There is this pastor in Kaufman, TX at First Baptist Church, named Dr. Brent Gentzel. He is a great pastor to a dear friend of mine. So I have been getting his daily devotions and they always inspire me to think and write. (Maybe its because they are short, they come right to my cell phone, and include the scripture so its easy for me to get through because I don't get alot of quiet and still time to study with my youngsters.) Today I received the one below and it really hit home for me in an unusual way.
I am a blessed woman and I have had some amazing friends and family in my life. In the past I have also been confronted with some very challenging relationships. Those kind of relationships that leave you wondering what God was trying to teach you in the midst of them. More specifically, those kinds of people who are very opinionated and if you differ from their opinions you are made out to be wrong, or look bad, or less than worthy enough to be in their fellowship or circle of friends and family. I am also talking about those kind of people who take something from you...whether it be your joy, something or someone you love, or even your possessions. I am not saying that I have never been that way as well and I am aware that at times I have been the offender. Nevertheless, now that I am striving to become more like Christ daily, I try to steer clear of the unwelcoming and un-noble spirit no matter how "unbecoming" to me that person may be. Rather than going off on all offenses and sins I will bypass that part and just explain that the Bible says we should love others the way we love ourselves. If we do that, then people will see the love of Christ in us and that is my ultimate goal.
SO all of that brings me back to my thoughts on the message below. (If you haven't read that already, you should probably do that now!)
I know that the offenders I know don't compare to Jezebel, but this message reminds me of the people that I pray for. If my pushy, un-noble, selfish, and opinionated enemies don't change their hearts, then its evident in the people around them. In the end will they be honored and have good memories by those who tried so hard to love them, or have less friends who harbor bitter memories? Their lives and attitudes speak for themselves. My goal in life is to strive to be the opposite of Jezebel and love my Jezebel's regardless of how Jezebellie they are!
Hopefully, we can all overcome our inner Jezebel and become like Christ. May we realize that relationships are mess worth making even if they only draw us personally to Christ. May we strive to get to the point when we love people so much and so hard that even though they hurt us, we can still stand to be in the same room with them and pray for them in the midst of superficial conversation. May God give us wisdom to bring out the positive in conversation and steer those people in the paths of righteousness. May we grow in wisdom and knowledge in how to confront our offenders in love and not in anger. May we love our enemies so much that instead of dreading to see them, we seek God's power for the strength to be their friend...because in the end, when we love our enemies, we are loving our Creator.
A devotion written by Brent Gentzel...
Kings 21
1 Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. 2 One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it."3 But Naboth replied, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors."
4 So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth's answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat!
5 "What's the matter?" his wife Jezebel asked him. "What's made you so upset that you're not eating?"
6 "I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or trade it, but he refused!" Ahab told her.
7 "Are you the king of Israel or not?" Jezebel demanded. "Get up and eat something, and don't worry about it. I'll get you Naboth's vineyard!"
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived. 9 In her letters she commanded: "Call the citizens together for fasting and prayer, and give Naboth a place of honor. 10 And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
11 So the elders and other town leaders followed the instructions Jezebel had written in the letters. 12 They called for a fast and put Naboth at a prominent place before the people. 13 Then the two scoundrels came and sat down across from him. And they accused Naboth before all the people, saying, "He cursed God and the king." So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death. 14 The town leaders then sent word to Jezebel, "Naboth has been stoned to death."
15 When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, "You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn't sell you? Well, you can have it now! He's dead!" 16 So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it.
17 But the Lord said to Elijah, 18 "Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth's vineyard in Jezreel, claiming it for himself. 19 Give him this message: 'This is what the Lord says: Wasn't it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood at the very place where they licked the blood of Naboth!'"
20 "So, my enemy, you have found me!" Ahab exclaimed to Elijah.
"Yes," Elijah answered, "I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord's sight. 21 So now the Lord says, 'I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel! 22 I am going to destroy your family as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me very angry and have led Israel into sin.'
23 "And regarding Jezebel, the Lord says, 'Dogs will eat Jezebel's body at the plot of land in Jezreel.'
24 "The members of Ahab's family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures."
25 (No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord's sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. 26 His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done-the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.)
27 But when Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning.
28 Then another message from the Lord came to Elijah: 29 "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty."
| As Wicked a Woman |
| Ahab was a lousy king. He did the wrong thing on most every turn, though his repentance at the end of this passage saves his life. His wife, however, was even worse. She must have been a terror. In today's story we read about an intricate plot to murder a man just because he doesn't want to sell his family's land. Ahab wants the land so he can have a vegetable garden! In Hebrew the name Jezebel means, "there is no nobility." Though she had the title of queen, there was nothing about her that was nobel. Those who come to power are given an opportunity to lead, but their position is also to be a position of service. Noble thoughts are thoughts that center on the well being of the whole community or nation. They are not selfish or self-serving, but altruistic and benevolent. In 2 Kings 9, Jezebel comes to a horrible end as her own servants throw her out of the palace window. The newly anointed King, Jehu, invites this betrayal which these are quick to accomplish. As Elijah had promised, the dogs devour her body before a burial can take place. Among other things, evil lives are wasted lives. Jezebel could have used her position of influence to do so much that was good and noble. Instead she lived selfishly and died ignominiously. May we learn from her wretched life. |
Lord, Thank You for Your leadership in my life. I love You above all things and want to live as a noble representative of my God and King. Help me to be always mindful of the wretched life of Jezebel. May her bad example prompt me to live a much more fruitful and faithful life.
Brent Gentzel
Thank you Dr. Gentzel for your ministry and your devotions.
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