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 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.

Psalm 111-118, Faithful Love

 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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The everlasting love of God is able to withstand every season and every trial.  We can be confident in Him through every season, no matter how we feel or even perceive Him… close or far off.  His love is perfect and His patience long suffering.

Lord, we do not deserve such love!  That You freely provide it demonstrates the vast difference of Your character over mine.  Lord, make me more like You so that others may turn to You and experience Your character through me.

Psalm 108-110, Long Suffering

 “Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your faithful love so they may know that this is your hand and that you, Lord, have done it. I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth; I will praise him in the presence of many. For he stands at the right hand of the needy to save him from those who would condemn him.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭109‬:‭26‬-‭27‬, ‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, what a blessing that You are long suffering and patient with me.  I would have given up on me a long time ago, yet you continue to show love and grace to me.  Allow me to stay aware of Your faithfulness everyday for the rest of my life!

Psalm 5, 38, 41-42, Always There

 “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.  I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? ”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Tead Context

What a joy to know that God is still there any time I need to talk, cry or be frustrated.  He is listening and ready to help me.  No matter what pain, insecurity or suffering I am enduring, he is patiently waiting for me…even when it feels like He is far away.

2 Samuel 16-18, Endure God

 “Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you wicked man!  The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you became king, and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. Look, you are in trouble because you’re a man of bloodshed! ” The king replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything?  He curses  me this way because the Lord   told him, ‘Curse David! ’  Therefore, who can say, ‘Why did you do that? ’ ””

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬-‭8‬, ‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Absaloms fate was sealed because he was going against God.  David on the other hand allowed the guy to continue cursing him, just in case it was from God…David shows that he is willing to suffer, if it is Gods plan.

Lord, help me to look for Your guidance in every thought, woe or action I take!

1 Chronicles 19, 2 Samuel 10, Psalm 20- Gods Backing

 “Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories from his right hand. Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭20‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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When God is for you…who can win against you?

Psalm 25, 29, 33, 36, 39- Perfect Faithfulness

 “Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven, your faithfulness to the clouds. How priceless your faithful love is, God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭36‬:‭5‬, ‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, your faithfulness includes love, protection and guidance as well as discipline, correction and reproof.  Thank You for loving me enough to demonstrate Your faithfulness in all these flavors!!!

Psalm 89, 96, 100, 101, 105, 132- Historic Faithfulness

 “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! Boast in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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How powerful it is to build our faith and trust in God to remember all the things He has done for us in the past.  The Bible is full of His faithful works and my past shows His incredibly consistent help for me through hard times.  Lord, let me meditate on Your unending love and protection today.

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!

Psalms 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87- Trust Worthy

 “Through you we drive back our foes; through your name we trample our enemies. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory. But you give us victory over our foes and let those who hate us be disgraced. We boast in God all day long; we will praise your name forever. Selah”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, sometimes it is so easy to trust in the skill You have given or the blessings You provide…remind me that those are not mine and that You are the only one worthy of trust.  Help me to trust in You alone!

Psalms 17, 35, 54, 63- Faithful God

 “God, hear my prayer; listen to the words from my mouth. God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you. I will praise your name, Lord, because it is good. For he has rescued me from every trouble, and my eye has looked down on my enemies.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭54‬:‭2‬, ‭4‬, ‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, You are so faithful and in every situation You protect me.  Help me to rest in Your plan for my life even when things are tumultuous or confusing.  Allow my mind and heart to meditate on how You have worked good from even the hardest things in my past.  Give me confidence in Your ability to do it again!

I Samuel 21-24, Gods Deliverance

 “He said to his men, “As the Lord is my witness, I would never do such a thing to my Lord, the Lord’s anointed.  I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” ”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This has always been a passage of intrigue as it seems like God is providing an opportunity for David to be free from running.  So much of his suffering and trials would be over if he just shanks Saul here…but he doesn’t.  He trusts that God will handle the situation.  Lord, help me to trust You like that.

Joshua 9-11, Gods Direction

 “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision. ”…

 “So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the Lord had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war. ”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Joshua was fooled by the cunning of men because he didn’t seek ethe Lord in every decision…Yet this foolishness did not prevent God from accomplishing His plans.

Lord, help me to seek Your help in every decision.  I don’t want to run ahead of You or pursue things that do t align with Your plan…but God, I am thankful that You mercifully carry out Your plan even when I fail to follow You!

Deuteronomy 32-34, Psalm 91- Love & Faithfulness

 “How happy you are, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is the shield that protects you, the sword you boast in. Your enemies will cringe before you,  and you will tread on their backs. ,”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭33‬:‭29‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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How incredible that God cared for Israel, and now cares for us!  We have been saved and protected by God personally…Lord thank You for Your faithfulness and Love to undeserving people!!!

Deuteronomy 1-2, Confident Surrender

 “The Lord your God who goes before you will fight for you,  just as you saw him do for you in Egypt. And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place. But in spite of this you did not trust the Lord your God,”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭1‬:‭30‬-‭32‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God, You show Yourself to be faithful over and over in scripture and in a thousand ways in my life experience!  You always demonstrate Your faithful love and patience…yet stupidly, so many times I am fearful that the situation I face this time will be the will be the outlier!?!  This will be the time You leave me alone to figure it out…how foolish!

Lord, strengthen my faith in You.  Help my confidence be solely in You regardless of the circumstances, especially if it looks like I can handle it.  Let me surrender everything to Your will!!!

Numbers 35-36, Uncommon Rights

 “Any daughter who possesses an inheritance from an Israelite tribe must marry someone from the clan of her ancestral tribe, so that each of the Israelites will possess the inheritance of his fathers.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭36‬:‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Teaf Context

These women are given rights in a patriarchal society which would have been unheard of. God is changing the way that His people thought and cared for the underprivileged or downtrodden.  God continues to do the same today, by asking His people to care for the poor, the immigrant and the unloved.

God, help me to have compassion like You do!  Allow me to think differently than what my culture would encourage as long as it is in line with Your heart!

Numbers 26-27, Promises Kept

 “But among them there was not one of those who had been registered by Moses and the priest Aaron when they registered the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.  For the Lord had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭26‬:‭64‬-‭65‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God keeps his promises and interestingly after these 40 years in the desert, their numbers have not changed much.  I wonder if He did that intentionally to demonstrate that they had the same strength both times they approached the promised land.  The first time they doubted God, the second time they trusted Him!

Numbers 11-13, Sovereign Orchestration

“Tell the people: Consecrate yourselves in readiness for tomorrow, and you will eat meat because you wept in the Lord’s hearing, ‘Who will feed us meat? We were better off in Egypt.’ The Lord will give you meat and you will eat. 

But Moses replied, “I’m in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ 

The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm weak? , Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen to you.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭18‬, ‭21‬, ‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Everyone was complaining against God…asking for more than they were given and God responds by providing superabundantly in an impossible way.  This was also a tragic moment, because the complainers died after seeing Gods provision and even Moses didn’t believe God could follow through on His promise.

When do I view God as incapable or unable?  What an insult, a slap in the face to the One who created the universe, planned salvation and has always provided abundantly for my every need!  Lord, strengthen my faith to never doubt Your ability to accomplish Your will.  Your arm is not weak, but powerful. Your Sovereignty is over every detail and You personally weave every scenario to perfectly accomplish what is best for us all.  Help me to never doubt your power or love for me!!!

Leviticus 24-25, Promised Provision

 ““You are to keep my statutes and ordinances and carefully observe them, so that you may live securely in the land.  Then the land will yield its fruit, so that you can eat, be satisfied, and live securely in the land. If you wonder, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we don’t sow or gather our produce? ’ I will appoint my blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭25‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Gods promise of provision is amazing here.  It is dependent on following Gods instruction, but results in supernatural harvest that will carry them through obedience to sabbath the land.

When we worry about living the way God commands we are demonstrating our trust in our own abilities rather than trusting what He says.  Whatever He calls us to, He will provide sufficiently.

Lord, help me to follow You without fear, knowing that You will provide for all of my needs!