1 Kings 15:25 – 16:7
Power, Politics, and Providence

In the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Nadab, son of Jeroboam, reigned only two years before he was assassinated by a rival, Baasha. One of Baasha’s first acts as king was to kill everyone belonging to the house of Jeroboam, thus fulfilling the prophecy spoken by a prophet of the Lord against Jeroboam in 1 Kings 14:10-11,14. Pastor Todd asked, “So … did Baasha do the right thing?” The answer is no; Baasha’s act was evil. The fuller explanation is that God is sovereign even over evil. Without being involved in it, He uses evil to advance His good plan. That’s hard for us to understand! But instead of letting our lack of understanding cause us to doubt God, Todd advised us to bow before Him. Worship the great King and admit that your finite human mind cannot fully comprehend Him. You are God, and I am not!

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be part of the remnant faithful to Yahweh in Israel during this time? You are surrounded by idolators from the top of society down. The kingship is highly unstable; with one thrust of a sword, your nation has a new king.* War is a constant, and it’s not a proxy war fought far away. If you think America is in dire straits this election year, the situation in 10th century BC Israel was worse. But the Lord was sovereign then, at work during a dark and evil time; He is sovereign and at work now. With election day just seven weeks away, pray for yourself and for all of us to stay focused on the big picture. Pray that we will put our hope in God, not in the outcome of the election. Pray that we will honor the Lord by treating people who disagree with us politically with respect and kindness.

Todd taught that Jehu’s prophecy against Baasha was an opportunity for Baasha to repent and also a warning to others who provoke the Lord to anger. He drew a parallel between the opportunity offered to Baasha and the gospel and urged any unbelievers listening to talk to someone today. That word today reminded me of this verse: Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts … (Psalm 95:7-8) Has the Lord been asking you to do something you are putting off (in other words, resisting)? The enemy of your soul says, “Tomorrow is fine.” But God says, today!

Calvary Family

Tim Kling finished the race last Friday morning and is now in the glorious presence of his Lord. His family and close friends, though, are facing a huge hole ripped in their lives. Pray for Tim’s wife, Amy, and his children, Grace and Joseph, as they learn how to move forward without him. A celebration of life for Tim will be held this Thursday evening at 7:00 in our worship center.

I’m pretty sure the Men’s Breakfast this Saturday will lack the lovely décor we enjoyed at the Women’s Breakfast in August! But the presence of the Holy Spirit, active in the body of Christ, is most important. Pray for good and godly fellowship among our men, and pray that any unbelieving guests will be drawn by the Spirit.

Most of our small groups are starting this week. Pray that every group member will be committed to faithful Bible study and full participation in group meetings. Pray that we each will ask, How can I contribute to the group? not, What do I get out of it? Pray that every group member will grow in Christ over the course of the year

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

* This chart lining up the reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel is helping me keep things straight as we work our way through 1 Kings.

** This is an abbreviated version of our weekly prayer blog. For the full version, including congregation prayer requests, subscribe here.