2 Chronicles 28, 2 Kings 16-17, Eternal Identity

 “Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done, Therefore the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬, ‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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It is shocking how much God puts up with.  He doesn’t reject the people or excommunicate them…rather He patiently turns the screws on them intending to remind them of their need for Him.  He even continues to call them His people…as they are rejecting Him and following other Gods.

God, thank You for patiently and faithfully loving me, even when I have repeatedly gone after sin or deceived myself to follow my own desires.  Help me to love You more than anything else and flee from everything that does not draw me closer to You!

Micah 1-7, Humility First

 ““With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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 Wonder if at times God looks at us with a compassionate sadness because we so easily depend on our acts of worship and forget that He has called us to live distinctly from everyone else.  His laws, rules, prohibitions and commands cause us to live so differently in this world that we should stick out, people should be in awe of our unselfish and loving behavior.

Lord, help me to love You in ways that make You stand out to the people around me.  Allow me to display justice and kindness and humility.

Isaiah 1-4, Habitually Humbled

 “And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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The Lord will be exalted in the end…in every situation, Gods power will ultimately shine through.  Any human pride will be humbled and we will see it for what it really is- grasping after the wind.

Lord, please help me to be reflecting humility and recognize your work in my life.  Help me to see clearly all good gifts are from You, not my own accomplishments.

2 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 26, Prides Pull

 “He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.”

“But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭26‬:5,‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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How easy it is to completely change course from following God to being prideful and arrogant.  The change is so huge and destructive, yet happens with such small acts and decisions.

Lord, keep me close to You!  Allow my drift to be arrested early.  Help me to stay close to people who can speak into my life at the first sign of straying from Your ways, and give me the humility to see it clearly!

Jonah 1-4, Compassionate God

 “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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What a strange story to highlight our selfishness in contrast to God loving even my enemies.  Lord, help me to be compassionate to everyone You put in my path…

2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25- Anything but Halfhearted

 “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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It is shocking to see when some of these kings do what was right…but don’t turn their whole hearts to the Lord.  God is still not pleased.  He doesn’t just want us to do the right things He wants our whole hearts, mind and bodies!

Lord, I see where I do all the right things, but my whole heart is not Yours…destroy the areas of my heart that refuse to turn to You.  I want to be all in on You only!

2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24- Faithful God

 “But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭13‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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It stood out to me that the Lord carried out His promises for the Israelites because of His word…in spite of their actions.  What a Faithful God we serve that He cares for us even when we are not being obedient.