St Barnabas Daily Devotions

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield and Bossley Park
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Daily Devotions written by members of St Barnabas to help us grow in our personal relationships with God by reading God's Word. From February 2025, the Scriptures quoted are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB). https://berean.bible Prior to February 2025, the Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® https://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

  1. 1d ago

    2 Kings 10:25-36

    2 Kings 10:12-24 - Daily Devotion - 31 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 25 When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day. 28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel, 29 but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. 30 Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. 32 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory 33 from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan. 34 As for the rest of the acts of Jehu, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place. 36 So the duration of Jehu’s reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. REFLECTIONSWritten by Stephen Shead There’s an amazing little connection between today’s passage and the opening verses of Matthew’s Gospel. It’s a detail I only learned when I was preparing to preach on Matthew earlier this year, and it blew my mind, so I want to share it with you. Matthew famously arranges Jesus’ genealogy in three groups of 14 generations each: 14 generations from Abraham to King David, who was a preview of the Messiah; 14 generations from King David to the exile in Babylon; and 14 generations from the exile to Jesus. But many people say that Matthew has fudged the generations to make Jesus’ line look like a neat, God-ordained pattern. The reason is that it looks like Matthew skips 3 generations. In Matthew 1:8, in the middle of the second group, Matthew says, “Joram was the father of Uzziah.” Joram – or Jehoram, as he is also known – was the king of Judah we met briefly in 2 King 8. But he wasn’t directly the father of Uzziah, he was actually his great-great grandfather. There were three generations of kings in between them: Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. So was Matthew fudging? Not at all! The key detail is in verse 30 of today’s passage, where God tells Jehu that because of his faithfulness in eradicating the wicked house of Ahab, “four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” That phrase “the throne of Israel” is a very special phrase. In the whole Old Testament, there are only two other kings who said to sit on “the throne of Israel”: King David and his son Solomon. They both ruled over the whole, united kingdom of Israel. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided in two, so from then on, there were parallel kings over Israel in the north and Judah in the south. But in 1 Kings 9, Jehu assassinates the kings of both Israel and Judah, to end the threat of Baal-worship. And from God’s point of view, that meant that the dynasty of Jehu – this northern usurper – had temporarily replaced the line of King David in Jerusalem. For four generations (which is how long Jehu’s dynasty would last), there would again be a king on the throne of all Israel – so during that time, from God’s point of view, there was a gap in the line of David’s heirs. Guess how long Jehu’s four generations lasted? They lasted through the reigns of Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah in Judah – the three kings Matthew leaves out of his genealogy of Jesus. Matthew leaves them out because God left them out of his reckoning of Jesus’ royal line. “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 18:30). Pray today that God might grow us all in our conviction that his word is flawless, and that it might lead us to marvel at Jesus and take refuge in him. ABOUT THE AUTHORStephen is our Senior Minister.

  2. 2d ago

    2 Kings 10:12-24

    2 Kings 10:12-24 - Daily Devotion - 31 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 12 Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” “We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.” 14 Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He spared none of them. 15 When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot, 16 saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride in his chariot. 17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who remained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah. 18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. 19 Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 20 And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it. 21 Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them. 23 Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you—only servants of Baal.” 24 And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.” REFLECTIONSWritten by Stephen Shead I struggle to know what to make of Jehu – and I’m sick of all the killing! I suspect we’re supposed to be sickened by it … and yet, we’re told again and again that this was “according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah”. The dynasty of Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel had almost eliminated worship of the Lord, and had made it virtually compulsory to worship the Canaanite storm god Baal instead. Earlier this month, I mentioned that in Deuteronomy 13, God had warned his people that any Israelite city that abandoned him to worship other gods would be wiped out. The land of Israel, during the time of the old covenant, was set apart for God’s holy presence, and profaning God’s holiness with idols must bring death. But it was even worse. King Ahab’s dynasty had even infiltrated the line of King David in the southern kingdom of Judah. King Jehoram – Ahaziah’s father – had married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. That marriage alliance was like a poison in David’s line which threatened to derail God’s promises. So maybe Jehu was right to wipe out Ahaziah’s family too … was he? Yet in Hosea 1:4, after Jehu’s death, God announced that he would judge Jehu’s house “for the massacre at Jezreel,” which is a solid clue that Jehu went beyond God’s command. Maybe he used God’s word as an excuse to kill whoever he wanted, or simply enjoyed the terrible task he was given. Today’s passage reminded me of a truth that I’m so glad Paul clarifies for us, as Christ’s people: That unlike Israel’s kings, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against … the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” and we fight those spiritual enemies by standing firm in the righteousness of Christ and preaching the gospel so the lost will find life (Ephesians 6:10-17). Pray that we might see the ugliness and evil of worshiping anything other than the true God, and that we might be zealous for the Lord Jesus and his gospel. ABOUT THE AUTHORStephen is our senior minister.

  3. 3d ago

    2 Kings 10:1-11

    2 Kings 10:1-11 - Daily Devotion - 30 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: 2 “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, 3 select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?” 5 So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.” 6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city. 7 And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.” And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor. REFLECTIONSWritten by Andy Rowlands This isn’t particularly pleasant reading. On the one hand, Jehu rightly recognises that the word of God has not failed, and the Lord has done what he promised. God first announced his judgment against Ahab’s house to Elijah in 1 Kings 19, and he proclaimed it to Ahab himself in 1 Kings 21. Now it has been fully carried out, because God’s word never fails. On the other hand, God brings it about by the hand of a manipulative and bloodthirsty usurper, Jehu. When God vindicates himself against the idolatry and rebelliousness of the house of Ahab, shouldn’t it be a glorious event, and cause for celebration? The wrath of Jehu leaves me thinking: “Not like this, Lord…” It seems like one wicked king and dynasty is being replaced by a king who is maybe slightly less wicked, but still brutal. In the rest of the chapter, more of Jehu’s true character will be revealed. When I look out at our world, it’s easy to see similar dynamics at play, just without a clear word from God to commission these deeds. We see those who are strong meting out ‘justice’ against those who are rightly seen as evil; but how much better are their replacements? I think it’s right to have mixed emotions when we see justice being done in our world by those who are flawed and cannot execute perfect justice. On one hand, it is good that people seek and attempt to implement justice. However, so often those executing that justice have mixed motives, meting out imperfect punishments that are too harsh or too lenient. But I look forward, with great longing, to the day when Jesus will return. He is not a king who delivered justice for his own benefit; instead, he bore the penalty due to us that he might be righteous and a merciful saviour. And when he returns, he will display his perfect justice in the world. On that day, he will make everything right again! And for those of us who call him Saviour, that judgement will be one that we will rejoice in wholeheartedly, as it displays the glory and splendour of our good God. ABOUT THE AUTHORAndy is one of our student ministers.

  4. 4d ago

    2 Kings 9:27-37

    2 Kings 9:27-37 - Daily Devotion - 29 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. 29 (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.) 30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?” 32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot. 34 Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.” 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. 37 And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’ ” REFLECTIONSWritten by Susan Duc In the lists of popular girls’ names across the world, ‘Jezebel’ has never done well. It’s probably because Jezebel is a name associated in the Bible with idolatry, wickedness and sexual immorality. We have seen why this is so throughout 1 and 2 Kings. With her husband King Ahab of Israel, Jezebel promoted the worship of Baal amongst God’s people, persecuted God’s prophets and orchestrated the murder of Naboth. We see even as Jezebel’s end draws near in today’s passage, that she remains unrepentant and defiantly anti-God. When Jehu, God’s appointed instrument for judgment, passes through the city gates, Jezebel flaunts herself and taunts him at her window (v 30-32). Jehu gives the order and the eunuchs by her side throw her down (v 33). Her death is a gruesome and just response for her sin (v 36-37). Jezebel’s infamy spread so far and wide that in Revelation 2:20, Jesus applies her name to the woman who led the church at Thyatira into sexual immorality and the worship of false gods. Like her predecessor, this New Testament ‘Jezebel’ was unwilling to repent and so Jesus “cast her onto a bed of sickness” (Rev 2:22). Have you been caught up in sins you are too ashamed to admit? Do you think your sins make you unworthy of love or acceptance? Look at Jezebel – even she was given time to repent. But don’t be like her – trust in God’s goodness, confess your sins and give them to Jesus. “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). ABOUT THE AUTHORSusan is one of our assistant ministers.

  5. 5d ago

    2 Kings 9:14-26

    2 Kings 9:14-26 - Daily Devotion - 28 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 14 Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him. 17 Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’” 18 So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.” 19 So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” 20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!” 21 “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?” 23 Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!” 24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot. 25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: 26 ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.” REFLECTIONSWritten by Susan Duc In today’s passage, Jehu, who is God’s chosen instrument for judgment, rolls out a clever scheme which leads to the downfall of not one, but two wicked kings: Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah. Jehu draws Joram and Ahaziah out to meet him, and they only realise too late his plan to kill them. (Tomorrow we will read about Ahaziah’s death.) God judged Joram and Ahaziah for they did evil in the eyes of the LORD and for failing to lead their people in worship of Him (2 Kgs 3:1-3 and 8:25-27). Joram’s death marks the end of Ahab’s house, and he is buried in Naboth’s field. Joram’s burial location is fitting, because his father Ahab had coveted Naboth’s field and murdered him for it, along with his sons (v 26). Through Jehu, God pours out his wrath on Ahab and his family for their sins. Rightly, we praise God who gave them what they deserve. And yet, we have these words from Ezekiel 18:23: “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?” We should rejoice when evil is defeated, even when that involves the death of the wicked. But as God longs for all to repent, we should pray that evildoers might turn to Jesus and throw themselves at the foot of the cross. “Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon” (Isa 55:7). ABOUT THE AUTHORSusan is one of our assistant ministers.

  6. 6d ago

    2 Kings 9:1-13

    2 Kings 9:1-13 - Daily Devotion - 27 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 1 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. 3 Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!” 4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, 5 and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied. 6 So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. 7 And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. 8 The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. 11 When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied. 12 “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’” 13 Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!” REFLECTIONSWritten by Susan Duc Have you tasted the bitterness of injustice? Have you seen too many evil-doers succeed in their schemes? These experiences may make us feel powerless, resentful and even vengeful. In the final chapters of 1 Kings, we met King Ahab and Jezebel, his idolatrous and immoral queen. We saw how they abused their royal power – leading Israel in the worship of Baal, persecuting God’s prophets and even killing an innocent man to steal his land. God had promised the prophet Elijah that he would end Ahab’s house (1 Kgs 19:15-17). At the end of 1 Kings, King Ahab and his son, Ahaziah, are killed. But there is still another son, Joram, and of course, Jezebel, who continue to rule in Israel. So the anointing of Jehu as king in today’s passage is significant. God is keeping his promise to enact judgment on Ahab and Jezebel for their murder of God’s prophets and servants (v 7-8). Jehu has been appointed as the instrument of God’s work. We are reminded that “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:16). It means that even if we face of the gravest injustices, we can rejoice in the God who loves justice, and we can worship Him knowing He will one day make good his promise to restore justice to the whole earth.  ABOUT THE AUTHORSusan is one of our assistant ministers.

  7. Jul 24

    2 Kings 8:16-29

    2 Kings 8:16-29 - Daily Devotion - 25 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 16 In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah. 17 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 18 And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. 19 Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. 20 In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. 21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes. 22 So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time. 23 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoram, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 24 And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place. 25 In the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab. 28 Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29 So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded. REFLECTIONSWritten by Alex Chen It’s shocking but not surprising that Jehoram and his son Ahaziah, two kings of God’s people in Judah, did evil. They had terrible influences to lead them astray. Even though they were descendants of King David, they became close friends with king Joram of the northern kingdom of Israel, who was part of the evil dynasty of King Ahab. Jehoram even married the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. It’s a bit too close to home when we remember how easily the secular culture we live in can drag us away from God and trusting in Jesus – sometimes we don’t even notice it. It might be accepting bits of extra work which mean sacrificing good time with God, or the latest fad we chase too hard. But we’re also reminded of God’s faithfulness. God relents from destroying Judah because of his promises to David and his descendants. We can know God will be faithful to all his promises through Christ, including the assurance of forgiveness when we turn back to him. It’s also comforting to know we have the Holy Spirit now, so we can swim against the culture and live a life that rightly serves God. Pray about the pressures and influences you feel, and ask for God’s help in saying “no” to ungodliness and “yes” to living joyfully for him. ABOUT THE AUTHORAlex is one of our student ministers..

  8. Jul 23

    2 Kings 8:7-15

    2 Kings 8:7-15 - Daily Devotion - 24 July 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 7 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.” 8 So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” 9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” 10 Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.” 11 Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep. 12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.” 13 “But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” 14 So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.” 15 But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place. REFLECTIONSWritten by Matt Radloff When we see evil in the world, how should we respond? When we hear of horrific actions and atrocities committed against the innocent, how does God want us to react? Elisha came face-to-face with a terrible man, Hazael. God showed Elisha who this man would become. He showed him what this man would go on to do, actions which can only be described as pure evil. Hazael was to become the future king of Aram. But he would only achieve it by murder and treason. And then with his new power, Hazael would bring terror onto God’s people, committing unspeakable acts of evil. Seeing this man standing before him, Elisha weeps. Elisha knows that God is in control, but that doesn’t stop the tears. Rightly, Elisha weeps over the evil in this world. Many years later, another man wept. As Jesus looked at the tomb which held his friend Lazarus, tears rolled down his cheeks. Facing the evil of this world, facing the wrongness of death, Jesus responded rightly. Even knowing that he was about to raise Lazarus from the grave, knowing that he would conquer death forever, Jesus wept. As we see evil and hear about the great injustices of the world, it's right for us to weep. It’s right for us to be moved to grief over the wrongness of death, pain and suffering. We long for the day when God will wipe every tear from our eyes, when all things will be made right and all evil destroyed forever. In the meantime, while we wait, it's right to cry out to God through the tears, “Come Lord Jesus”. ABOUT THE AUTHORMatt is one of our student ministers.

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Daily Devotions written by members of St Barnabas to help us grow in our personal relationships with God by reading God's Word. From February 2025, the Scriptures quoted are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB). https://berean.bible Prior to February 2025, the Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® https://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Information

  • Creator
    St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield and Bossley Park
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield and Bossley Park.
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    St Barnabas Daily Devotions