BibleWay | Bible in a Year Devotional Bible Study

Does evil ever really get away with it? In 2 Kings 9-10, Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu king of Israel and then run for his life. Jehu drives his chariot furiously toward Jezreel, where King Joram asks him, “Is it peace?” and Jezebel paints her eyes and waits at the window. Pastor Kevin shows why God's justice is patient, why ours is always incomplete, and how to leave vengeance t...

An axe head, an enemy army, and a city starving under siege. In 2 Kings 6-8, Elisha's servant wakes to find their city surrounded by Syrian horses and chariots, and Elisha prays for his eyes to be opened. Later, Samaria is so starved that the king blames God and wants Elisha dead, while four lepers outside the gate decide they have nothing left to lose. Pastor Kevin traces God's grace thro...

A widow, a grieving mother, and an enemy general all find their way to Elisha. In 2 Kings 4-5, a widow is about to lose her sons to a creditor, a Shunammite woman holds the son God promised her as he falls sick, and Naaman, a proud Syrian commander with leprosy, is insulted by the prophet's simple instructions. Pastor Kevin shows how God's care reaches the widow, the grieving, and the fore...

Where do you turn when trouble comes? In 2 Kings 1-3, King Ahaziah falls through a lattice and sends messengers to Baal-zebub, but Elijah intercepts them. Then Elisha refuses to leave his master's side on the day he knows Elijah will be taken, and asks for a double portion of his spirit. Later, three kings stranded in the desert without water have to decide whether God is against them. Pastor...

Four hundred prophets tell Ahab what he wants to hear. In 1 Kings 21-22, Ahab sulks over a vineyard he can't have, and Jezebel arranges to take it from its owner, Naboth. Elijah meets the king in the stolen vineyard. Later, before going to war, Ahab calls for one more prophet, Micaiah, a man he says never prophesies anything good about him. Pastor Kevin looks at how flattery leads to ruin, and...

Elijah just called down fire from heaven. One threat from Jezebel, and he runs for his life. In 1 Kings 19-20, God meets him on Mount Horeb, not in wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a low whisper, and keeps guiding even wayward King Ahab. Pastor Kevin shows why God so often feels quiet: He usually leads with a still small voice, not a spectacle, and He meets you in the cave of your fear. Here we c...

Three years without rain, and Israel can't decide between God and Baal. It all comes down to one mountaintop: Elijah against 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. In 1 Kings 15-18, ravens feed Elijah and a starving widow sees her son raised from the dead. Pastor Kevin shows the cost of living between two opinions, and why only one God is still powerful enough to answer. Here we consider Elijah and...

A man of God turns down a king's reward, then accepts dinner with a lying prophet. In 1 Kings 13-14, King Jeroboam's hand withers at the altar in Bethel, the old prophet claims an angel spoke to him, and later Jeroboam's wife visits the blind prophet Ahijah in disguise. Pastor Kevin shows how to tell God's voice from one that only sounds like Him. Here we consider the lying prophet, the man of God...

The wisest king in history ends his life building altars to other gods. In 1 Kings 11-12, Solomon's heart turns to Chemosh and Milcom, Rehoboam ignores the elders and the kingdom divides, and Jeroboam sets up golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Pastor Kevin shows how idolatry always becomes injustice, and why repentance begins with three words. Here we consider the divided kingdom, Rehoboam and Jerob...

Solomon's kingdom has never looked better, and it's quietly breaking the rules God set for Israel's kings. In 1 Kings 9-10, God warns Solomon a second time, forced labor builds his cities, horses arrive from Egypt, and the Queen of Sheba comes to praise it all. Pastor Kevin shows why the small compromises we ignore keep spreading, and points to the King who can repair what we can't. Here we consid...

The temple is finished, and Solomon admits that heaven itself can't contain God. In 1 Kings 8, the ark of the covenant enters the temple, a cloud of glory fills the house, and Solomon kneels to ask God to hear every prayer made toward this place, even a foreigner's. Pastor Kevin shows how the temple became a house of prayer, and why God still listens to you. Here we consider Solomon's prayer of de...

Solomon's temple is carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and it's no accident that it looks like a garden. In 1 Kings 5-7, Solomon and Hiram of Tyre spend seven years building God's house, with every stone cut at the quarry so no hammer is heard. Pastor Kevin shows how each detail echoes the garden of Eden, and how God has always been making a way to bring us home. Here we consider...

God offers King Solomon anything he wants, and he asks for a listening heart. In 1 Kings 3-4, that request is tested when two mothers claim the same baby and the king calls for a sword. Pastor Kevin shows why a heart that hears God is the best thing you can ask for, and how that wisdom lets a whole nation flourish. Here we consider Solomon's wisdom, his dream at Gibeon, the two mothers and the bab...

While David lies dying, one of his sons crowns himself. In 1 Kings 1-2, Adonijah throws a coronation feast, and the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba have only moments to reach the old king before it's too late. Then David gives his heir a final charge and a list of unfinished business. Pastor Kevin reflects on advocacy, succession, and justice long delayed. Here we consider Adonijah, Nathan and Bathsh...

What would it cost you to stand between judgment and the people you love? In 2 Samuel 21-24, David settles a debt left by Saul's broken oath, sings a song of deliverance, and then orders a census of his fighting men, even as Joab tries to talk him out of it. When judgment falls, David has a choice to make at a threshing floor. Pastor Kevin shows how that threshing floor points toward the cross. He...

David is barely back on the throne before a new rebellion starts. In 2 Samuel 19-20, David returns to Jerusalem and shows mercy to Shimei and Mephibosheth, but old tribal jealousies flare, a man named Sheba sounds the trumpet of revolt, and Joab, stripped of his command, isn't finished yet. Pastor Kevin explores favoritism, forgiveness, and the patterns we carry even after healing. Here we conside...

What does a father's love sound like at its breaking point? In 2 Samuel 16-18, Shimei curses David and throws stones as he flees, and David won't let his men retaliate. Absalom's advisers give opposite counsel, and the war comes down to one day in the forest of Ephraim, with David begging his commanders to deal gently with his son. Pastor Kevin points to the greater Son who takes our place. Here w...

David brings his exiled son home but won't see him for two years. In 2 Samuel 14-15, Joab stages a plan to reconcile David and Absalom, but the distance remains, so Absalom stands by the city gate, hearing every complaint and quietly stealing the hearts of Israel, until David has to flee his own city. Pastor Kevin reflects on parenting and powerlessness. Here we consider Absalom's rebellion, David...

What does real confession sound like? In 2 Samuel 12-13, the prophet Nathan tells King David about a rich man who steals a poor man's only lamb, and David is furious, until Nathan turns the story on him. How David answers will set him apart from Saul, but sin has already taken root in his family. Pastor Kevin explores confession, consequence, and the grace that holds God's covenant together. Here...

David has never been more successful, and he's never been in more danger. In 2 Samuel 8-11, David wins battle after battle and shows kindness to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth. Then, in the spring when kings go out to war, he stays home, and from his rooftop he sees Bathsheba. Pastor Kevin shows how pride and comfort set us up for our worst falls. Here we consider David and Bathsheba, Uriah the Hitti...

What happens when you try to do a good thing the wrong way? In 2 Samuel 4-7, David becomes king over all Israel, captures Jerusalem, and brings the ark up on a new cart with music and dancing, until the oxen stumble and Uzzah reaches out to steady it. Later, David decides to build God a house, and God has a promise of His own. Pastor Kevin explores God's holiness and a covenant that outlives David...

Saul is dead, and Israel turns on itself. In 2 Samuel 1-3, David mourns Saul and Jonathan and is crowned king of Judah, while Abner sets up a rival throne, civil war breaks out, and Abner kills Joab's brother Asahel, which Joab never forgets. Then Abner comes to David to make peace. Pastor Kevin shows why someone has to stop the cycle, and why it starts with us. Here we consider David king of Juda...

The king who drove out every medium now can't get God to answer. In 1 Samuel 28-31, with the Philistine army gathering, Saul disguises himself and goes by night to a medium at Endor, asking her to bring up Samuel, while David marches with the Philistines and may have to fight his own people. Pastor Kevin reflects on desperation, providence, and a story that didn't have to end this way. Here we con...

Who's speaking into your decisions? In 1 Samuel 25-27, a wealthy fool named Nabal insults David's men, and David straps on his sword to wipe out Nabal's household, until Nabal's wife, Abigail, rides out to meet him first. Later, David has another chance at Saul, and another voice urging him to take it. Pastor Kevin shows how to tell voices that sound reasonable from the voice of God. Here we consi...

Saul walks into the cave at En-gedi, never knowing David is hiding inside. In 1 Samuel 21-24, David, on the run, deceives the priest Ahimelech, and the lie costs innocent lives. Then, in the cave, David's men urge him to strike, and the man hunting him is close enough to touch. Pastor Kevin explores guilt, mercy, and restraint when you have every reason to strike back. Here we consider David in th...