II Chronicles 33 After Hezekiah died, his 12 year old son Manasseh became king.  Manasseh "did evil in the sight of the Lord."   His sins were many:

He rebuilt the  "high places" his father had torn down. He erected altars and Asherim. He worshiped the "host of heaven". He built pagan altars in the Temple. He sacrificed his sons. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery. He used mediums and spiritists. "He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger."

II Kings 21:16 tells us that "Manasseh shed much innocent blood until he filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin in doing evil in the sight of the Lord."

What the account in Kings does not tell us is that Manasseh repented.  The Lord sent the army of Assyria against him. He was taken captive and sent to Babylon. It is there "in distress"  that Manasseh "entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God." 

Manasseh removed the idols, rebuilt the walls, set up the altar of the Lord and offered peace offerings and thanks offerings there. He reigned for 55 years. 

Yet, after Manasseh died, his son Amon brought back all the idolatry.  He did not humble himself before the Lord but "multiplied guilt".  His own servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house.  They made his 8 year old son Josiah the new king. 

The fact that Manasseh had done so much evil after his father had done so much good is so sad. What caused this young man to turn completely away from his father's example? But, the fact that he turned back to the Lord is so wonderful and miraculous that it gives us such hope.. for we know all about rebellious sons and prodigal children. We see it over and over again in our world.. in our churches.. and in our own families.  

I wonder who prayed for Manasseh?  Who were the "seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel"? (v18)  Who reminded him to pray? After he returned to Jerusalem, did he pray for his son Amon?  Did he encourage his grandson Josiah?

What can we learn from the story of Manasseh?  It is never too late to turn back to the Lord.  No matter how great our sin... God hears our prayers of repentance when we humble ourselves before Him.  Yet, even then there are consequences to face.  Manasseh must have seen the ways of Amon. Perhaps he saw into the heart of Josiah too. 

Father, help us to pray and never give up on those who have gone their own way and are living in sin. We have children and grandchildren.. even great-grandchildren.. who need to humble themselves and turn back to You. We pray, that in Your great mercy and kindness, that You would reach out to them and call them back to Yourself. Bring believers into their lives to share the Love of Jesus with them. Open doors of opportunity so that we can speak Truth into their lives.  Give them hearts to believe and minds to receive the Truth of the gospel and find Life... we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 32 The king of Assyria, Sennacherib came to invade Judah and take Jerusalem.  But, Hezekiah trusted God saying, ".. the one with us is greater than the one with him."   He believed and acted on that belief that God would fight their battles.. and He did.  When Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed, the Lord sent His angel who destroyed "every mighty warrior" - II Kings 19 tells us it was 185,000 Assyrian warriors - all dead in one night. 

Sennacherib, the one who thought that the God of Jerusalem was no different than any other god... idols produced by men's hand.. found out that he was wrong.  "So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword." 

Hezekiah became ill some time after all this. He prayed and was healed, yet he had to deal with an issue of pride after that. "However Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah." 

Hezekiah was blessed with much wealth and he did well... until the envoy from Babylon showed up and he showed them all the treasures of his kingdom...and for that judgement would be forthcoming upon the nation in the future generations.

 I'm reminded of I John 4:4 "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."  And, Romans 8:31 ".. if God is for us, who is against us?" 

Jesus is greater than every enemy! And, praise the Lord... He is with us!  Through the battles, through the trials, and through the disappointments and struggles of life.  Even when there are 185,000 mighty warriors on our doorsteps - we can pray like Hezekiah:

"Oh Lord, the God of Israel, who art enthroned above the cherubim, Thou art the God, Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline Thine ear, O Lord and hear; open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see; ... and now O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou alone, O Lord, art God." ( II Kings 19:15-19) 

Father in heaven, You are God in heaven above and on earth below and there is no other! We give You the glory and honor due Your holy name. We ask for Your blessing.. that You would be with us today, to guide us by Your Holy Spirit, to provide for us by Your outstretched Hand, and to give us grace to remain in Jesus Christ our Lord. May Your will be done in each one of us, so that the fruit of Your Spirit is produced in our lives. May we stand firm.." strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.." knowing that our battle" is not against flesh and blood" but against the "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. " We take up the full armor of God, so that we can resist in the evil day and stand firm in Jesus our Lord, for it is in His name we pray, Amen. 

 II Chronicles 29-31  Hezekiah!  Coming from a wicked father, this king turns everything around.  He restores the temple, restores the priests and Levites, and restores the giving of tithes.  He also restores the celebration of Passover.. even inviting those from Israel to join with them in Jerusalem. And, although some mocked and scorned this invitation.. some came. 

What an amazing turn about! "The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord." ( 30:12)

Hezekiah brought about the reforms because he "did what was good, right, and true before the Lord his God. And every work which he began in the service of the house of God in and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered." (31:20-21)

Because of Hezekiah's heart for God.. joy was restored.. provisions were made.. and healing was granted. 

Oh for a leader like Hezekiah to rise up in our land today.  A man willing to lead us back to God. A man willing to turn away from wickedness and idolatry.  A man to reach out to others and persuade them to remember the Lord and to serve Him was again. 

Lord God, blessed be Your name in all the earth!  Hear our prayers, Father, for our nation, where sin and wickedness has found not only a foothold, but an open door... Deliver us from evil, Lord God. Raise up men and women who will do what is good and right and true.. before You. Bring revival for Your church.. especially those who have turned away or compromised with the ways of our world. May the Word of God spread rapidly.. run freely and be glorified in our land, we pray.   May our nation wake up to the Truth and seek You with all our hearts.. so that we might be Your people.. one nation.. under God! We ask this in the name of our true King, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 27-28  After Uzziah, came Jotham, who "did what was right in the sight of the Lord." Jotham "became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God."  ( v6)  

But, after 16 years Jotham died and his son Ahaz became king.. and Ahaz was not good at all. 

Ahaz made idols, he sacrificed his own sons, and he even closed the doors of the Temple.  Because of his sin, God "delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram."  Judah was defeated by Aram and then by Israel. Ahaz tried to  fix things by making an alliance with Assyria, which backfired when they "came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him." 

"For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the Lord." v19 Ahaz never learned his lesson and only became worse and worse.  II Kings 16 tells us that Ahaz went up to Damascus to see the king of Assyria. There he saw a great altar and he sent the pattern for it back to Jerusalem for Urijah the priest to make.  He had this pagan altar put in place of God's altar and offered sacrifices on it.  "And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to anger." ( II Chronicles 28:25) 

Amazingly enough.. when Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah became king.. "And he did right in the sight of the Lord." 

Why is it that some people have such hard hearts? Why don't they see what is happening because of their sin? Why is it that Ahaz, whose father served the Lord, so quickly and blatantly chose evil instead of good?  Why is it that all of us.. at some time or other in our lives.. make choices that lead us on the wrong path?    

As Paul wrote to the Romans.. we are "of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.."  What we want to do.. we don't; what we don't want to do.. we do.  Paul said, "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good."  We are all wretched  and need to be set free.. and we are.. by Jesus Christ our Lord.   Oh what grace.. grace.. God's grace!

Ahaz could have found grace.. God would have been his salvation, his refuge, and his help.. but he refused.  Again we are given this illustration of a life offered to the world.. leading to ruin, instead of a life offered to God.. leading to blessing. 

Father in heaven, Your name is holy and glorious. We exalt in Your grace and goodness. We praise You and give You thanks for the salvation that is in Jesus Christ our Savior.  Thank You for setting us free from sin and death and bringing us into the Light of the Kingdom of Your blessed Son.  May we choose this day to order our lives according to Your will.  May we choose to use restraint and obedience in our decisions.. in our words and in our actions.  You are our stronghold.. our strength.. our fortress, and we will keep on trusting in You. May we seek You, walk with You, hear Your voice, and glorify Your name today! Amen. 

 II Chronicles 26 Uzziah, also called Azariah, was 16 when his father died and he was made king of Judah.  He ruled for 52 years.  "And he did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done. And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him." 

Uzziah built up Jerusalem and Judah. He had a great and skilled army. He "made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on towers and on the corners, for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong." (v15)

Uzziah was an impressive man and he served the Lord... but... "his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." (v16)

Uzziah was confronted by the priests but failed to listen.  Because of this willful sin of disobedience.. the Lord struck him with leprosy.  It was an immediate judgement, right there in the temple.  King Uzziah remained a leper the rest of his life, living separately from his family while his son took on the responsibility for leading Judah. 

We see again that God honors those who seek Him, but those who choose to turn to their own ways and desires "will have no honor from the Lord God." (v18)  Pride is a sin that God denounces over and over again.  Uzziah "lifted up" himself and that is not pleasing to the Lord. 

Isaiah saw King Uzziah's life and his death. It was then that the vision was given to him... that Isaiah saw the great holiness of the Lord God and cried out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." ( Isaiah 6:1-5)

Father, search our hearts and reveal those areas where we have lifted up ourselves or have been unfaithful to You.  Forgive us Lord, when we have become proud in our prosperity or in our strength. Forgive us for not honoring You and Your Word as we should. Cleanse our unclean lips and our whole hearts..  as You did for Isaiah, so that our iniquities will be taken away and our sins forgiven also.  We live in a world in great need of redemption, Lord God. May Your grace and mercy flow through us, Your people, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ be preached in all the earth.  Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever.. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 25 - Amaziah, the son of Joash, became king when he was 25 years old.  He reigned 29 years. " And he did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart." 

The Lord our God desires our whole hearts. Anything less will bring disaster. 

When Amaziah paid warriors from Israel to help in battle, he was warned that it would fail because God was not with Israel. Amaziah sent those warriors home, but in their anger they plundered some of Judah's cities. 

When Amaziah went up against Edom, he brought back their idols and would not listen to the counsel of the prophet.  This would bring about Amaziah's destruction. " I know that God has planned to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel," the prophet told him. 

So, when  Amaziah challenged the king of Israel... he was defeated.. "But Amaziah would not listen for it was from God, that He might deliver him into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom." 

"And from the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord they conspired against him in Jerusalem." 

Every day we choose.. whether we turn to the Lord or we turn away from Him.  The lesson from Amaziah is that we can not choose a partial commitment.  God commands and deserves our whole devotion.  In the letter to the church of Laodicea, Jesus said, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16)  Like Amaziah, the church thought they were rich and didn't need anything.. but they were actually "poor and blind and naked".  They needed to see themselves as God saw them.  Amaziah needed to see himself as God saw him, too.  He just wouldn't listen. We, the church in America today, also need to see ourselves as God sees us... 

Father God, the psalmist wrote..   "the earth is Adonai's, with all that is in it, the world and those who live there;" ( Psalm 24:1).  Everything comes from You, for Your purposes. Lord, "make me know Your ways, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth, and teach me; for you are the God who saves me, my hope is in you all day long." ( Psalm 25:4-5)  By the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in me, may I  choose each day to give You my whole heart.. to not hold anything back. This is my desire, yet I know that I am weak.. so I ask for Your help. The church today.. in America.. is becoming lukewarm. The pressure to conform to society's obsession with prideful sin...  is as wrong as Amaziah's act to bring idols back to Jerusalem. Forgive us Lord, and restore us to purity and obedience to Your holy Word. May we, Your people, truly humble ourselves before You and seek You with whole hearts.  May Your will be done and Your kingdom come!  In Christ Jesus we come before You to ask these things. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 24  Joash was 7 years old when he was made king.  Most of his family had been killed in horrible ways.  His own grandmother was responsible for the death of his siblings.  Only his aunt and uncle remained.  They rescued him, raised him, mentored him, and helped him to become a good king. 

"And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest."  His most important work was to restore the temple.  But... when Jehoiada died.. Joash listened to the wrong voices. "And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Ashram and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their guilt." ( v18) 

Joash even went so far as to kill Jehoiada's son, Zechariah,  who brought a warning to them.."Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you." ( v20) Zechariah would have been like a brother to Joash. What happened to cause Joash to fall so low?

Aram came back to fight again. They destroyed "all the officials of the people from among the people.." Because of Judah's actions.. forsaking the Lord.. they were delivered over to the enemy.  Joash was killed by his own servants, and his son Amaziah was made king in his place. 

To forsake.. the Hebrew word is azab - to loosen, relinquish, permit.. refuse.. leave..  I am reminded of the Lord Jesus' words in John 15 - "Abide in Me" - stay.. endure.. be present.. be in relationship with Me.  Jesus tells us that it is in the abiding that we bear fruit; it is in the abiding that we can do anything at all; it is in abiding in Him that the Father is glorified.  

We do not know what happened to Joash that made him change from abiding to forsaking the Lord. But, we need to heed this lesson.  It is in abiding in Jesus that we find joy.. hope.. peace.. and love. It is by forsaking Him that we find destruction. 

Father, help us to constantly abide in Jesus. May we never, no never forsake You. Strengthen our inner beings to keep clinging and to stay in right relationship with our precious Savior. Hold us close and fill our hearts with Your love and grace, by the power of Your Spirit in us, so that we might bear much fruit to the glory of Your Name. This is what we ask.. in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 21-23  At this point in Israel's and Judah's history things become even more complicated :

When Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram became king.  Jehoram's wife was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Unfortunately he followed his wife's ways and not his father's, " and he did evil in the sight of the Lord."  He killed his own brothers. He failed as a ruler. Some of his wives and children were carried away by the Philistines and Arabs. And, he died of a terrible disease.. " and he departed with no one's regret.. " 

Jehoram had one son who remained, Ahaziah, also called Jehoahaz.  He became the next king of Judah.  His mother what Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab.  "He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord... to his destruction." 

Athaliah's brother Ahaziah was king of Israel. Their brother, Joram, became king next.  Three siblings, all as evil as their father Ahab and their mother, Jezebel.

Note.. there are two Ahaziahs and two Jehorams to keep track of here. Ahaziah - king of Judah, the son of Jehoram and Athaliah.  And Ahaziah - the king of Israel, the brother of Athaliah and Jehoram, aka Joram. 

Ahaziah of Judah allied himself with Jehoram/Joram of Israel, his uncle.  They went to war against Aram, and Joram was wounded.  Ahaziah went to visit his wounded uncle.. leading to his own death.  All of Ahab's relatives, including Ahaziah are put to death by Jehu. 

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, finds out her son is dead.. so what does she do?  She kills all of his children and makes herself queen of Judah.  

But, one child.. ,Joash, still a baby,  is stolen away by his aunt, Jehoshabeath.  She and her husband, Jehoiada, a priest, hid Joash for 6 years.  When he is 7 years old, Jehoiada set up a plan to trap Athaliah, who was put to death, and Joash was crowned king. 

 "And all the people of the land rejoice and the city was quiet. for they had put Athaliah to death with the sword." 

Not only are these kinds of passages complicated, but they are tragic.  Evil seems to be winning and righteousness seems to be lost. Family relationships mean everything.. and then nothing at all.  The people are ruled by ruthless rulers.. BUT.... God is still in control.  He saw the evil being done. He sent His prophets to warn those who had forsaken Him. And, He justly punished those who refused to repent. 

What does the Lord want to say to us.. to me through these words?  Once again the Truth resounds... whoever chooses to do evil will find destruction. The "wages of sin is death".  God has not changed His standards and He will not change the consequences.

However.. we are not without hope for.. "... the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." ( Romans 6:23)

Our world is being deceived, just like those in the past.. thinking that God doesn't see or doesn't care about the sins that they are doing and promoting.. but, He does see and He does care.  Destruction is absolutely certain for those who have forsaken Him.  Only in Jesus Christ can we find salvation! We must pray for our leaders and our world to turn from sin and find Life in Jesus!

Father in heaven, thank You for the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ.  Help us, Father, to stay.. to abide in Him.. constantly.  May our hearts be fully devoted. May our spirits be one with Your Holy Spirit. Keep us from evil. Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your Name's glory and honor.  Bring revival  to our nation and to are world.. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 17-20  These chapters cover the reign of Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa.  "And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals." 

Jehoshaphat honored the Lord. He not only followed the commandments himself, but he sent out teachers across the land of Judah to teach the people the ways of the Lord. The Lord blessed Jehoshaphat during this time. 

But, he was not perfect. He allied himself with Ahab, the evil king of Israel, by having his son Jehoram marry Ahab's daughter, Athaliah.  Then, Jehoshaphat went to war with Ahab against Aram.  Jehoshaphat insisted on inquiring the word of the Lord before proceeding into battle.  All of the "prophets" proclaimed success, except for one.. Micaiah.  He proclaimed disaster for Ahab. 

Jehoshaphat was foolish enough to go to battle anyway. He even wore his royal robes, making himself a target, while Ahab disguised himself.  Even so, Ahab was killed and Jehoshaphat was spared. 

Rebuked by the prophet Jehu, Jehoshaphat once again set his heart to seek God.  He set up judges and charged them to "be careful what you do, for the Lord your God will have no part in unrighteousness, or partiality, or the taking of bribes."  Their judgements were to be rendered according to the Lord's law and commandments, not man's.  Oh that we might see that today in our courts!

When the next challenge came, this time the Moabites and Ammonites coming to make war,  Jehoshaphat took his fears to the Lord. He gathered the nation together to fast and pray.  He led the people in prayer.. "O Lord, the God of our fathers, art Thou not God in the heavens? And art Thou not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Thy hand so that no one can stand against Thee... O our  God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude  who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee." ( 20:6-12) 

God answered this prayer in a powerful and miraculous way.  He told them, "do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's... You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on you behalf.." ( v15-17) 

Jehoshaphat and the people fell down and worshiped the Lord. The Levites "stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice."  And victory was granted.  The Lord Himself set up ambushes. The armies of Moab and Ammon destroyed each other.  Judah gathered the spoils of war for three days. 

I am reminded of the song.. "The battle belongs to the Lord."  This is a truth that we can stand on. This is our God, whom we serve. May we be wholehearted in our faith.. in the midst of every kind of battle that we may have to face.. knowing that He holds us in His Almighty Hands. 

Father in heaven, You are our God, who saves!  We exalt Your Name! We offer praise and thanksgiving to You, for You are greater than any army,  greater than any nation, and  greater than any enemy.  We do not know what to do.. in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation that we live in.. but the battle is Yours, and we will keep our eyes on You.  Keep us steadfast in Christ Jesus we pray. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 16  After 35 years of being king of Judah, Asa faced another challenge. This time it came from Israel.  Baasha had taken the throne of Israel and was as evil as Jeroboam.  He made a strategic move against Judah, fortifying the city of Ramah.  This city would have been on the border area between Israel and Judah.. and not that far from Jerusalem... perhaps as close as 5 miles. 

This threat led Asa to seek help.. but this time he did not call out to the Lord as he had done when the Ethiopians had come.. this time Asa reached out to Aram, to Ben-hadad, the king of Aram who lived in Damascus. Asa sent silver and gold.. taken from the Temple of the Lord.. to make a covenant with Aram. The army of Ben-hadad went against Israel in the north, causing Baasha to leave Ramah alone. 

Asa ordered the people of Judah to go to Ramah and carry all the stones and timber that Baasha left behind and move it all to Geba and Mizpah.. two cities located between Jerusalem and Ramah. Seems like a very wise and strategic move. 

The problem was.. Asa did not consult the Lord.  A prophet, Hanani, came to Asa to confront him.. "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." 

Asa was not happy with the Word from the Lord. He put Hanani in prison, he took his anger out on his own people, and when he was physically stricken with diseased feet.. he refused to seek the Lord for help. When Asa died, he was not buried in the tomb of his ancestors as was the usual tradition. Instead, he had prepared his own lavish resting place, filled with spices. 

Asa had started out "good and right".. but ended up all wrong.  What happened?  He took his eyes off of the Lord.  

Over and over again, the Word reminds us that we need to remain steadfast.. to keep abiding in the Lord.. to persevere.. and to overcome.  Each of the 7 letters to the churches recorded in the book of Revelations speaks to those who "overcome":

"To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." (Rev. 2:7)

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." (2:11)

"To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone, and a new name.. " (2:17)

"And he who overcomes and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations."( 2:26)

"He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." (3:5)

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name." (3:12)

"He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (3:20)

Oh what glorious promises!

Father in heaven,  You are the God of peace who equips us with every good thing for doing Your will . You work in us what is pleasing to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  We cry to You for help in times of troubles.. that we might stand firm, that we might be overcomers.. steadfast, like Jesus.  You are faithful and You will do it, because that is what Your Word proclaims. May we cling to You, believing and keeping our eyes always fixed on You. May our hearts be completely Yours. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, our Great High Priest and King forever. Amen. 

II Chronicles 14-15  After the death of his father,  Abijah, Asa became king.  "And Asa did good and right in the sight of God". 

One of the good and right things that Asa did was to get rid of the foreign gods and tear down altars and pillars.. even the one belonging to his grandmother Maacah.. described as a "horrid image".  Asa also commanded Judah to "seek the Lord God of their fathers".  Because of Asa's devotion to the Lord the country was at rest for the first 10 years of Asa's reign. 

Then, the Ethiopians came with and "army of a million men and 300 chariots".   Judah was vastly outnumbered. But, Asa turned to the Lord and prayed.. "Lord, there is no one besides Thee to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us Lord our God, for we trust in Thee, and in Thy name have come against this multitude, O Lord, Thou art are God; let not man prevail against Thee."  This powerful prayer is one that we need to pray as we live in the midst of a society bent on their own evil ways. We.. as Christians.. may be outnumbered but our God is great!

The Lord answered Asa's prayer. He routed the Ethiopians and gave Judah a great victory. From the spoils of that war Asa offered 700 oxen and 7000 sheep as a sacrifice to the Lord. 

Asa was told "the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."  Asa took this to heart and led Judah to seek the Lord and they did. The Lord blessed Judah so that "there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign." 

Again, the message of seeking the Lord... trusting Him in every difficulty.. and abiding in Him.. calls out to me.  It is sad and discouraging to see our country.. our world.. exalting sinful behavior, forsaking the ways of God, and persecuting believers in Jesus Christ. But, we can be encouraged by the Word of God that nevertheless.. He reigns and He is on our side. 

Father in heaven, we worship You alone. "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to Adonai, all the clans of the nations will worship in your presence. For the kingdom belongs to Adonai, and he rules the nations." (Psalm 22:27-28)  This is the truth that we gird ourselves with.. so that we can stand firm in the evil day.  You are with us when we stay with You. That is your promise.. a shield that we raise by faith to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. Praise to our God and to the Son, who abides in us and whose power is at work in us for Your glory. Keep us in Your perfect peace and accomplish Your perfect will in us, Lord.  We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our King.  Amen!

 II Chronicles 13  After Rehoboam's death, his son Abijah (also called Abijam) became king of Judah.  Jeroboam was still king of Israel.  Abijah followed his father Rehoboam, who had turned away from following the Lord. But, this chapter records a change of heart. 

Jeroboam brought 800,000 warriors to fight against Judah's 400,000 warriors.  The battle was set in the hill country of Ephraim. From Mount Zemaraim Abijah called out to Jeroboam, reminding him that the kingdom was God's and it was promised to David's sons.  He reminded Jeroboam that the Lord was on Judah's side because they served Him, while Israel had driven out the priests and Levites and had made themselves priests of the golden calves.. who were NOT god. 

Abijah and his people were surrounded by Jeroboam's army.. for they had set an ambush behind and the army in front. But, Judah cried out to the Lord and "then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah."( v14-15)

500,00 Israelites were slain that day. "..and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers". 

Jeroboam never recovered from this defeat. The battle belonged to the Lord! Victory is always for His glory. What important lessons we can learn from this account:

The Lord is on our side.. because we are His servants, His children. 

We serve a Living God who sees the enemy that surrounds us.. and He will deliver us when we cry out to  Him. 

Even when the odds are against us, we must keep trusting, keep praying, and keep serving our God, for only He can win the battle. 

Father in heaven, we are thankful that we belong to You.. that You are our Fortress and our Strong Deliverer.  Every battle belongs to You.  We may not face an army of warriors, like Judah, but we are up against a foe that surrounds us in front and behind.. an enemy who seeks to "steal and kill and destroy".  Our "adversary, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. "  But, You have shown us grace.. calling us to "eternal glory in Christ" who "will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish" us.  Hallelujah!  Some trust in chariots and some in horses.. but we trust in You, the Lord our God!  Help us to remember Who You are and who we are in Christ Jesus, who abides in us.. whose almighty power has been revealed in us... to the glory of Your Name. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 10-12  Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, was made king in his father's place. But, he did not ask for or receive the wisdom that his father tried to give him.  His mother was Naaman, and Ammonitess.   ...  maybe that explains some things. A mother's influence  can make a world of difference .

 Rehoboam refused to negotiate with his fellow citizens, he "forsook the counsel of the elders",  and would not "listen to the people".  His arrogance and foolishness lost him the rule of most of the country. 12 tribes turned away and became the nation of Israel, making Jeroboam their king.  Only Judah and Benjamin stayed loyal to Rehoboam. He fled to Jerusalem and began fortifying all the cities in Judah and Benjamin.  He was ready to go to war with Israel, but God sent a prophet, Shemaiah, to put a stop to that. 

All of this happened because the Lord chose to do it, because of  the sins of Solomon, whose heart "was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God... [who] went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites... and.. did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." ( I Kings 11:4-13)  And just as God said He would do.. He did. The 10 tribes were torn out of the hands of Rehoboam and given to another. 

The priests and Levites followed Rehoboam to Jerusalem. "And those from the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord God of Israel, followed them to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers." ( 11:16)  For three years "they walked in the way of David and Solomon". 

But then... "It took place when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong that he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord." (12:1)  As discipline, the Lord sent Egypt against Judah.  "You have forsaken Me, so I have forsaken you to Shishak" the prophet told Rehoboam (12:5).  At this Rehoboam humbled himself and a measure of deliverance was given. They became slaves of Egypt once again and many of the treasures that Solomon had amassed were taken. Yet.. "when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely;" He reigned in Judah for 17 years. 

The final words about Rehoboam are these.."and he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord."

Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines. He fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters. He favored Maacah, one of his wives, over the others. Maacah was the daughter of Absalom. She would have actually been his cousin. What a mess.  All of this would have broken David's heart. His sons, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren.. turned away from the Lord, whom David loved. 

We pray and pray for our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren... seeing the evil in our world today. It is vital that we do so.. but we must also lead by example.. to be fully devoted to the Lord our God.. to set our hearts to seek Him always.. to be the right influence for our children and their children. It will make all the difference in the world.. and for eternity. 

Father in heaven, we humble ourselves before You and confess our failure to live wholly devoted lives. Forgive us Lord. Help us to set our hearts on You alone.. to seek You, to draw nearer and nearer to You, to be humble and yielded to You always.. in all we do, especially in our roles as parents and grandparents. Father, You are the God of peace who has promised to sanctify us.. to make us devoted, through Christ Jesus. ( I Thess. 5:23-24) You are faithful and You will bring it to pass! Hallelujah! Let your will be done in us Father, for it is in the wonderful Name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 8-10 These chapters describe Solomon's successes. Great wealth. Great power. Great respect.  But, we know the great failure too.  Foreign wives that led him into idolatry. Pride that tarnished his relationship with God.  And in the end he left one son, Rehoboam, who lost most of the tribes of Israel to Jeroboam because of his great lack of wisdom. 

We learn from Solomon that it is not how wise, how rich, how powerful, or even how blessed a person can be... if he or she loses the right relationship with God. The book of Ecclesiastes, thought to be written by Solomon, echoes these sentiments.. "Vanity of vanities... All is vanity..."  He wrote "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgement, everything which is hidden, whether good or evil."  Return to God, Solomon exhorts us... for everything else is vanity. 

I read this in a devotional book by Andrew Murray this morning.. "Why were they (the disciples) so privileged to spend those last days with Him (Jesus) and to receive His instruction? The answer is simple. when Jesus called them, they left everything behind and followed Him. They renounced their lives, counted them as unimportant, and were willing to do His bidding."   Jesus "had to sacrifice all to be an offering to God, so Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph had to give up everything in order to become a sacrifice to God. Therefore, the disciples also had to give up everything to follow God's call, separated to God alone. Only then could God fulfill His purpose in them."  ( Daily in His Presence.. emphasis mine)

After having it all.. Solomon realized in his conclusion of Ecclesiastes.. it was all vanity... worthless. Only a right relationship with God has true value.  Paul said the same thing.. it's all "loss".. it's all garbage.. compared with the "surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord." (Phil. 3:8)

Father in heaven, You are God and all things belong to You.  Some of us are wise, rich, or even powerful.. but most of us are not. Still, whatever we have.. belongs to You. All the "things" we have.. we must be willing to let go of and to give it all up to follow You.  Help us to recognize this truth.. lay it all down, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. May we keep Your purposes before us. May we keep our eyes fixed on You.  Sanctify us.. set us apart fully for Yourself we pray.  In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 7:13 -22   "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people.. " 

Drought.. destruction.. or disease.. sent from God's hand for the purpose of discipline.  The definition of pestilence is "any virulent or fatal contagious or infectious disease; especially one of epidemic proportions.." ( New World Dictionary)  Sounds familiar...

But, He is not finished speaking.. "and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 

Solomon had asked the Lord to hear the prayers offered in the temple.. and the Lord agrees.. "Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place." But, He has something more to say to Solomon:

"And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked even to do according to all that I have commanded.. then I will establish your royal throne... but if you turn away.. then I will uproot you from My land.. and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight.. " 

Solomon failed to walk in God's ways. Israel failed to stay faithful. And the temple was destroyed. Israel was sent into exile.  God did exactly what He said He would do.  So, here we are.. the world in chaos due to "pestilence" of epic proportions.  Are we taking God at His word? Oh how we must!

Father in heaven, we are in great need of You. We, who are believers in Jesus Christ, are seeking Your face. But, the world is so full of wickedness and pride. They cling to their sins and boast in their defiance of Your Word. Our hearts break. Bring repentance and revival to our land, dear Father. You are our hope and salvation and there is no other. Thank You for being patient and merciful. Thank You that Your lovingkindness is unfailing. Deliver us from the darkness of the enemy. Shine the Light of Your glory in us so that Jesus is exalted in ALL the earth. We humble ourselves before You, we seek Your face, we turn from sin and ask for forgiveness.  Hear our prayers, Father, and heal our land.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

II Chronicles 7  When Solomon finished his prayer of dedication, God responded by sending fire to consume the burnt offering and sacrifices.  The temple had already been filled with the cloud, but the "glory of the Lord filled the house"  again.  It was so magnificent that every person immediately fell on their face and worshiped the Lord. 

After seven days of observing the feast, a final day of "a solemn assembly" was observed and then all the people were sent home.  It was at this time that the Lord spoke to Solomon saying, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice." 

In Deuteronomy 12:5 the Lord said, ".. you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God shall choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come."  Now,  at this place and at this time, the Lord said to Solomon.. "I.. have chosen this place.."  

The temple was meant to be a place of worship.  The sacrifices were necessary because of sin. The only way that relationship could be restored between a sinful man and God. .was the shedding of blood.  This chosen place was to be where that relationship would be restored.. the place of worship and sacrifice. 

This brings to mind John 4:20-24 when the Samaritan woman speaks to Jesus about worship.. "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."  Jesus revealed that a change was coming.. and had come by His Presence.. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers." 

In Matthew 12 Jesus made three powerful statements. In verse 6 He said.. "But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here."  In v41 He said, ".. behold something greater than Jonah is here."  And  in verse 42 He said, ".. behold, something greater than Solomon is here." 

Solomon's temple was gone. Herod's temple would soon be destroyed. The "Greater" one.. Jesus Christ, the  "Servant whom I have chosen" ( Matthew 12:18).. is the same.. yesterday, today, and forever... and He is here!  In Him we come to the Father as true worshipers.. no longer to a building or a city, but to the Son of the Living God.  Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Father in heaven, we worship You. Great are You Lord and greatly to be praised! In Christ we come to seek Your face, to bring our supplications, and to give You our thanksgiving.  In Christ, we pray for forgiveness and restoration, for healing and for holy lives that please You.  We pray for Your Kingdom to come, for Your will to be done, and for Your Name to be glorified in all the earth. Keep us in Your ways, and let the glory of the Lord  fill these "temples" as we offer our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to You.. in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 II Chronicles 1-5  Solomon built the temple just as David had hoped.  It must have been so beautiful and amazing.  He brought the ark that David had placed in Jerusalem up to the new temple.. carefully following the Law's requirements. Thousands of offerings were sacrificed.. music and praises were lifted up to the Lord.. and then "the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." 

Solomon started out so well.  He asked the Lord for wisdom and knowledge to lead Israel.  He was obedient to his father's wishes to built the temple.  He acknowledged that the Lord had fulfilled His promises to David. Solomon's prayer of dedication reveals his understanding that this was indeed meant to be a house of prayer. 

Chapter 6 contains Solomon's prayer.  Kneeling "in the presence of all the assembly of Israel..[he] spread out his hands towards heaven. And he said, ' O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no god like Thee in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their heart..' "  Solomon, knowing that a mere building, no matter how grand, could never contain the God who could not even be contained in "highest heaven".. prayed that He would listen to the cries and the prayers of His servants prayed toward this place. 

Solomon prayed for true justice.. the wicked punished and the righteous justified. (v22-23)

Solomon prayed for those defeated by the enemy to find forgiveness and restoration. (v24-25)

Solomon prayed that when famines came because of the sins of the people.. and they repented and called out to Him, that God would "forgive" and "teach them the good way in which they should walk". (v26-27)

Solomon prayed that prayers for forgiveness and healing would be heard and answered. (v28-31)

Solomon prayed that the prayers of foreigners would be heard.. "in order that all the peoples of the earth may know.." the Name of the Lord. (v32-33)

Solomon prayed for the warriors, for the rebellious, and for the repentant. (v34-39)

"Now, O my God, I pray Thee, let Thine eyes be open, and Thine ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place." (v40)

The beautiful temple no longer stands.. but we have a Savior and His eyes are open and His ears attentive to the prayers offered in His Name. Hallelujah!

Father, we pray for true justice.. that the wicked are punished and the righteous justified. We pray for the sinner to repent and the lost to be saved. We pray that all the peoples of the earth would know Your Name and to worship You alone.  Thank You for teaching us the good way to walk. Thank You for hearing our prayers and knowing our needs. Thank You for healing and restoration.. for the forgiveness of our sins by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.. who once and for all paid the price for us. We praise and worship You.. the uncontainable God who has given us life and truth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

 Hebrews 13 Because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever"  we can walk "confidently" in Him.... "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?"

As we seek to live in Him and for Him.. we learn to trust that He will "equip [us] in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (v21) 

He equips us to love each other.  He equips us to "show hospitality". He equips us to "remember the prisoners", and to honor our marriages.  He equips us to be content and not allow the love of money to rule our lives.  He equips us stay away from "strange teachings" and to go "outside the camp".. to Jesus. 

He equips us to offer "sacrifices of praise to God". 

Father in heaven, "God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord... " equip us as You have said. May our lives be laid down at Your feet. May we be strengthened so that we can fly like eagles and run without growing weary.. to do Your will. We need You to fill us, mold us, make us.. and use us... as only You can. Without You, Jesus, we can do nothing.. but in You we can do all things.. to Your glory and praise and honor.. Your will be done... we pray.. In Jesus' name....Amen. 

 Hebrews 12:12-29  "Therefore"... since we are God's children, under His instruction/discipline, partakers of His training that yields righteousness.. "strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight the paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather healed." 

These verses are quotations from two sources:

 Isaiah 35:3 "Encourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble."" Isaiah goes on to say, "Say to those with anxious heart, take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you." Be encouraged because the Day of redemption is coming.. the "Highway of Holiness" will be opened and the "redeemed will walk there." 

And Proverbs 4:25-27""Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established." It continues.. "Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil."

We.. as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, who is our Great High Priest.. have come, not to Mount Sinai.. but to "Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.."  We are on this journey.. together.. and some are growing tired. "Therefore... "  we need to encourage one another.. to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.. to keep walking straight ahead towards the goal, towards Eternity.. towards the Kingdom that cannot be shaken. 

We do this by pursuing peace.. and "the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord".  We do this by helping one another so that "no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled."  In other words.. we do it together.. Christ in us and we in Him.. One body, One faith, and One God. 

"Therefore since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." (v28-29)

We sometimes forget that the root word of encourage is "courage".. we are called to encourage one another... give courage to one another as the walk of faith becomes exhausting and it is tempting to turn off the path. Let me encourage you today.. that Jesus is coming for us and that He has given us the spiritual armor so that we can stand firm and resist evil. Fix your eyes on Him. 

Father in heaven, Your Word is Truth and we wrap it around ourselves today, so that we can stand firm. Your Son is our righteousness and we are covered by His blood, so that we might stand firm today.  You are our helmet of salvation.. our saving strength who covers our heads in the day of battle. You have given us peace.. to stand firmly and to share with those who come along side us. We take up our shields of faith.. that the enemies fiery darts cannot harm us. We take up the sword of the Spirit, Your holy Word, that pierces hearts and souls and spirits.  Again we pray that Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. For to You we give honor and glory and praise. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Hebrews 12:4-11  " You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.." 

True statement. At least for most of us. Goodness.. I can't even resist chocolate!  We must have help to follow the example of our Lord, who was without sin... who "being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." ( Luke 22:44) 

Jesus told his disciples, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation". (v40)  And, again, when they could not even stay awake with Him.. "Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." (v46)

The Greek word translated "temptation" is peirasmos - putting to proof [by experiment] -experience [of evil].. solicitation, discipline, or provocation;  - to test or try; examine; assay. 

Which makes the following section in Hebrews fit a little more in this context ( at least to me)... for the writer next says.. "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord."  The word translated discipline comes from the Greek word paideia - tutorage; education or training; correction - chastening; chastisement; instruction; nurturing.. 

The Word here tells us:

 Our heavenly Father "disciplines" those He loves(v6)

That  "It is for discipline that you endure". (v7)

 That discipline is a proof of sonship.(v7) To receive the discipline of the Father is to be subject to Him (v9)... to be obedient to Him. "He disciplines us for out good that we may share His holiness". (v10)

That discipline is not easy. "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Without our Father's discipline.. we cannot be part of His family, for we would be "illegitimate children".  We would not learn to do His will. We would not obey His Word. We would not have the privilege of sonship. 

Jesus taught the disciples to pray.  It is a discipline that we must learn. It is for our good. It is necessary.. abiding in Him and in His Word.. subjecting ourselves daily to His will.

Father, teach us, train us, so that when the test comes.. we will endure, we will share in Your holiness and the fruit of righteousness will be produced in us. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for calling us to Yourself and making us Your children through Jesus Christ Your Son.  Help us to abide in Him and bring every part of our lives into subjection to Your Spirit.  You are a good, good Father. Amen. 

 Hebrews 12:1-3  The Word of God encourages us.. commands us.. and entreats us.. to fix our eyes on Jesus.  He is the "author and perfecter of faith".   He is the leader.. the captain.. the chief.. the beginning of faith. He is the completer, the finisher.. the consummate..the fulfiller of faith.  The alpha and omega.. the beginning and the end.  Everything relies on Jesus.. the "appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."  

"...Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart." 

Consider Jesus.. when sin tries to entangle you. 

Consider Jesus.. when the race seems too much. 

Consider Jesus.. when weakness threatens.. 

When you grow weary and faint.. turn your eyes to Jesus.  He "endured the cross".. He "despised the shame".. but He did it for the "joy set before Him".  He did it for you and for me. 

"Fix my eyes on Jesus only. 

I want no other

I hope in Him.

He is the One who called and chose me.

To give me life and love and peace"

Father in heaven, I need You.. I need Jesus.. I need Your Spirit.. for the weariness of this world is often more than we can handle.  But You say.. "Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.. "  Our hope is in You.  You say we will "soar aloft as with eagles' wings;" That we will run and not grow weary... and we will walk and not grow tired.  You are the everlasting God who never tires or grows weary! You are the Creator of the heavens and the earth. You give strength to the powerless.  Praise to the Lord! Praise and honor and glory belong to You. Thank You Jesus for enduring the cross for us. amen.