October 20, 2023
2 Kings 1:1-5
After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”  3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.  5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”
New International Version (NIV)
Is the Lord ever our "Plan B"?   Sooner or later we run into a situation which we can neither fix or escape.  What is our plan in that moment?  To whom do we turn?
When King Ahaziah was injured in a fall, his first thought was not the Lord but Baal. He sent messengers to consult the god of the Philistines in Ekron.  
The Lord sent Elijah to intercept the messengers.  He asked them, "Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you, the King of Judah, consult a foreign god?"  Great question.  
We must keep the Lord ever before us, first in our thoughts.  Why would we trust a difficulty with anyone but the Lord?  He is never plan B.  Apart from God we can do nothing.
Pray with me:
Father, we confess that you are not always first in our thoughts.  We ask you to forgive us.  Help us to rely on you completely because you never fail.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen. 
Our 2023 Every Day with Jesus readings are taken from Robert Murray M'Cheyne's Bible Reading Calendar. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy here:
2023 Reading Plan
Please join us in reading through the scriptures again this year.  We will read the New Testament twice and the Old Testament once this year. M'Cheyne once said, “A man is who he is on his knees, and nothing more.”  Would you pray with me that God will make his word live to us this year?  Let’s not just get through the Bible.  Let it get through to us!

Joyfully, 
Duane 
About Duane Archives
 Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
555 Tallowood Road
Houston, TX | 77024 US
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
Subscribe to our email list.