From Disobedience to Defeat – Stepping in the Light

“And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.” II Kings 25:9-10

For hundreds of years there had been a king in Israel. Solomon’s Temple was the place where God had directed His people to worship for centuries. Beginning with Moses, God repeatedly promised to bless His people and protect them as long as they obeyed His commands. He promised them peace and prosperity if they would remain committed to keeping His law. In the books of I & II Kings, we see one king after another take the throne. The Bible gives us various details of their kingdoms and the things that they accomplished, but the most important aspect of each king’s life was whether or not he led the people to worship the Lord. So many of the kings were half-hearted in their commitment to following God’s law. The Lord often sent prophets to warn the people that they must turn back to God or suffer the consequences. The words of the prophets were largely ignored by the kings and the people alike. The destruction described in the final chapter of II Kings could have been avoided if the people of the land had turned to the Lord. We can learn from reading through I & II Kings that disobedience leads to defeat. The same is true for us in these New Testament times. God is looking for people who are willing to trust in Him and obey His Word.

Morning: II Kings 24-25

Evening: John 5:1-24

About This Site

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

If you were to find yourself walking down a path in the dark of night with only an old-fashioned lantern to light the way, you wouldn’t be able to see very far ahead. You would be able to see just enough of the pathway to know which direction to take your next step and enough of the ground to choose the best place for your feet. When it comes to our daily lives, God’s Word is a lot like that lantern. It will not show us the whole path at once, but it is exactly what we need to help us decide how to take the next step.

The Bible is our source of spiritual light, and if we consistently seek God’s direction as we read from its pages, we will always have enough light for our next step along the pathway of life. It is then that we are, in the words of an old gospel song, “stepping in the light.”

The goal of this devotional guide is to encourage you to spend time in the Word of God each day. Reading the passages listed at the bottom of the page will take you all the way through the Bible in one year. The devotional thought for each day is taken from a text within that day’s reading, so even that small daily portion of reading will take you on a journey through God’s Word. It is my prayer that this guide would help you to walk closer to the Lord and that you will find yourself taking each step in the light of His Word.