When I'm disappointed in myself (and that happens a lot), I assume God must be disappointed enough to turn away. When I've repeated an old failure, I assume God's patience must finally be exhausted. When I've wandered, I assume the distance between God and me is equal to the distance God has moved away from me. But today's chapter tells me something different.

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 13. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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Somewhere along the way, Joash appears to confuse maintaining the institution with having and maintaining his own personal relationship with God.

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 12. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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The events of today's chapter do challenge my assumption that God's apparent silence means His absence. The delay did not mean the promise had died. It meant the story wasn't finished.

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 11. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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Sometimes the hardest act of obedience isn't the spectacular sacrifice everyone can see. It's the quiet surrender nobody notices.

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 10. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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Busyness -- even doing God's work -- can come from very different heart motivations. Jehu was absolutely convinced that he was doing God's work. And, in a very real sense, he was. But doing God's work is not necessarily the same thing as having God's heart. That's a sobering distinction.

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 9. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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In the quiet this morning, a question rises in my heart as the centerpiece of today's chapter-a-day reflections: "What am I becoming while I'm waiting for what comes next?"

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 8. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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I love that the first people to discover what God has done in today's chapter aren't the king, the powerful, or the spiritually impressive. It's four poor, desperate lepers who basically say: “Well, we're screwed either way. Might as well start walking.”

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 7. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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Spiritual disciplines don't magically erase what's outside my window, but train the eyes of my heart to perceive realities that fear makes me forget.

A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 6. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

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