Author: Rick Henderson

Re:Verse passage – 2 Samuel 18:6-11 (day seven)

And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. vs 18:9b

Earlier in 2 Samuel 14, we learn that Absalom had beautiful hair. So much so, that he prided himself in it and weighed it every year when he got it trimmed. In our Re:Verse passage, it is believed that it was actually his hair that got caught up in the brush. Is it not ironic that the thing that Absalom most prided himself in was the very thing that led to his demise? Quite literally, his pride came before his fall.

That is the way Satan works. C.S. Lewis says,

Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

We live in a world that encourages us to be self-consumed. We find pride in our job, in our accomplishments, in our possessions, in our looks, and even in our children. Although it is not necessarily a bad thing to be proud of these items, it becomes sinful when humility does not precede it. We must first give recognition to Whom made all of these things possible. If we do not realize that we are simply the stewards of these things that already belong to God, we will end up just like Absalom, hung up in our pride waiting for our fall.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Samuel 16:5-13 (day seven)

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. vs 13

Even before Pentecost, there were manifestations of the Holy Spirit within individuals whom God had chosen for miraculous works. As we have studied in previous weeks, Joshua, Samson and many others were filled and equipped just when they needed it most. It was not their own power that led them, but the power of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not a construct that came about solely out of New Testament texts. Interwoven from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is a story about the Godhead. We can see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working as One on every page. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This same God has chosen you today. He has filled you with His Spirit. What miraculous works is He empowering you to do?

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 7:6-12, 20-21 (day seven)

I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. Joshua 7:12

and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

Aren’t you thankful for the cross? Without the cross, we alone are accountable for our transgressions. Without the cross, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Without the cross, we put others at risk with every selfish decision. Aren’t you thankful for the cross?

Aren’t you thankful for the empty tomb? Without the empty tomb, the presence of the Lord is not guaranteed. Without the empty tomb, we are left to fight our enemies alone. Without the empty tomb, death would be our greatest fear. Aren’t you thankful for the empty tomb?

The cross and the tomb bring us the promise of a Risen Savior. They bring us a promise that the Lord will always be by our side. They promise us hope.

He is Risen!

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 5:13-15; 6:1-5 (day seven)

Growing up in a Christian home, I developed an affinity for an outrageous christian children’s show known as “Veggie Tales.” Possibly my favorite episode from this show was “Josh and the Big Wall!” Simply for entertainment purposes, I have provided a link to one of the scenes here.

What I love about this scene, is that it paints the picture of the absurdity of God’s command that we often glaze over in our familiarity to this passage. It was crazy. It was absurd. It was God. The only way to explain this victory is that God knocked down those walls.

Why then did He ask the Israelites to march with such strict orders and regiment? Couldn’t God have knocked down that wall the moment they arrived? Sure, but God invited Israel to partner with Him in this conquest. David Guzik says, “He wanted them to be a part of His work – as He wants us to be a part of His work today.”

God is still in the business of knocking down walls! Are you putting yourself in position to partner with Him so that you might be the vessel He uses to knock down another wall?

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 2:1-21 (day seven)  

I do not know where the men went. vs 5

Does the Bible say lying is wrong? Yes… and No. Have we been lied to about lying? Possibly. In a Mandela effect sort of way, we have lumped all lies into the same category. The ten commandments addresses lies in more of a legal sense. See Exodus 20 and Leviticus 19, but the Bible does not outright prohibit dishonesty. That is because there is grey area in the discussion. Case in Point: Rahab. She lied to save another persons life. In particular, two individuals who would help lead God’s people into the Promised Land. Was it sinful? The Bible would actually say that she was righteous in the act. See James 2:25 and Hebrews 11:31. 

So is lying sinful? I would say, most of the time, it is. A deep dive into scripture will show you hundreds of lies and deceptions all with a web of consequences following the initial act. There are rare occurrences where the lie is used for the glory of God and to further the Kingdom. Those rare occurrences tell us more about God’s sovereignty than the justification of dishonesty. My guess is that most of the lies you tell are not in this category.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 50:15-20 (day seven)  

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. Gen 50:20

I am sure that Satan rejoiced the moment that Joseph was thrown into the pit. I’m sure he laughed thinking he had won this battle, but the story wasn’t finished yet. God meant it for good. We have seen this in our own lives. There are those “God, what are doing?” moments where we are unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It seems as if God has abandoned us and neglected our prayers. It seems like Satan won. Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes it takes years, but there is usually a point where you look back and you see that it was God working all along. He was leading you through the valley of the shadow death so that you might come out on the other side stronger and that there was no other way to explain it than He was in control.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Rom 8:28

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 22:1-18 (day seven)

Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” 22:14

God is our provider. He always provides what we need when we need it. Abraham knew that God had promised Issac to carry on his family legacy. Yet, he was patient when it appeared like God was taking that away. If I were in that spot, I do not think I would have had that resolve. I think I would have been questioning God, “Isn’t there another way?!” Not Abraham. He had a firm conviction that God would provide no matter what.

The question is, do you have the patience to wait for God’s promises in your own life? We often get impatient with God when things do not begin to go the way we had planned. We know these two things to be true: God is our provider and God is a good Father. A good father is going to provide good gifts for His children (Matthew 7:7-11). We need to be patient even when it appears that our good gifts might be taken away. Our Good Father will provide.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 6:5-22 (day seven) 

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  vs 5

How wicked must the world have been at this time for God to have to hit a reset button? I look at the world today and begin to ask myself, how much more wicked can it get? I find myself in moments of despair saying, “Lord Jesus come quickly!” However, if this was as wicked as things could get and there was no turning back, God would intervene. That means that God can redeem this world.  He is not ready to hit the reset button yet.

His answer to me when I say, “Lord Jesus come quickly!” is always, “If I came today, your neighbor would go to hell. What will you do to fix that?”

Even if this world may seem lost as it has ever been, our job is not to dwell on when Jesus will fix it, but to get out there and fix it ourselves with His power within us. We can hit the reset button!