God is teaching me so many things as I read the stories of the kings in 2 Chronicles. Each king has multiple levels of lessons I need to learn for life. For instance, the story of Asa covers three chapters. He ruled as king in Judah for nearly 42 years. I figure he must have done some things right. And he did. But he also did some things very wrong. Isn't that like most of our lives. We really try to do the right things. But occasionally we find ourselves doing something pertaining to God that is a wrong thing.
As the stroy begins in chapter 14, Asa takes over as king after his father had died. God says the land was quiet for the first 10 years of the reign of Asa. Then the story begins to tell us some of the reasons behind this quietness from wars. Verse 2 tells us that he did what was right and good in the eyes of the Lord his God. I remember reading in the Psalms or Proverbs, that if a man's ways are found pleasing to the Lord, He will make even his enemies be at peace with him. And that is exactly what we see happening here.
Asa began well. Verse 2 explains that he had a personal relationship with God. God was his God. Secondly, this indicates that he had a practical religion. He did the good thing. He did the right thing. His personal relationship led to his practical religion. It was not ivory tower theology. He did not know about God, he knew God! That knowledge always produces an individual who does that which is right and good while the individual is walking in fellowship with God. 1 John 1 reminds us of these truths. We have fellowship with God as we walk in the light as He is in the light. Still, there is a third aspect of verse 2 which stands out in my mind. The verse says that he did what was good and right "in the eyes of the Lord". He had a primary recognition. That recognition was from God.
It does not matter if we do what is good and right in the eyes of other individuals. It does not matter if we do what is good and right in our own eyes. It does matter whether we do what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord. The apostle Paul wrote about that to the Corinthian believers. He said it did not matter to him what others thought about his him. And further more, he said it did not matter what he thought about his own ministry. What mattered was what God thought about it.
One day we will all stand before almighty God and give an account for every idol word we have spoken as well as each action. At that moment, it will not matter what I thought about what I did or what excuses I may give. All that matters is what God has seen and knows. He sees all and knows all. He knows my thoughts from afar. He knows my every word when they are still on my tongue. He knows everything there is to know about me.
The story of Asa begins with God saying he did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. How does the story begin for my life? Better yet, how does the story begin for your life? Have a great and godly day!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Doing All He Says
I turned back to 1 Kings to read more inthe story about Jeroboam. I read about a prophet of God. He was simply called, "the man of God". I had to ask myself if I was a man of God getting the message from God and giving it to whom ever He told me to give it to.
This man of God was commanded by the word of the Lord to go to the King and pronounce judgment on the norhtern Kingdom from God and that there would be a sign of the false altar spliting in two. The king did not like the message and became outraged. As he pointed his finger to the man of God, God struck the arm and it withered. All Jereboam was concerned about was his arm. He asked the man of God to pray that it would be restored. God answered the prayer.
This man of God had great access to God and power from God. Jereboam wanted to reward him and he would not take the reward. The reason was that God had told him not to eat or drink in the land, nor was he to go back the same way he came. The account is found in 1 Kings 13.
As this man of God went home he stopped to rest. Another "man of God" came to him and tried to get him to come to his home to eat. The first man of God would not do it at first. Then the second man of God lied (the scriptures says so) about God telling him to go get this first man and bring him back. It was God's will was the plea. So the second man went. As soon as he drank in the home, the word of the Lord pronounced judgment on him (the first man of God). I know. The story begins to get confusing.
As the first man of God leaves to go home, a lion meets him and kills him, but leaves the donkey alone. The lion does not maul or eat the man. It simply kills him as the Lord had declared.
Here is what I believe the Lord was telling me. He spoke in my heart that I am not to listen to others who try to tell me what God's will is for my life. Because I am in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, He will speak directly to me about His will for my life. I am to listen to it and follow it regardless of what some other man of God may say is God's will for my life. Does that make sense? God will lead each of us in our specific assignments for His kingdom. Follow him. Do not follow what someone else tells you God told them you are to do. Life your life before God who has sought you out for relationship with himself.
Have a great day! Listen to Him.
This man of God was commanded by the word of the Lord to go to the King and pronounce judgment on the norhtern Kingdom from God and that there would be a sign of the false altar spliting in two. The king did not like the message and became outraged. As he pointed his finger to the man of God, God struck the arm and it withered. All Jereboam was concerned about was his arm. He asked the man of God to pray that it would be restored. God answered the prayer.
This man of God had great access to God and power from God. Jereboam wanted to reward him and he would not take the reward. The reason was that God had told him not to eat or drink in the land, nor was he to go back the same way he came. The account is found in 1 Kings 13.
As this man of God went home he stopped to rest. Another "man of God" came to him and tried to get him to come to his home to eat. The first man of God would not do it at first. Then the second man of God lied (the scriptures says so) about God telling him to go get this first man and bring him back. It was God's will was the plea. So the second man went. As soon as he drank in the home, the word of the Lord pronounced judgment on him (the first man of God). I know. The story begins to get confusing.
As the first man of God leaves to go home, a lion meets him and kills him, but leaves the donkey alone. The lion does not maul or eat the man. It simply kills him as the Lord had declared.
Here is what I believe the Lord was telling me. He spoke in my heart that I am not to listen to others who try to tell me what God's will is for my life. Because I am in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, He will speak directly to me about His will for my life. I am to listen to it and follow it regardless of what some other man of God may say is God's will for my life. Does that make sense? God will lead each of us in our specific assignments for His kingdom. Follow him. Do not follow what someone else tells you God told them you are to do. Life your life before God who has sought you out for relationship with himself.
Have a great day! Listen to Him.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Spiritual Shells
I am so intrigued by this story about Rehoboam. As it progresses we find that he established the kingdom and strengthened himself. After this we read that he forsook the law of the Lord and that all Israel went the way of this leader of Judah. I think how interresting that is. When a leader is strongly walking with God, those following will often do the same. When that same leader walks away from God, so do those who are following the leader.
As a result of this action of Rehoboam in his 4th year as king, God brought an enemy to asault the kingdom in his 5th year of reigning as king. We read that he humbled himself before God, so God did not have the enemy destroy them. But He did let the enemy invade Jerusalem and carry away all the articles of gold, like the awesome sheilds that constantly were displayed. When the enemy was gone, we read that Rehoboam had brass sheilds made. He would keep them stored until time for him to go to the house of worship. At that time he would have them brought out, polished up and carried by the guards along with Rehoboam to the temple of the Lord. When he was finished at the temple, he would take them back and stored again until the next time.
As I read this, I wondered how often we do the same thing. Do we turn away from the Lord after we have established our lives and strengthened our life? Do we simply humble ourselves before the Lord when we see trouble coming? When life begins to fall apart, does our pride cause us to build brass shields in place of the gold shields in order to keep up the front that things are ok when inwardly they are not? What will God's epitaph be for my life? Will it be like that of Rehoboam? Will God record that "he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord"? I have many questions. I have few answers. I do know that I want to set my heart to seek the Lord. How about you?
As a result of this action of Rehoboam in his 4th year as king, God brought an enemy to asault the kingdom in his 5th year of reigning as king. We read that he humbled himself before God, so God did not have the enemy destroy them. But He did let the enemy invade Jerusalem and carry away all the articles of gold, like the awesome sheilds that constantly were displayed. When the enemy was gone, we read that Rehoboam had brass sheilds made. He would keep them stored until time for him to go to the house of worship. At that time he would have them brought out, polished up and carried by the guards along with Rehoboam to the temple of the Lord. When he was finished at the temple, he would take them back and stored again until the next time.
As I read this, I wondered how often we do the same thing. Do we turn away from the Lord after we have established our lives and strengthened our life? Do we simply humble ourselves before the Lord when we see trouble coming? When life begins to fall apart, does our pride cause us to build brass shields in place of the gold shields in order to keep up the front that things are ok when inwardly they are not? What will God's epitaph be for my life? Will it be like that of Rehoboam? Will God record that "he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord"? I have many questions. I have few answers. I do know that I want to set my heart to seek the Lord. How about you?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Set Your Heart
Wow! Life gets busy. I have been on the go a lot lately. It is easy to forget some things that you intend to do. It just happens. When I began this blog I intended to write something every day. That commitment lasted a whole two days. I am laughing at good intentions. It is so easy for the demands of life to push them out of the way.
Those demands are a lot like the current on a river. When a boat is tied to the shore, it will stay put against the current. If for some reason that tie is let loose, the current will natuarally carry the boat down stream away from where the owner inteded for it to remain.
Our spiritual walk is that way as well. We can have all the right intentions, but if we do not remain tied to the shore of devotion to God, the current of a busy life will carry us away from that devotion. The writer of Hebrews encouraged us to make sure we did not lose that tie. He said we needed to give more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. Has that happened to you?
There is a story in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles 11 and 12. It is about those troubled days when the nation was split in two. Jeroboam took the northern 10 tribes and sought to make them a nation of themselves. Rehoboam consolidated the southern two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In Chapter 11 and vers 16 we read of the people of the north who had set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel. They followed Rehoboam and strengthened his kingdom for three years. It is amazing what strength comes from setting our hearts to seek the Lord.
At the end of chapter 12 we read in verse 14 that Rehoboam did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. Isn't it amazing that the simple thing of preparing or setting our hearts to seek the Lord can strengthen a people, or the lack of doing that one simple thing can bring about evil from our conduct.
There is a key verse to the change that took place. It is found in chapter 12 and verse 1. "Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kindgom and had strenthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him."
The many who set their hearts to seek the Lord can strengthen a people. The one who sets out to strengthen himself ends up weakening the people. Think about it. Where are you located in this story?
Those demands are a lot like the current on a river. When a boat is tied to the shore, it will stay put against the current. If for some reason that tie is let loose, the current will natuarally carry the boat down stream away from where the owner inteded for it to remain.
Our spiritual walk is that way as well. We can have all the right intentions, but if we do not remain tied to the shore of devotion to God, the current of a busy life will carry us away from that devotion. The writer of Hebrews encouraged us to make sure we did not lose that tie. He said we needed to give more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. Has that happened to you?
There is a story in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles 11 and 12. It is about those troubled days when the nation was split in two. Jeroboam took the northern 10 tribes and sought to make them a nation of themselves. Rehoboam consolidated the southern two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In Chapter 11 and vers 16 we read of the people of the north who had set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel. They followed Rehoboam and strengthened his kingdom for three years. It is amazing what strength comes from setting our hearts to seek the Lord.
At the end of chapter 12 we read in verse 14 that Rehoboam did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. Isn't it amazing that the simple thing of preparing or setting our hearts to seek the Lord can strengthen a people, or the lack of doing that one simple thing can bring about evil from our conduct.
There is a key verse to the change that took place. It is found in chapter 12 and verse 1. "Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kindgom and had strenthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him."
The many who set their hearts to seek the Lord can strengthen a people. The one who sets out to strengthen himself ends up weakening the people. Think about it. Where are you located in this story?
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