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!

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!

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.

1 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 17, Seek God

 “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬-‭4‬, ‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Seeking the Lord is right in every moment of life.  Attempting to know Him and to love Him more intensively will always produce further sanctification.  Obedience is part of seeking and especially when temptation is at hand following His direction is great evidence of our love.

Lord, strengthen my heart to seek you every moment of every day!  I want to know You and serve You alone…

1 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 13-16, Dependance on God

 “And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.””

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Dependence on God rather than our own strength or wisdom is critical for following God.  It’s very easy for me to fall into my own strength without paying attention to this.

Lord, I need my eyes open to see when I depend on my own strength and ideas.  I need my ears tuned to your voice so that I can know where You are leading.

2 Chronicles 10-12, Giving God Glory

 “When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” (The Lords destruction followed…)

 “And when he humbled himself the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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How easy it is to get comfortable and feel like things are all going your way…and become self dependent rather than leaning on God.  After He has cared for and protected us, we gladly accept the credit for all of Gods work.  We actually think all of His provision was because of our own great wisdom and awesomeness…and therefore turn from Him.

God is patient with us, but is unwilling to give up glory and will eventually pull away his blessing and may even allow suffering…this always brings destruction!  But is is also meant to remind us that all good things are from God, not ourselves.

Lord, I need your patience, but open my eyes quickly when I am taking credit for Your blessing so that I can. Give You glory.

1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8-

 “Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.’””

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Destruction is ahead for us when we surrender to Jesus, then turn our own way.  I am convinced that those who are saved and turn away from God experience more trouble, heartache and suffering that people who have never followed Jesus.  Their actions may not be any different, but the result of their rebellion is much more intense.  Lord, when I stray help me to run back to you so that I can live in Your peace and rest!

1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5, Spirit Filled

 “and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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These passages are a great reminder of who God is.  I am especially impacted by the last few verses that talk about the glory of the Lord filling the temple so that even the priests couldn’t continue to minister.  This reminds me of Galatians 5:16 that says, “walk by the spirit and you will not sin”…as the temple of the Spirit of God, I want to be so full of the Spirit that it is no longer possible for me to do anything other than Gods will!

1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3, Incredible Temple

 “Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.””

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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What a grand temple!  It would have been amazing to see in person…yet it is only a shadow of Heaven, no matter how perfectly made!

Even more incredible is that God now dwells in me…and I am far from perfect.  So many flaws and failures…Lord, help me to live in obedience so that Your glory would be on display!!!

2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72- Defending the Weak

 “May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭72‬:‭4‬, ‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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I love how as a new king granted with wisdom and knowledge he is focused on the poor and needy.  He is instantly carrying out his calling to care for all of his people, not just the rich and powerful.

1 Chronicles 23-25, Gods Election

 “All these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the Lord’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority. They numbered 288 together with their relatives who were all trained and skillful in music for the Lord. They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil. ”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I wonder what happened if you were assigned to the worship team but you were born tone-deaf?  Maybe God ensured that didn’t happen, or maybe you got assigned to the rhythm section?  A silly question, but it stood out to me that these families were elected (by God) to specific areas of service based on family, not necessarily skill…

2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21-22, Psalm 30- Worthy Sacrifices

 “The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces  of silver. He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,  and the plague on Israel ended.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, help me to avoid the laziness of only offering You my leftovers.  Let my sacrifices for You be the most valuable things that I have…I want them to be costly to demonstrate Your majesty and splendor.

2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20- Self-Control

 “Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers  are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this! ”  “Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Our ability to “problem solve” aka hide our sin, is very refined.  David was doing everything he could think of to cover his tracks.  What a scoundrel…

It stands out to me that even drunk Uriah had more self control than David.  Lord, strengthen my self-control (a fruit of the Spirit) so that I can resist temptation or the urge to hide my sin.

2 Samuel 8-9, I Chronicles 18- Whose Power?

 “He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David.  The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.  So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people. ”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Trad Context

It was repeated multiple times today that it was God who made David victorious, not his ability, strength, skill, strategy or stamina…it was always the Lord. god, don’t ever allow me to get confused about whose strength I am depending…may it always be Yours!

2 Samuel 6-7, 1 Chronicles 17- Displayed Humility

 “When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my name,  and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David’s humility to alter his plans when God changes his course was such a great demonstration of honor.  It shows us that David’s heart was not centered on doing great things, but on following Gods will.  God has laid out distinct plans for each of us, help me to know what Your plan is and be willing to change directions in an instant!  Lord, You don’t hide Your plan from us, but You rarely make it as explicit as this.  Open my eyes to see.  Allow my plans to be perfectly moldable as You reveal Your plan to me.

1 Chronicles 7-10, Legacy Destruction

 “Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word.  He even consulted a medium for guidance,  but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. ”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What a tragic end to a legacy…dying because of your unfaithfulness and taking your entire family with you.  It is so critical that I trust in God rather than my own strength or strategies.  Lord, help me to see it clearly when I am doing anything of my own rather than from You!

1 Chronicles 6, Faithful God

 “These were the places assigned to Aaron’s descendants from the Kohathite family for their settlements in their territory, because the first lot was for them.  They  were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands,”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭6‬:‭54‬-‭55‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This reminds me that God is taking care of His leaders just like He said He would!  What a faithful God!

Chronicles 3-5, Trust God

 “They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them.  He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him. ”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Even in this boring list of names, we are told of a group of people who trusted God and defeated their enemies because they turned to Him in prayer.  God listened and acted on their behalf for one reason: they trusted in Him!  Not trusting in themselves, their skill, their numbers or their strength…they trusted God!  Lord, I pray that my words, actions and motives reflect that I trust You in every moment of my life…

1 Chronicles 1-2, Jesus vs Lineage

 “Adam,  Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Noah’s sons:  Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Shem,  Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram (that is, Abraham).”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬, ‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The detail of recording all those generations is intense!  I am guessing that these Israelite people put a lot of value in identifying their lineage…so different how that we have a Jesus who adopts us no matter our lineage!  Praise Him!!!