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.

2 Kings 5-8, Harmonious Orchestration

 “And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My Lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.””

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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God’s ability to orchestrate dozens of moments illustrates how He is sovereign over everything.  How comforting to know that God is perfectly weaving this tapestry of life.  Every interaction is used for His purposes.  Lord, help me trust that You are at work and leading even the moments that I hate, to Your glory and my good!

Obadia 1, Psalm 82-83, Weak Protected

 “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.””

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭82‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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I love that God both protects the weak and is ready to humble the proud.  Both of these scenarios are intended to point everyone toward God.  They highlight the power of God and His goodness.

Lord, help me to have the same motive in all that I do…that others would see Your goodness and power…not my own ability.