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.

May 5

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2 Samuel 23:20-39, 8:15-18, 7:1-29; I Chronicles 11:22-47, 18:14-17, 17:1-27

God says “no” to David and what does David do? David praises God. God makes it clear that David will not build the temple and instead of pouting or getting angry David thanks God for blessing his family.

I don’t know anyone who enjoys hearing “no”. We tend to want what we want when we want it and the word “no” gets in our way. But we can learn from David’s example.

Because the truth of the matter is we can’t always get what we want. And what we want isn’t always what is best for us.

Remember – prayer is not like rubbing a genie’s lamp. There is no magic if you say the right words or conjure up the right kind of faith. God wants us to bring our requests to him and lay them at his feet. And you can’t lay those requests at his feet if you are still holding on to them. God wants us to trust him to do the right thing with those requests as we let them go.

A “no” to a prayer isn’t a sign that God doesn’t love us or hear us. Just the opposite. A “no” means he loves us enough to want what’s best for us. And he knows what’s up ahead is even better!

Loving Father, thank you for wanting what is best for us. Help us to trust you enough to really let go of those things we think are so important. Hear our prayers and answer them according  to your will. And may we accept the “no’s” as well as the “yes’s” as gifts from you.

May 4

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Psalms 124, 108, 60, 44, 20; 2 Samuel 8:9-14, 23:18-19; 1 Chronicles 18:9-13, 11:20-21

Even David experienced defeat once in a while. He knew what it was to be distressed and feel as though God had forgotten his misery. He boldly questions God – Why do you sleep? Why do you hide your face?

Sometimes I think we put undue pressure on each other by suggesting a sanctified life is like a walk in the park. We may get the idea that having faith means always accepting life with a smile on our faces. We may even have been told that Christians never question God, that doing so is a sin. 

I’ll tell you right now that there have been things that have happened in my life that have caused me to ask some questions. I don’t believe God intends for us to stop thinking and feeling when we accept him as our Savior. 

But I, like David, have learned that even when I don’t understand, God assures me of his love and gives me hope. There is something… Someone… greater than anything this world can hand me. 

So I will continue to question. I’ll continue to ask for victory. I’ll keep on going to God with my heart’s desire. And even though I may not get the answers I think I need this side of heaven, I’ll trust him because he can be trusted and he loves me more than I can even imagine. 

 

May 3

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Psalms 51, 103, 21, 2 Samuel 12:24-31, 8:2-8, 23:20, I Chronicles 20:1-3, 18:2-8, 11:22

We sin. It’s not like we wake up each morning and decide to disobey. But we are fallen, we are human. And we sin.

Unconfessed sin and an unrepentant heart have serious consequences, not the least of which is a broken relationship with our holy God.

Did you pray with David today as your read Psalm 51? Did God bring to mind that thought or action that you identified as sin? God desires truth in the inner parts. What did he reveal to you this morning?

David prays, “cleanse me”, “wash me”, “create in me a pure heart”, “renew a steadfast spirit in me”, “restore to me the joy of your salvation”. He prays these things with confidence that God will do it. He’ll be whiter than snow!

Then, in Psalm 103 he praises God from his inmost being. He says God forgives all our sins, heals our diseases, redeems our life, crowns us with love, and satisfies our desires. Doesn’t that make you want to praise him, too?

Father, thank you for the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood. I pray for all of us today, that you will examine us and reveal unconfessed sin. Then may we bow before you with repentant hearts. Wash us. Cleanse us. Restore us through your Son. And then may we go about our day praising you for what you have done.

May 2

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2 Samuel 11:2-12:24, Psalms 6, 32, 38

David was so mad at the rich man who took the pet of the poor neighbor’s children to serve it for lunch. In fact, David wanted the rich man to die for being so mean and thoughtless. Until he realized he was that rich man.

It tends to be easier to recognize sin in everyone else except ourselves, don’t you think?One might call someone out for having an affair, yet visit pornography in the privacy of their own home. Another might condemn a person for murdering a neighbor yet vote for legislators who enable unborn children to be murdered without penalty. We might break off a relationship because someone lied, yet tell our boss we got caught in traffic instead of overslept.

Didn’t Jesus say something about taking care of the plank in our own eye before we worry about the splinter in someone else’s?

This is not to say that we shouldn’t identify sin in ourselves and in others. We want to hold each other accountable before God. The lesson here is that we need to be honest about our own sin as well as the sin of others. We need to ask God to forgive us before we tell someone else to do the same.

Sometimes we might think if we protest loudly and often enough about some sin in someone else’s life people won’t notice that sin in us. 

But be warned. God notices. We may be able to pull off a charade with those people around us, but God sees it all. And he paid for it all. 

May we confess our sin and accept his forgiveness. Then… and only then… may we lovingly point others to the cross where they can find forgiveness, too.

Father, may we not ignore sin in our own lives or in the lives of our loved ones. Give us the ability to see ourselves as you see us. Point out those things that need confessed. And may we fall at your feet in repentance. Thank you for the forgiveness that is ours for the asking. Thank you for the precious blood of Jesus.

May 1

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2 Samuel 23:8-12, I Chronicles 11:1-14, 2 Samuel 21:19-22, I Chronicles 20:5-8, 2 Samuel 10:1-19, I Chronicles 19:1-19, Psalm 33, 2 Samuel 11:1, I Chronicles 20:1a

David was just being kind. Some guy’s dad died so David sent some of his men to calling hours. Well, at least to express David’s sympathy and to show kindness to the grieving son.

But the son, along with his frat buddies, treated David’s men shamefully. I’m pretty sure they had quite a laugh at half-shaven faces and bare bottoms. That’s just mean.

Have you ever reached out to someone only to have that person laugh at you or humiliate you? Kindness is not always met with gratitude, is it?

Yet Jesus tells us to treat others the way we’d like to be treated. There are no “ifs” in that command. Jesus spent a lot of his short ministry telling us and showing us how important it is to treat each other with kindness.

There is no guarantee your kind deed will bring about good, however. The person to whom you show kindness may reject you, humiliate you, or repay you with evil. So why take the chance?

Because when you show kindness you have the privilege of being God’s hands, feet, and voice. Your kindness may be an avenue by which God wants to reveal himself to someone who needs him.

Why take the chance of humiliation?

Because God asks us to.

April 30

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Psalms 24, 65, 68, 110, 19, 2 Samuel 8:1, 21:15-18, I Chronicles 18:1, 20:4

I remember memorizing Psalm 19 when I was a kid. I’d have to study it some to get through it without looking. But often these words come back to me even today.

Nature declares the glory of God and the work of his hand. It’s foolishness to look at our world and deny it’s Creator.

David also writes about what Scripture means to him. Scripture is sure, lovely, precious and sweeter than honey. I so agree with David about that.

Then in verse 12 he confesses sin and asks God to keep him from willfully sinning.

Verse 14 has become my life verse recently. Has a verse ever stuck with you and seem to direct your life for a time? I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 3:5, Job 23:10 have been some of mine over the years. I find as I grow and change, God seems to bring the perfect Scripture to mind and use it to mold me into the woman he intends for me to be.

Lately God seems to be focusing on my heart’s attitude and my witness… the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart.

So I will keep this verse before me until he nudges me toward another. Until then, my prayer will be that those things in my life will be pleasing to my Rock, my Redeemer.

Father God, thank you for your Word. With David I praise you for the sure, lovely, precious and sweet Scripture that you so lovingly breathed into the ears of your servants so many years ago. Thank you that, even though those words have been around for centuries, they are alive and active  today. May we be sensitive to what you would have us learn as we open these precious pages each day.

April 29

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2 Samuel 6:12-23, Psalm 15, I Chronicles 15:1-16:43

Did you catch what David said about the first time they tried to move the ark? He said they had done it without going to God first. The second time went well because they looked to God for instruction and carried the ark exactly the way Moses told them to years ago.

David had wanted to do the right thing but God made it plain that David needed to do the right thing God’s way.
It’s the same lesson we saw yesterday. Not every good deed can be blessed of God. Not everything done in Jesus’ name is from him.

If what we do isn’t bathed in prayer first, what we do can be sin in God’s eyes. Before we go about our day, before we make some grand gesture we think will please the Lord, let’s spend time in his Word so we can know his heart. Let’s go before the throne and commit our day and desires to him.

Let’s not put the ark on the cart when he warns us to carry it with poles.

Father, I thank you that you are a God who leads his children. Make plain your will for us today. And may you find us faithful.

April 28

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Psalms 16, 101, 2 Samuel 5:6-12, 17-25, 23:13-17, 6:1-11, I Chronicles 11:4-9, 14:8-17, I Chronicles 11:15-19, 13:1-14

It seemed harmless enough. In fact, it seemed like the right thing to do. Loving, even. The ark of the Lord looked like it was going to fall when the oxcart lurched so Uzzah simply reached out to steady it. What’s so bad about that?

Well, if we look back at God’s instructions concerning the ark we see that he established it as the place he would reside and that no one was to touch it. Ever. There were elaborate instructions using long poles so that those who carried the ark wouldn’t even come close. 

It wasn’t that Uzzah didn’t know that. But why couldn’t God overlook this one little act when it seemed so innocent? 

Uzzah disobeyed. Disobedience is sin. What happened to Uzzah was a direct result of his disobedience.

The lesson here is that God’s standards are black and white. I’m glad for that, actually. He doesn’t make life a guessing game. He spells it all out and we can trust him to stick with it.

Good intentions are meaningless if they result in sin. A loving act can be sinful if there is disobedience involved.

Dear friend, God cannot overlook sin no matter how we dress it up.

Holy God, I thank you that your word to us spells things out so clearly. Thank you that you are consistent, never changing. May we honor you today with obedience according to your word.

April 27

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I Chronicles 12:23-40, Psalms 2, 78

I thought it was interesting to see how some of the warriors were described. ‘Zadok, a brave young warrior’. ‘Issacher understood the times’. ‘The men of Zebulun were experienced soldiers’. ‘Men of Daniel ready for battle’. ‘Men of Ephraim were famous in their own clan’. (that one makes me smile)

So God is asking me how I think I would be described. How would I want to be described?

‘Connie the lazy one.’ No, I don’t like that. ‘Connie the gossip’. Doesn’t work for me, either. ‘Connie the teacher, the school counselor’. I loved my career in public education. But I don’t think that defines me, either.

I think I’d like to be described as ‘ Connie, the woman who loves the Lord’. Or ‘Connie, God’s servant’. Or ‘Connie the caring one.’ How about ‘Connie, one who looks like Jesus’.

What is it I want people to see in me? What defines me?

I know when I stand before the Lord he will describe me as ‘Connie, the one who is righteous and holy because she accepted mine.’

But until then I have some thinking to do. Maybe I have some changing to do. Because the reality is people are describing me whether I want them to or not. I need to consider carefully what they are saying.

God, thank you for your word to us today. Help us to consider how we are representing ourselves… how we are representing you. May we be rightly described as Godly people. It will glorify you if we are.

April 26

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I Samuel 2:1-5:5, I Chronicles 3:1-4, 11:1-3

There is so much killing in the Old Testament. Abner and Joab were sitting around a pool and decided to each pick twelve men to fight one other. All twenty-four men died. Abner killed Asahel because Asahel wouldn’t quit following him. So Asahel’s brother Joab killed Abner for killing Asahel. Recab and Baanah killed Ish-Bosheth so David had Recab and Baanah killed for killing Saul’s son.

Yet again I am glad I live this side of the cross.

But how does this apply to me today? Jesus reminds me that one of the commandments is… thou shalt not kill. Then he adds… if you hate someone you’ve murdered them in your heart. ‘An eye for an eye’ may have been the way of life before, but Jesus taught us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek. 

In a sense it’s harder to live a holy life in Jesus’ spiritual kingdom. In the Old Testament it was fairly easy to identify sin. You killed someone you died. You committed a sexual sin you died. You worshiped an idol you died.

But Jesus’ kingdom is no longer flesh and blood. God looks deeper than the surface and demands we not only act holy, but that holiness define our hearts, our attitudes, our thought-life.

Dear Jesus, may I live up to your standards today. Guard my heart and my mind and help me to obey you from the inside out.