d join me as I pray to Chemosh.

And gradually Solomon began to take part in the worship of these false Gods. Verse six says Solomon did evil in God’s sight.

So Solomon did what mankind has been doing since the Garden. He tried to replace God. Ecclesiastes says he went on a mission to find happiness and spared no expense. 

The king started with what he already had… wisdom. And he tried to learn everything he could about everything he could think of. He hired the best science teachers, philosophers, historians. He studied hard. But in the end he had to admit that intellect, all the knowledge in the world is like chasing after the wind.

So he went on to something else. Fun. Solomon had the means to throw the best parties. And he did. He hired the best entertainment. He served the best food. He invited the rich and famous. He owned more gold, silver, livestock, land than anyone. He built gardens and parks and reservoirs. He denied himself nothing. If material gain and living to please yourself could bring happiness, Solomon would have been the happiest man ever.

But he wasn’t happy. He found out that “things” can’t satisfy  no matter how lavish. What does he say about his experiment with pleasures?

This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

We’re not done looking at Solomon’s quest for happiness and fulfillment. But I think God would ask us all to check our own pursuits. What is it I am working toward? What is it I am using to replace God in my life? Is it education or science? Is it living for the weekend, having things, being caught up in material possessions? If we are honest we will agree with Solomon. None of that is eternal. None of that can last. 

If we are pursuing education or pleasure as means of fulfillment we might as well try to case the wind.

Dear God, as we look at the book of Ecclesiastes I pray that we will do so with open hearts and minds. Some who read this may hate life like Solomon did. May each of us be ready to take inventory, to recognize those things we think are so important in our lives, and to measure them according to your standards. I pray you will use Solomon’s words to help us know where true happiness lies.

June 6

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Proverbs 31; I Kings 4:20-28, 10:14-21, 23-29; 2 Chronicles 9:13-20, 22-28, 1:14-17

Years ago the pastor of our church shared a message from Proverbs 31 I’ll never forget. It was one of those ah-ha moments for me because before that I had dismissed Lemuel’s proverb as being unattainable. I always thought the answer to the question in verse 10 – A wife of noble character, who can find?- to be “no one”.

There isn’t anyone I know who can live up to the list Lemuel’s mother gave him. I doubt even she could have passed the test.

But what this pastor reminded us that Sunday morning is that the church is the Bride of Christ. If we read these verses in that light we will see the recipe – God’s plan- for a healthy church.

Does your church have a reputation such that the people (you) who worship there have noble character? Are you a church hard at work sewing seeds of the Gospel in your neighborhoods? Do you open your arms to the poor? Is your God respected in the city because your church exists?

There is so much here to challenge the Bride of Christ. But, dear friend, we individuals aren’t left off the hook. We are the church. 

As you read Proverbs 31 do you recognize yourself anywhere? Are you one in your church family who works with eager hands? Do you provide food for your church family in the form of teaching? Do you represent Christ 24/7? Do you speak with wisdom? Do you watch over the affairs of the church by being on one of the boards or volunteer in the kitchen?

As part of the church (and I hope you are an active member in a Bible-believing fellowship), no one is expected to do it all. But all of us are expected to do something.

Read this proverb again and ask God to nudge you toward service. Your church, the Bride of Christ, you as an individual are called to get an important job done. How are you doing?

June 5

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Proverbs 28-30

Are you one of the millions of people who play the lottery hoping, maybe even praying for that big windfall? Do you dream about what you’d do with a couple million dollars? Do you try to strike a bargain with God by telling him all the great things you’d do with that money?

Agur asked two things of God. One was honesty. The other was middle-class living. Agur didn’t want to hit the lottery because he didn’t want to even be tempted to disown God. He didn’t want to be so poor he’d be tempted to steal, either. So he asked God to allow him to live honestly and modestly.

How much money would it take for you to be satisfied? Probably most of us reading these Scriptures today are able to pay our bills. There is probably food in our refrigerators. And we have shoes on our feet. I’m not saying riches are evil. And I’m not saying people who live in poverty are criminals. 

But I think God is asking us to take inventory. Many of the proverbs speak about work, doing our best, not just sitting around. Are you a good worker regardless of your financial position? Can you lay your head on your pillow each night confident that you honored God with what you accomplished? Do you tithe from what you already have? If God can’t trust you with what you have don’t even think about getting more.

I am not saying it’s wrong to work for a promotion at work. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be trying to do our best and it’s ok to expect to get paid. But if riches are our focus we’ve already fallen into the temptation Agur was fearful of.

Paul said he learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself. My prayer is that we all will do that, too. Instead of dreaming about that quick fix, that instant wealth, let’s thank God for what we have and get busy doing what is important for eternity.

Honest living. Modest living. Sounds like a plan.