A Bible Passage for Supervisors and Managers

I want to deviate some from the writing format I’ve been using, so far. I want to give the background of this chapter in order to condense this. This is about 2 Chronicles, Chapter 10. I hate to include the whole chapter.

Rehoboam, who is Solomon’s son, became king after Solomon died. The Israelites sent spokesmen to King Rehoboam to ask him to lighten their work load. They said his father had been much too harsh on them. They asked him to lighten their work load and promised they would be loyal to him in return. He told them to come back in three days so that he could have some time to think about it.

First, King Rehoboam went to get advice from the old men who told him that if he lightened the Israelites work load and talked nicely to them, they would be his servants forever. Then King Rehoboam went to get the advice of the young men (his friends) who told him to tell the Israelites that if they thought his father made their workload heavy, just wait and see how heavy he was going to make it. His friends told him that he was much more of a man than his father. (Paraphrased)

Well, after three days, the Israelites came back to King Rehoboam to get his reply to their request to lighten their workload. He ignored the advice of the older men. And answered the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 10, verse 14. The Israelites rebelled against King Rehoboam.

I wish supervisors and managers would read this passage. It shows that the treatment the boss gives their employees can make the difference of whether the employees are loyal and productive or whether they rebel. The other thing that this passage reminds me of is how easy it is for people to ignore the advice God has given them through the Bible and choose to follow the advice of their friends instead. Obviously, friends don’t always have the best of advice, as evidenced in this passage.

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.


I've shared my connections to this passage. Please share your connections below.

Is God Trying to Get Our Attention?

And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now Mine Eyes shall be open, and Mine Ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My Name may be there forever: and Mine Eyes and Mine Heart shall be there perpetually. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 7, verses 12-16.
And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 7, verse 22.
This sounds like sometimes when we have droughts, floods or pestilence like locusts, etc., God is trying to get our attention. I feel like it’s His way of saying, “People down on Earth, you are losing your focus on Me. You are getting caught up in worldly things and doubt My existence by taking credit for the things I do.” God, who is infinitely merciful, goes on to say that if we turn back to Him, He will forgive us.

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.



This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

Do People Have to Have Monumental Miracles Before They Are Willing to Believe in God?

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the Glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the Glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the Glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped and praised the LORD, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 7, verses 1-3.


This passage never really hit me before, but when I read it this time it left a stronger impact on me. I started thinking about how God has had to do all of these very dramatic miracles to get people to believe He is the One True God. I guess if I weren’t too sure of my faith and I saw fire come down from heaven and burn up a slab of meat, there would be no doubt in my mind that God was responsible for it, even if I had doubted before!

Do people have to have these monumental miracles before they believe in God? It’s kind of sad that some of us have a Missouri (the “Show-Me State”) mentality. Do I have to have God “Show-Me” miracles before I’m truly willing to believe in Him and not doubt His existence?

God does all types of miracles in my life each and every day. When I was taking a heavy class-load of difficult teacher preparatory classes, I didn’t know how I would get through all of them. I had petitioned the college to take 23 units that semester, so that I could have the required classes to start student teaching the next semester. I was praying to God about this on the way home from college one day. God put the thought in my mind that I wasn’t supposed to worry about it, because He was going to give me straight A’s.

I thought, “How could You do this? These are some of the hardest courses I have ever taken and I don’t have enough time to properly study for all of them.” Then the thought that God had in my mind was that He could do it, He’s God and He could do anything. I relaxed after I thought about it a few minutes. He can do anything, provided I trust Him to. I didn’t want to be like Peter who sank when he got fearful, so I asked God for the willingness to trust that He would take care of me.

I would pray a quick prayer over each homework and test question, something like, “God please take care of this one,” and the answer or the way to solve the statistical problem would just be in my mind. God did give me straight A’s through all of that. It was just like the thought He gave me those many months earlier in the car.

God works in my life in a variety of ways. I don’t always say formal prayers to God when I have something on my mind. I just talk to Him and I know God hears me. God answers me in lots of different ways, but I don’t hear the actual Voice of God from heaven saying, “Debbie, this is what you are supposed to do.”

Sometimes He answers me by having things happen, like my stalled car starts right after I pray about it. Sometimes He has things not happen, like when my first husband and I didn’t get a house we were trying to buy. We were so disappointed at the time, but six months afterward my husband got laid-off of work. Later, I realized that it was a good thing we hadn’t gotten the house, because we could have lost everything we owned. When things don’t turn out the way I ask, usually God will show me why at a later time, as in this example. Sometimes, God just puts thoughts or ideas in my mind, just like when God let me know that He was going to give me straight A’s. Sometimes He guides me by the instincts He gives me. The important thing is that I have to listen to them and not go off in my own direction, ignoring those instincts.

God does all types of miracles in our lives every day, if we would only open our eyes to see them. Do we have the “Show-Me” mentality where we need fire to come down from the sky before we believe in God?

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.

This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

How Does God Feel About Trying to Contact Dead Relatives?

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the Word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it: And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. 1 Chronicles, Chapter 10, verses 13-14.

Saul had his servant contact a woman with a familiar spirit (my Bible refers to her as a witch.) She called Samuel up from the dead to answer Saul’s questions, but God did NOT like this, which was the major reason that God had Saul die. Not only did Saul turn to someone who could conjure people from the dead, but he did this rather than turning to God to ask His will.
I’m including this passage because it reinforces my belief that God wouldn’t be appreciative of people who get involved in watching TV shows where dead relatives are contacted, even though they try to make it sound positive with some religious connection. We are turning to these shows rather than turning to God. I think God lets us know in this passage that He doesn’t take kindly to us turning to anything other than Him. Actually, why would we want to turn to anything else besides God? God takes care of our every need!

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.


This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

Looking for Clues Instead of Just Letting God Guide Me...

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus said the LORD. Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before Thee in Truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the Word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of My people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 2 Kings, Chapter 20, verses 1-7.

This passage makes me realize that God takes all things into consideration. Sometimes I find myself thinking things happen a particular way because that’s the way they are meant to be. This passage shows me that although that may be true, it isn’t always the way God works. Isn’t it funny that I get caught up in trying to figure out how God works? It’s kind of like I’m a detective looking for clues, rather than just letting God guide me and show me what He wants.
This passage tells me to continue praying about issues of concern and not to give up hope, because God can decide to turn things around. This is evidenced by God deciding to let the king live fifteen more years after he prayed to Him. God can do anything. He is God! He defies all explanation!

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.



This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

God's Graphic Illustrations

In this passage, Naaman is a leper. He goes to see Elisha to see if he could cure him of his leprosy.
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the Name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 2 Kings, Chapter 5, verses 9-15.

Naaman leaves Elisha saying, “That’s too easy, I could have bathed in the rivers by my own town. How could something so easy take care of my disease?” (Paraphrased) Sometimes God asks us to do simple things and we don’t trust Him.
All we have to do for Salvation is to believe that Jesus is our Savior and to try to live as examples of how He works in our lives. We are “Made in the Shade Christians,” because God doesn’t ask us to give up everything we own, go into the airport selling flowers, to meditate for hours or to go through great personal sacrifice. Yet many people look elsewhere for God and have been known to jump through all sorts of hoops to find Salvation that is elusive, because they are not focusing on God’s simple requirement.
Naaman eventually realized that it was worth giving the simple request a try and it paid off. He was cured from his leprosy by doing what God wanted him to do. I like the way God uses graphic illustrations to demonstrate the lessons He wants me to learn.

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.



This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

If God Can Provide for the Widow, He Can Surely Provide for Us

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. 2 Kings, Chapter 4, verses 1-7.


This passage gives me goosebumps when I read it. It shows the great extent that God goes to in order to take care of us. Miraculously, He made the container of endless oil in order to take care of this widow and her sons. It makes me think of how foolish I am to worry about bills and finances. If God provided for this widow and her children, He can surely provide for me!

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.



This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

Do We Condone Rude Behavior?

And he went up from thence unto Bethel and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the Name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. 2 Kings, Chapter 2, verses 23-24.


This passage addresses hateful children who torment others. Elisha didn’t say, “Oh, poor children. They must have parents who haven’t paid enough attention to them.” When Elisha cursed them for tormenting him, God had a bear come and destroy them. Although, this passage demonstrates an extremely dramatic consequence for the inappropriate taunting behavior of the children, I think it’s important for us to note how this situation was handled.

What would happen today? Have we become so accustomed to rude and tormenting behavior from children that hearing they behaved this way doesn’t seem out of place? Isn’t that scary? I’ve seen too many talk shows where kids have been suicidal or wanted to seek revenge because they have been tormented for years by their peers at school. Are we allowing our children to grow up to be rude, insulting and insensitive to others? I don’t think we would want God to deal with our children the same way that He did with the children in the passage.

Maybe we need to take a more active role in making sure our children are raised to respect others. Maybe there would be less violence in schools if everyone was committed to enforcing appropriate guidelines with their children from infancy on. Something to think about!

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.



This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie

Trying to Validate Doing Things That We Know Are Wrong...

Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay: but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 1 Kings, Chapter 3, verses 16-27.

This story of Solomon’s great wisdom reminds me of when I was little. My sister and I had metal globe banks. (I know this is dating me some.) Our banks were kept at the top of our bedroom closet. I remember climbing on something and taking the money out of my sister’s bank, because I wanted to go to the “Candy Store.” (I was oblivious to the fact that they sold anything other than candy.)
I was almost out the front door when my mother stopped me. She asked me where I was going and I told her that I was going to the “Candy Store.” She asked me where I got the money to buy the candy. Now, I thought I was pretty clever when I told my mother that Sally down the street had given me the money, because there really was no one named Sally. I had made it up. Well, my mother is definitely much smarter than that! She told me that she knew Sally, and Sally had told her that she hadn’t given me the money. Boy was my mother ever quick on her feet. I had been caught in the middle of a lie.
I think God is quicker on His feet than even my mother was! He knows what we think and what we do. I don’t know why we make these lame excuses. Do we really think that God is truly going to buy them? “Ah, I’m not going to include this income on my tax statement because Uncle Sam gets more than his fair share anyway; besides this was just a side job for a friend.” Or, “I really like these fine point pens they have at work. I think I’ll take a few-oh yeah, I need them for a work project I’m going to do at home.” (I’m guilty of this one.) Why do we even try these things? Who do we think we are fooling anyway? God knows everything and still we find ourselves trying to validate doing things that we know are wrong.

Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.


This is a connection I've made from this Bible passage. Please share your connections. 
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie