It Only Took One Person

2 Chronicles 29:35-36 -   There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings. So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished.  Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

 

The rein of Ahaz was over….his death ending a great period of evil for Judah…because somehow his son Hezekiah had learned the importance of worshipping God.  The first day of his appointment as king he called to together the Levites and leaders and told them he was dedicating his life and nation once again to God.

 

It was the picture of a great revival….a scurry of activity as they cleaned up the Temple that had been left to decay and brought sacrifices to ask God’s forgiveness and mercy for their long period of sin.  Musicians were charged to sing and play as they worshiped God…once again filling the Temple with an adoration of the God who had brought them together as a nation.

 

The work went quickly…the people eager to throw off the sin that Ahaz had led them into…anxious to have God start building them up in his love once more…more than willing to leave the idols and gods of the past that had gotten them nothing but pain and suffering. Ahaz offered many offering on his own…but the people came on their own after to offer their own sacrifices and offering to ask God to forgive them for abandoning him.

 

It only took one person…a leader who somehow remembered what it was like when God was in charge. He gave the leaders and priests new courage and purpose…and renewed their passion to complete the job they had been chosen for. And as the people watched them clean and repair the temple ….flames of the fire jumped into the hearts of those who watched…and spread it throughout the nation till everyone had been touched by the renewal of God’s glory in the Temple.

 

Revival is what happens when we spend our time spreading the great news of what God has done in our lives…instead of always talking about the negative things that seem to pile up and bring us down.  When we ignore the negatives…and find something positive to share…the negatives simply die away….and the positives build and build into a glorious story of faith and courage. We are renewed and strengthened in our faith…and God does even more miraculous things in our lives for us to share with others.

 

I needed a reminder to ponder the positive things God has done for me….because my anniversary is tomorrow…and the sadness threatens me greatly this weekend.  If I ponder it very long… it will overcome me and bring me down. So I will take the hint form God this morning…and thank him instead for the wonderful 4 months he granted me with my Mitchell…and let my tears be few. I will thank him for giving me the strength to move forward and find a new purpose…I will praise him for all the other blessings and gifts that mean so much in my life.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that I must concentrate on the positive things that you have done for me.  Thank you for the gift of Mitchell …and the short 4 months we shared.  Help me to center my life around you…and continue to search your word for purpose and meaning. Help me to be a Hezekiah….and call to others to renew their love for you…..and share the gospel with those who don’t know you at all.  Show me anything that is still displeasing to you in my life that I need to clean up…so I can draw even closer to you. Amen.

Save An Ahaz....Testify Of God's Greatness

2 Chronicles 28:22-23 -   In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.  He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

 

King Ahaz followed his father Jotham as king of Judah.  He was an evil king…worshiping idols …building altars to baal…even sacrificing his own children to the many gods he prayed to for help.  His rein was one of defeat and trouble…God allowing misfortune to bring many defeats to his life.

 

King Ahaz never understood that God was just a prayer away….he always turned to the foreign gods of Israel and Samaria. Ahaz turned to every heathen idol within his reach…and let his spiritual life crumble into nothingness…leading his people completely away from the one God who could help and save them.

 

I can’t hardly understand how one person could try praying to all these gods….and never discover the power of Yahweh.  The temple and priests were just a stone’s throw away from his palace…but his heart never thought to go and look for help there. He seemed to run the opposite direction …on purpose.  The more he looked for answers outside the laws of God…the more disaster seemed to plague his life.

 

Oh how he needed someone to turn him around and show him the power God can give when you run to him instead of away from him. He needed the words of David read to him from Psalms 46:1… “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He needed someone to testify of the great things God has done for them…so he would start looking for his help in the right places.

 

We all know someone who is just like Ahaz…so maybe today’s message for me is a reminder to keep sharing the greatness of God in my life with the Ahaz’s I know around me. They will keep running away from God if we don’t take the time to show them the right way to run.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am always being watched by others.  Help me to model for them the love you have shown me and always take time to share the wonderful things you have done in my life. Never allow my heart to think that I can find success and happiness anywhere other than at your feet. Keep holding my hand and help me to draw even closer to you. Amen.

Sometimes....You Must Stand Alone

2 chronicles 27:1-3 -  Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the LORD. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices.

 

Jotham was crowned king after his father’s death. He worked to rebuild and fortify the cities and army.  He successfully defeated the Ammonites and received money and food supplies in tribute payments for three years.  He became very powerful with God as he followed God…..but Jotham was never able to convince his own people to join him. His subjects went their own way…corrupted by the many gods and idols that had made their way into his kingdom.

 

Sometimes we are called to just take a stand for God on our own….and let his strength carry us as far as we allow it….no matter what the people around us think or feel.  We can model for them the power of God to sustain us and care for all our needs….but we can’t force them to accept God’s way of living for their own.

 

Paul added to this concept one other rule for dealing with those around you that don’t believe exactly the way I do.   He said we need to remember the importance of being kind and gentle when we share our testimony…never arguing with anyone about biblical concepts. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 says…. “ And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.”

 

And James adds the importance of prayer in this situation…for the power of the Holy Spirit can convict even the strongest opposition to God.  He wrote in James 5:16…. “ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Perhaps part of Jotham’s strength to keep God’s laws…came from the prayers he offered up on behalf of his people.

 

Father…thank you for this reminder that I need to be patient with the part of this crazy world around me that does not believe in you.  Give me strength to stand strong and model for others your love. Show me how to share that love with others….and be a servant…kind…and prayerful. Guard my tongue from any arguments about your word….but help me continue to grow in knowledge…so that I will hide the truth in my heart…and use it to live a life that you would be proud of. Amen.

Pride....The Devil's Candy

2 Chronicles 26:15-16 -  In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.  But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

 

Uzziah was crowned king at just 16 years old.  He established himself as a powerful king…rebuilding cities….organizing the army…and pleasing God with his obedience of the rules Moses had given the people. He listened to the prophet Zechariah …eager to please God with the prophets directions. The early years of his reign were picture perfect….allowing him to soak up the blessings of God.

 

But sometime after his fame soaked his life with blessings…he forgot the rules of the Temple.  He went one day to worship…and burned his own incense on the holy altar reserved for the priests alone. His arrogance continued when he was reminded by the priests to leave…and God struck him with leprosy when he refused in indignant anger. His one act of arrogance and pride remembered above all the good he accomplished during his reign.

 

This is not the only place in the Bible that warns us to guard our hearts from pride. In Proverbs 16:18 Solomon’s wisdom says… “ Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” And Hannah’s beautiful prayer of dedication to God when she took Samuel to the Temple included these words… “ "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”

 

I am also reminded of Moses…who walked side by side with God…even sitting with him on the mountain to receive his rules.  But one day…in his frustration and anger…he let pride cause him to strike a rock instead of speak to it….and died with just a vision of the land God had used him to lead his people to. He died never placing his feet on the promised land of God…because of one simple disobedient action.

 

It is a strong reminder to me to never allow the blessings in my life control my actions or my thoughts. Everything I have is God’s…to be used according to his will and purpose for my life.  The more we have…the more we run the risk of thinking that we can make it on our own.  The more he gives us...the easier it is for satan to sneak into our heart and twist our thinking into doing things the way we want…instead of the way God has told us too.

 

Father…thank you for this story that reminds me how important it is that I guard my heart from pride.  You have blessed me with so much…and I thank you for each and every thing that has made my life so rich with your love and care.  Help me keep  in the forefront of my mind…just where all these things came from…so I can stand strong against satan when he whispers in my ear to try to be my own boss.  Help me to remember the disaster my life was when I tried to do things without you…and hold your hand even tighter as you help me grow. Amen.

Half Full....Or Half Empty

2 Chronicles 251-2 - Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem.  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.

 

Joash’s son Amaziah became king after his father’s death. He avenged his father’s murderers and organized the army….even hiring extra men from Israel to fight with him.  But God sent a prophet to warn him that he would not go fight with him if he took the Israelites. Amaziah complained about all the money he paid them…but told them to go home…and sulked over his losses.

 

His halfhearted love for God did not register the wrong in bringing back some of the foreign idols as spoils of the war.  Their influence caused him to ignore God’s warning that they were sinful….and he ended up a prisoner …held captive the rest of his life after he lost his next battle to the king of Israel.

 

The prophet Hosea warned against being a halfhearted follower of God in Hosea 7.  He called the Israelites …flat cakes…not turned over…half-baked and useless.  Three men turned away from following Jesus in Luke 9:57-62…when he explained the high cost of leaving everything…even family to follow him to the cross.  John heard in his vision...and recorded in Revelation 3:15-16 the warning to never be lukewarm…. “ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

 

I can’t say that I have sold out completely to God.... and I am sitting here...pondering just how vulnerable I am to satan attacks because of my half-hearted effort to please him. God sees straight into my heart and knows the motivation for everything act of kindness I have ever done.  He has looked over my shoulder and watched me write each tithe check or offering…he has used his supernatural vision and hearing to eavesdrop on every conversation I have cut short cause I was busy. I had better be more careful…and aware of my own heart when I do things…cause I sure don’t want to be spit out....I know I could never have made it without God holding my hand.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that I must not let my heart become even the slightest bit cold.  I need you to add some fuel to the fire that burns in my soul…so it never gets lukewarm.  Cook me perfect on one side…then flip me over and continue to cook me tilI am ready for you to use.  Show me how to leave the worldly things that will not help me be a better child of yours behind…and follow you like the disciples did so long ago. Amen.

Don't Be Driven By The Wind

2 Chronicles 24:17-19 -  After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.  Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.

 

King Joash’s early years were marked with a passion to serve God.  He reinstituted the tax collections that Moses had established to completely repair the damage his grandmother had done to God’s temple. The money collected went to pay for the masons and construction workers that meticulously worked to bring the temple back to its original glory.

 

But when the influence of Jehoiada faded from his life…he clung to the leaders and officials that had come to pay their last respects to his uncle. He quickly abandoned the teachings of God…and abandoned the great temple he had worked so hard to repair.  He reverted quickly back to the asherah poles and gods of his grandmother.

 

Joash was driven by the influence of others in his life because he failed to ever establish a relationship with God for himself. He was driven by the wind…just like in James 1:6….  “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” His evry decision was based on the people around him…not the God he had been taught to love.

 

Our directions in life must come from God and God alone.  NOTHING…and NO ONE….must have final influence over our hearts but him. God is constant and solid…like the rock he built his church on…but man is fickle…blowing the way he sees his bread buttered the easiest way. A relationship with God is the only way to survive and thrive.

 

Father…I thank you for this story that reminds me to keep my relationship with you the most important thing in my life.  Show me how to deepen my connection with you….and listen even more closely to the directions you give me to live for you.  Help me check all counsel given by ‘people’ in my life against your holy word...and make sure that it is God breathed and God true. Amen.

A Time To Wait...And a Time To Act

2 Chronicles 23:1-4 -  In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.  They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,  the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son shall reign, as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David.

 

The high priest Jehoiada kept the king’s son….Joash… and taught him for six long years….watching in disgust as the evil queen taught the people of God how to depend on idols for their existence. He kept the secret well…until one day God gave him a burst of courage…to send out some of his trusted leaders…to gather the leaders of Israel to anoint this boy king.  They separated into groups and lined the Temple walkways with guards…and with loud shouts of praise…brought in Joash to crown and anoint him king.

 

The ordination service caused such a clamor that the Queen came to the temple to see for herself what had caused it. It provided the perfect moment for Jehoiada to rebuke her for her evil…and call to the guards to end her reign…permanently. She was executed far away from the temple she had disgraced…in the horse stables close to the palace.

 

It is a reminder to me that there is a time to be patient and allow God to nurture and provide for us the things he needs us to have.  Sometimes we are to follow the advice of the Psalmist in 46:10…and be still...and just let God let us know he is God…silently absorbing all the great things his places within our reach to guide us.  But there will come a day…when he has placed in us a passion to move forth…that we will be called to act…and clear the temple of the evil money changers ….just like Jesus did in John 2.

 

All the knowledge and wisdom…all the energy saved in resting…all the resources gathered during the long wait…will be clarified and brought into power.  God will show us where to go…and what wrongs we have been charged to correct. He will give us the courage and passion to do what is right….despite the opposition around us.  He will make us courageous and bold like Jehoiada…revealing the moment he has planned for us to use what he has given us.

 

Father…thank you for this story…that shows me the purpose for waiting is still to come. Help me stay humble…and keep waiting as long as it takes for you to reveal your great plan to prosper me and give me hope for my future.  I thank you for the many great things you have already given me…and ask that you reveal to me the way I am to use them for you. Create in me a clean heart… oh God…and renew within me a right mind to do what is right…even when the temptation to follow the world is easy. Amen.

 

 

God Does Crazy Better Than Me

2 Chronicles 22:11- 12 - But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah's sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.  He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

 

The son God saved from destruction grew to be an evil king.  He reigned for just one year before God allowed him to die in a battle with king Joram of Israel.  His grandmother easily killed all his sons that might be a threat to her taking the throne…except one small two year old that was his in a storage area of the temple…for 6 years.

 

I just couldn’t fathom killing my grandchildren…that just seems so unreal to me. And I sure can’t imagine what it might have been like for Joash…as he grew up…always having to be careful.  He spent his entire preschool existence in hiding….maybe never even knowing why. But then God does crazy better than we do anyway.

 

God had made a promise…that included at least one descendant of David to rule till Jesus was born.  So he touched the heart of an aunt like me…to deceive the evil queen and her guards…and find a nurse who would make the word anonymity come alive with purpose….and hide her nephew in the temple. 

 

She had somehow been taught amid all the craziness of idols and heathen Gods…that God would make provisions.  She trusted that God could handle the craziness in her world…and modeled for me how to do the same. What a great reminder for me to trust God more…and worry less about the craziness around me.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that you know about all the craziness in my world …and you have a plan to protect and nurture all that have asked you to live in their heart.  Help me to be more like this aunt…who stood against the evil in her world…and trusted you to help her carry out a plan that would protect her nephew…till he could grow and become strong enough to be king. Amen.

 

 

Mercy Despite Our Selfishness

2 Chronicles 21:4-6 -  When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel.  Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.  He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.

 

Jehoshaphat had made arrangements for all of his sons to be richly blessed….leaving them all with numerous gifts and a city to call their own….but his oldest son was given the traditional blessing…and handed the throne of Judah. His decision to marry the daughter of the king of Israel introduced the idols of many pagan gods into his home…and eventually hardened his heart to worshiping God in any form or manner.

 

Jehoram’s heart grew so cold that he murdered all his brothers…and many of the princes of Israel that might somehow be a threat to his reign. He established himself with no hint of ever involving God in his life…and even forced his subjects to worship the idols and Gods his wife had introduced to his palace. He rebuilt the altars in the high places…and used them to sacrifice to the heathen Gods of the queen.

 

His love of other Gods cost him his life…and the life of his entire family…save his youngest son. God sent a terrible plague…of the bowels…and he suffered in great pain for at least two years.  His kingdom was attacked and defeated by the armies of neighboring kingdoms…leaving nothing for his youngest son to rule as he grew.

 

Perhaps it was pride…perhaps fear…or maybe it was just plain stubbornness… but Jehoram never repented of the sin that displeased God. I sure can’t imagine what is was like …to lay in that pain day after day…knowing that God’s mercy was a prayer away.  He died an unloved man…in the curse of his own sin….without family or friends.

 

I have sat a long time this morning…just wondering what God would have me to ponder from this story. One simple thought came to mind… that God’s mercy was given to Jehoram’s son Ahaziah.  He was saved for the simple reason that God wanted to preserve the blood lines of David. He loved David so much that he wanted to keep his promise…even though he was no longer bound by the terms of his covenant.

 

Perhaps that is a reminder to me to offer the same mercy….and be more forgiving…even when the terms of the promises made to me are broken. God has been working on the selfishness that was planted there years ago by satan…and even though I know in my heart I am less selfish than I was yesterday…there remains a remnant of that seed. Maybe I pondered longer than the usual 5-10 minutes…because he tried to wake me at 5…and I let my flesh tell me it was okay to go back to sleep.  Maybe I missed the blessing of a direct word this morning...because I still harbor a seed of selfishness in my heart.

 

Father…I thank you for this story…that seemed so inconsequential to my life…and that you used it to remind me that I still need to work on removing the seeds of selfishness from my heart.  Only you know how much of that seed remains…and only you know what it will take to remove it completely from my life. Do what it takes Lord…to purge that selfishness out of me…and replace it with your love and mercy. Show me how to walk the same humble steps that your son walked when he stepped out of that wilderness when he was baptized.  Reveal to me your plan…and send me all the resources I will need to follow it. Amen.

Focus On God...Not Yourself

2 Chronicles 20:1-3 - After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.  Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi).  Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

 

The combined armies of three nations were coming to take over Jehoshaphat’s kingdom.  He was alarmed but he had the presence of spirit and mind to take his fear immediately to God. He declared in that moment of full humility …a period fasting and prayer from all his subjects…so he could focus completely on God and his answer to this serious dilemma in all their lives.

 

The Lord sent his sprit to indwell one of the priests…to give the people directions ….to tell them exactly what to do. Jahaziel words from verse 15 spoke power into their whole beings…he said…. "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.” He told them that God was going with them…and he was going to fight for them…all they had to do was go and watch him as he conquered all three armies.

 

The scene must have been an awesome confirmation of their faith...as they saw how focusing their whole beings on God brought power …trust …even complete victory to their kingdom. All three enemy armies were possessed by God’s power and completely destroyed each other as the people of Judah stood and watched.  It took two days to collect all the plunder from the three armies that fell completely to God’s power.

 

I have to admit that my experiences with fasting are weak at best.  I am thinking that the few times I have given up one item in fast…to ask God for a specific request….have totally missed the point of fasting in the first place. Perhaps this reminder from God will help me understand the value of a true fast…and not water down my results because I have given up so little in the exchange.

 

The fasts of the Bible were full attempts of self-sacrifice…that focused the people’s attention fully on God. The fast of Jesus during his wilderness stay recorded in Matthew 4 was a full 40 days and 40 nights.  King David spent several days and nights fasting and praying over his sick child in 2 Samuel 12. Hannah spent more than one period of fasting at the Temple of Jerusalem in 1 Samuel 1…praying for a child.

 

The only way to understand and comprehend the power of fasting in your relationship with God is to do it…and do it the way the Bible lays it out for us. To bring about the greatest results…it needs to be a full out sacrifice of everything for a time in your life….and that is something I have never been brave enough to do. Perhaps this day I will rethink it one more time…and follow God’s advice in Matthew 6…to dress and behave as if I were not…so only God will know of my sacrifice….it’s for him anyway.

 

Father…I thank you for this reminder of how powerful fasting can be to our spiritual growth.  Help me to release the reservations that satan has placed in my heart and mind that prevent me from experiencing your full power …because I have never called on you in this way. Give me a new courage…to pick my greatest need…and walk fully into your  arms….and let go completely of the flesh in a full fast. Let that time of full sacrifice teach me what it really means to depend on you…and focus all my heart and soul on what you need me to do for you in my time left on this Earth. Amen.

Watch Your Step.....Least You Fall

2 Chronicles 19:1-3 - When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem,  Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.  There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God."

 

Jehoshaphat had heard a clear word from God and ignored him.  He had not only made a pact of marriage with the evil king Ahab of Israel…he had gone into battle with him against the counsel of God’s prophet.   God wasted no time sending Jehu to meet him…to tell him how angry he had made the God he was supposed to have loved with all his heart and soul and mind.

 

The really unbelievable twist to this story is that God allowed Jehoshaphat to return from this battle uninjured. God’s message of judgment received humbly….he reflected on how he could do better…and took steps to stay away from the influences that had led his heart astray in Israel. He appointed new judges in all the land…and told them to be careful not to be swayed by man….and to be very afraid to give anyone counsel that they had not received directly from God.

 

My heart knew instantly that Jehosaphats words to the new judges were a direct reminder to me from God last night.  And as I reflect even more this morning…God is allowing all the mistakes I made in the realm of honesty and truth to wash through my mind. I talk a good talk…but satan snunk in…and tricked me into more than one lie this week.  

 

The amazing thing is the wash of fresh peace I have…that God has forgiven me already. He might call me to right the deceptions …and make amends to anyone I may have hurt with my dishonesty….but he has already patted me on the shoulder...and told me he stills loves me unconditionally. And he will give me the strength to do better today.

 

Father…I am amazed at the mercy and love you show to me in spite of my many mistakes. Thank you for reminding me that my lifelong struggle with honesty is still an issue in my life.  And thank you for the awesome peace and comfort your forgiveness brings. Plant firmly the words of Jehosaphat so deep inside my heart that satan cannot shake them loose this time…and make me fearless in my stand for honesty and truth. Use me to help and encourage the innocent…and give me soft words of rebuke to counsel the guilty. Amen.

Ask....And Follow Through

2 Chronicles 18:4-6 -  But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."  So the king of Israel brought together the prophets--four hundred men--and asked them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand."  But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of ?"

 

The king of Judah and the king of Israel arranged a marriage between their children.  The party king Ahab threw to celebrate gave him the opportunity to ask Jehoshaphat to join him in war as well. I am Jehoshaphat’s mouth spoke of the need to seek the counsel of God first...but he did not listen to …or heed the consequences of the words of the only prophet of God they asked.

 

Jehoshaphat’s heart was thinking the right thing…but his feet and hands were unwilling to take a stand against the king of Israel…and say no to his plan to try and deceive Syria’s army. It might have worked for Ahab…except God was in control…and the random arrow from an unknown person wounded him so badly he died later that same day.

 

I can relate to Jehoshaphat completely.  There are many times I can recall asking God for direction...and hearing clear answers to do something specific in response…then justifying my own selfish response as a better plan.  What must I have been thinking…to do the opposite of what I knew God had said was right?  What a mess I made because I insisted on doing things my own way? Why did I even take the time to play games with God and ask in the first place?

 

It is much too easy for satan to trick us into justifying our own desires…when we know clearly that we are doing the wrong thing. We even go out in search of ‘yes’ friends…who will say just what we want to hear…and support all our wrong decisions. We want to be loved so badly here in this world…that we accept the temporary love of men…instead of holding out for the permanent love of the father. And if we are not careful…we will miss out on the blessings God has planned when we choose to follow his will instead of our own selfish desires.

 

This story is just what needed this day…a reminder that God’s directions are not always what my heart wishes or thinks it needs in that moment. I need to be more like those great men of faith in Hebrews 11. Maybe I am to be a Noah… and build a boat in a world where rain has never fallen.  Or perhaps I am to be a Moses…and pick up a wooden rod with no clue how powerful it can to be in the lives of the Hebrews. Perhaps I am to be a Barbara…and really listen to God today…to hear him tell me what great thing he has for me to do…to lead others to know of his great love.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that even though your plans for me may not always be easy….I need to follow through in faith to complete each task.  Help me Lord today by giving me a passion like Noah…to do your will…even if I am teased and taunted for my task.  Place a rod in my hands like Moses…and teach me how to use it …to help you teach people about your love.  Give me a faith like Abraham…who was ready to give up his only son...if that is what you called him to do.  Give me all the wisdom…and strength…and courage I will need to take a stand for you…and not wavier till I complete the job you placed me here to do. Amen.

Are You One Of The 19% ?

2 Chronicles 17:7-9 - In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah.  With them were certain Levites--Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah--and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.  They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.  

 

Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became king of Judah after his father died.  He remembered the love his father had for God in his early years …and purged the land of the idols that had become a part of the people’s lives. He realized in the third year of his reign …that purging the land of idols… was not enough to develop a passion for God in their lives.  So he began a program of Bible study…and taught the people the laws that God had given Moses.

 

No wonder the people were so hard to convert back to God….my Life Application Bible said they had become Bible illiterate.  They were totally oblivious of the importance of Bible study in their lives. They had completely forgotten God’s words from Deuteronomy 6:6-9…  “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

 

It must have been a problem again later in history…when Paul was preaching.  He said in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

 

We might as well be talking about Christians today. And yes…I googled to see if there were any stats on the subject.  According to an 2012 article in Christianity Today….a survey that targeted the amount of "Bible engagement" asked more than 2,900 Protestant churchgoers about their study habits and found that while 90 percent "desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do," only 19 percent personally read the Bible every day.

 

Even in my sleepy and sometimes drowsy state…most working mornings at 5 am….God fills my heart with courage …and hope when I am completely broken.  He gives me direction for each new day. He tells me what I am doing wrong when I get off his planned route for my life…and humbles me when I get a little too confident. I encourage you to be one of the 19% that talk with God each day…by reading the great guide book he left for us.  Maybe if we encourage others to read it too….we can increase that 19% to a much greater number.

 

Father…I thank you for the many hours you must have poured your word into the many writers you chose to record the Bible for you.  Help me to renew my passion to study it daily…and never become complacent…or allow it to become just a routine. Show me ways to share it with others…like Jehosaphat…so they will see the strength and power it can bring to their lives.  Help me to follow the commands you recorded in Deuteronomy…and place them forever in my heart…and talk about them with everyone I meet.  Amen.

Put All Your Eggs In God's Basket

2 Chronicles 16:1-3 -   In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.  Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.  "Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me."

 

Asa had been king for 36 years when the King of Israel declared war on his kingdom.  King Baasha placed his army in Ramah…and controlled the roads in and out of Jerusalem. Asa’s military counter was to send the gold and silver from his palace…and the gold and silver from the Temple of God to the king of Syria...wishing to entice him to reestablish the treaty his father entered into many years before.

 

It worked…for the short moment that the King of Syria said sure….and king Baasha retreated.  But then the prophet Hanani came to rebuke his use of God’s gold and silver without asking God’s permission. He delivered a harsh message from God that he would now have to endure war from Syria’s king for the rest of his reign …and rebuking him for allowing his heart to forget how God had helped him when he was completely sold out to him…instead of relying on man.

 

Asa is the picture of many Christians today…drawing close to God in our neediest times…then becoming complacent as he piles his blessings on us.  We allow satan to slip in the back doors of our hearts…and he slowly builds a barricade of justification…for us to forget where those blessings came from.  We begin to rely on our own devices… and forget to call out to God…and wait on his answers. We build a group of friends around us that think our decisions are all just fine….as we break God’s heart over and over because we never call him up to discuss things with him.

 

I am confident is this…I can’t plead the 5^th with God.  He knows my heart…even knows what I will ultimately decide. He knows that I just can’t imagine abandoning or forgetting the one person who has given me the strength to keep going the last 4 years. Perhaps my convictions on this are so strong because my own heart has been broken twice….for the divorce of one husband…and death of another cut pretty deep scars in that heart tissue. Perhaps it more the daily time I spend with him writing…he is my best friend…and I simply have to talk to him every day…sometimes more than once.

 

Asa may have simply forgot to go to the Temple one day and pray.  Perhaps he got too busy with his king reponsibilities.  Perhaps he became self-sufficient because of the great blessings God allowed him to collect. Somehow satan snuck in the back door of his once passionate heart…and built a wall of complacency…that blocked his desire to check everything he did with his heavenly father. And ultimately brought down some pretty heavy judgement from God…which made his last years on Earth pretty hard.

 

What a great reminder to check my heart for any signs of satan this morning. Oh how I need to cry out to God to wash me clean with his merciful grace and cleansing blood of his son Jesus Christ...who died to make sure I always have a way to speak with his father. As the writer of Lamentations 3:40 said…. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” Let us all examine our hearts…and make sure the fire he lit the day he saved us is burning bright with a passion to serve him only.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to check my heart this morning…and be sure that you are in complete control of all that I do.  Help me to kick to the curb anything that has taken root in my life that might lead me to become self-sufficient and stop calling out to you for any help I need. Add the fuel you need to the fire in my heart to keep it burning brightly…so you can use me to lead others to you. Amen.

Sell Out Completely...Or Walk Away Sad

2 Chronicles 15:12-14 -  They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.  All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.  They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns.

 

Asa’s reign was already marked by his zeal to purge Judah of Idolatry…but a message from the prophet Azariah sent him on another search for Idols to be destroyed in the cities and towns that had been captured in war.  He even destroyed the asherah pole of the queen…his grandmother….and removed her from her throne.

 

He heeded the words of the prophet…to seek the Lord with his whole heart and soul….purging from among the people by death…anyone who refused to follow God’s commands.  He gathered all the people together….Judeans and the immigrants from Israel alike…and called for them to make a serious covenant with God….even swearing by an oath to love him more than anything else in their lives.

 

It must have been one great revival of love for God…sacrifices numbering more than 1700 animals… offered on the rebuilt altar in front of the temple that Solomon had built. They were so caught up in the act of worship and praise they shouted ….as trumpets and horns blasted melodies of pure joy and peace.

 

It had me wondering if I would join in the huge celebration…shouting my own oath to love him with my whole heart and soul. I wondered if I were more like that rich young ruler in Mark 10 and Matthew 19. He was privileged to meet Jesus one day…and even asked him how to make a deeper commitment to him. Jesus’ answer rings true in my heart this morning….. “ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

 

I can say with my mouth that I love God more than anything… but am I in reality ready to give up all my worldly possessions…and follow him anywhere… if he asks.  I sure don’t want to be like the ruler…who walked away from Jesus that day…saddened…even grieving at the many things he would have had to give up.  And I will admit that I am not sure I am mature enough in Christ that I could pack up my son like Abraham in Genesis 22….ready to sacrifice him to prove his love for God.

 

I am pretty sure I am not the only one who tends to justify the things I have…or want to have….because God can use them in some way. But maybe I should take a new inventory of what I have…and check to see if anything has become more important than God in my life. And if I find anything…I need to remove it quickly …without question…so that I have no distractions…and don’t run the risk of walking away from God’s test of how deep my love for him is.

 

Father…I thank you for this reminder that you should be first…in everything I do and say. Help me Lord today to stop and reflect on what I have in my possession …that might not represent you. Give me the courage to remove it quickly from my life….even if it was put there by family that I love. I renew my commitment to you this morning…and admit that I am weak…and will need you to help me with this task. Help me recognize satan when he tries to trick me into justifying something in my life that will eventually weaken my love for you...light a fire inside my soul that will help me feel your presence in my life at all times. Amen.

God Gives Inner Peace

2 Chronicles 14:11-12 - Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."  The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled

 

King Abijah’s son Asa took the throne when his father died.   He went straight to work destroying the idols that that his father had allowed to pull the people’s heart away from God in his later years as king.  He demanded that the people follow the commands of God…and spent his time fortifying and building up the cities. God gave him peace in the land…for 10 long years.

 

The obedience of Asa to God’s laws…also fortified his soul. The inner peace that God placed in his heart built a courage and confidence that gave him victory over his enemies.  When the huge Cushite army rallied against him…he dropped to his knees and cried out to God. He knew his small army had no chance of winning a battle against this mighty foe on his own…so he admitted his weakness before God…and called out to him for help.

 

That’s exactly what Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 12:9… “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” He suffered from what he called his ‘thorn’…and pleaded with God to take it away.  But God in his great wisdom…never took it away…so Paul would always remember where his bread was buttered. Paul learned firsthand that his weakness increased God’s power to use us…and always centered our minds on God’s power…not our own.

 

I have seen a glimpse of that special inner peace…it keeps me moving forward in my search for God’s will in my life. I sure couldn’t wake up each morning and head to this computer and write every day on my own power. I would still be having a big ole pity party…crying over the loss of my Mitchell…letting satan trick me into a life of bitterness…and sadness. But God gives me new each day… a peace about my loss…and has even used my weakness and pain to draw me closer to him than I ever knew one could be.  He has used my time since Mitchell died to help me search his word…and fortify my soul with his strength and wisdom.

 

Thank you God…for the peace and strength you give me in my pain and loss. I LOVE YOU so much more today than I did before. Continue to give me strength...even amid the tears that come when I remember the sweet blessing you allowed in my life for such a short time.  Help me to always rely on you for what I need…and not be drawn back into the world of materialism and idols…that satan can use to trick me into thinking that I could do anything without you.  Give me even a new strength…courage…and boldness….to share what you have done for me with others.  Amen.

Highlight The Good You Do

2 Chronicles 13:1-3 - In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,  and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah, a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.  Abijah went into battle with a force of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.

 

When Rehoboam died…his son Abijah took the throne.  His reign of three short years required him to take a stand against the rebel Jeroboam…who had convinced the ten tribes of Israel to part ways with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin…and establish their own kingdom. Abijah is courageous as he faces Jeroboam’s enormous army…and is confident in the rebuke he shouts to him before battle.

 

If we read 1 Kings 15:3….we are told that Abijah was an evil king…the bad things he did far outweighing the good he accomplished in this one battle. But this chapter highlights the good he had in his heart when he took the throne…and the victory God gave him because he called on God for assistance.

 

What a great lesson in the power of positive thoughts in our lives. When we feel the presence of God in our lives...and we allow him to build courage and confidence in our hearts….we can go out with half the numbers of the enemy…and come out victorious. When we dwell on the good we have done…and put the mistakes of the past in the past where they belong…God can take that good and multiply it like he did the humble lunch of a small boy…and feed thousands of hungry souls gathered around us. (That story is recorded in Matthew 14….Mark 6…and John 6)

 

Satan wants to plant one small seed of negativity…and whisper in our ear how tragic it is that we messed up.  He wants us to believe that we are powerless against our past…bound by the sin that Jesus died on the cross to free us from. He does not want us to see the power we can have in our lives if we forget the past and concentrate on the good God has promised us in Jeremiah 29:11.

 

God wants us to Highlight the good in our lives…and allow his love to become a power so strong in our hearts …that it drives us to be courageous and confident in the promises he has made to those who will believe in his name. God wants us to stop speaking negative words that continue to tear us down and prevent us from realizing his power…and speak the positive promises he gave to us if we follow his commandments.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me this morning that my words need to concentrate on the positive. Help me to release the mistakes and negative thoughts that hold me back from realizing your great plan for my future.  Give me new thoughts that are full of courage…and confidence in the power you have over evil in this world.  Give me a bold voice like Abijah…to speak them when satan tries to whisper some negative thing in my ear …he knows will weaken my faith. Amen.

Guard Your Faith In Times Of Plenty

2 Chronicles 12:1-4 -  After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. Because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam.  With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

 

Rehoboam had been king for 5 years.  He established his government and grew strong during the first five years of his reign. He lived within the fortified cities he had built ….and served God…for at least some of these years. But somewhere toward the end of this 5 year period of strength…he began to worship idols…and abandoned the God who had given him his strength.

 

Perhaps the power he had developed over the people gave him a false sense of security. The mere ease of his job allowed satan to sneak in and replace his need to follow God…with a sense of self sufficiency.  His mind and soul began to think he could do his job on his own...the cockiness of his youth regaining its hold on his heart.

 

When God isn’t centered in our hearts….we become superficial Christians….giving God less and less time in our lives …..doing exactly what we want…completely twisting his word sometimes to justify it to our heart.  Our actions and words are not based on the truth of God’s word…but on the false sense of security we have built in the material things around us.

 

The words in my Life Application Bible Commentary perked up my heart when I read…. “in hard times we tend to draw close to God…but in times of ease we can sometimes feel self-sufficient and self-satisfied.” Perhaps that is one reason why God allows us to experience bad things in life…perhaps we have become like Rehoboam….and a little too confident in our own abilities.

 

It is a warning to me to guard my faith in this time of life when I am feeling very blessed lately. I need to build a tall tower around my heart with the truth in God’s word…and pray like my friend Daniel morning …noon…and evening.  I need to stay focused on God…so I am always conscious of where my sustenance comes from.

 

Father…I thank you for everything you have given me….in spite of the fact that I deserve none of it. I thank you for reminding me just how important it is to keep my eyes on you in this time of life when the blessings you have showered on me blow my heart away in gratitude. Help me to always remember this feeling of closeness to you….and continue to search for ways to grow even closer.  Keep reminding me how important it is to stay humble…so I will not fall into any of the traps satan has set for my heart. Amen.