Saturday, March 5, 2016

Heart lessons from I Chronicles

United hearts are at peace and helping one another ( 12:17)
Undivided and perfect hearts  are of one mind.

David told his son Solomon to set his heart and soul to seek the Lord his God; ( 22:19)  To serve God with a whole heart and willing mind; and to know that God searches all hearts and understands every intent of the thoughts. ( 28:9)

David had integrity of heart - a level, straight, plain, and upright heart, which delighted the Lord. 
He asked the Lord to preserve the intentions of the hearts of the people and to direct their hearts to Himself. ( 29:18)  He also prayed for the Lord to give Solomon as perfect heart to keep His commandments.

II Chronicles

It was in Solomon's heart to ask God for wisdom. God liked that.
It was in David's heart to build a house for the Lord's Name.  God liked that too.
Solomon did all that was in David's and his own heart.
The Lord chose to put His Name, His eyes, and His heart "perpetually" on the house that Solomon built. ( 7:16)

Rehoboam did evil - because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. ( 12:14)

Asa led the nation back to God by making a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. (15:12)
He sought the Lord earnestly ( hebrew - ratson - with delight, desire, favor, good pleasure, voluntarily, affectionately, reconciling oneself to, pleased to).  
He had a "blameless" heart - complete, friendly, full, just, made ready, peaceable, perfect, quiet, safe, whole. (15:17)

16:9 "The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." Completely is the same Hebrew word as blameless.

Jehoshaphat had a high heart - he took pride in the things of the Lord. 
He instructed the judges and leaders to be faithful and wholehearted - to judge rightly before the Lord.
He sought the Lord with all his heart. (22:9)

Amaziah served the Lord, but not with a whole heart. (25:2) He boasted in himself with a prideful heart.  His son Uzziah also developed a prideful heart. (26:16)

Hezekiah made a covenant with God.  He had a willing heart and was conscientious  or upright of heart.  He led Judah back to the Lord and the Lord gave all of Judah one heart to do His word.
In 30:19 Hezekiah prayed that the Lord would accept those whose hearts were prepared even though they had not prepared their bodies with the purification rituals.  Hezekiah did what was good, right, true - seeking God and acting with all his heart.  He became proud of heart, but when confronted, humbled the pride of his heart. ( 32:25-26)  God tested him, to know all that was in his heart. (32:31)

Josiah had a  humble and tender heart.  He also made a covenant  to walk after the Lord,to keep His commandments with all his heart and soul.  ( 34:27,31)

Zedikiah did evil, did not humble his heart, stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord. ( 36:11)

I hear through these books a call to set our hearts to seek the Lord with delight and willingness, plainly, simply and completely.  We seek Him through His Word, doing those things that He has commanded with humble and tender hearts.  Anything less than that will not delight the Lord!
The Lord will test our hearts, He sees our hearts, and He will direct our hearts and He will support us who give Him our whole hearts.

Father in heaven, take my heart and make it thine own, completely and eternally.  Put Your Name and eyes and heart in me, that I might delight You.  I ask this in the Name of Jesus, amen.

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