1 Chronicles 22:13b “‘Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.’” 

REPEATED WORDS

Have you ever been somewhere like a cave, large room or mountain valley where you could yell something and hear the echo?  It’s pretty cool, especially if you hear your words repeated two or three times before it fades away.

In this passage David is giving his son, Solomon, a charge regarding building the temple for which David had gathered all the items needed.  And in the midst of that charge, he repeats the words God told Moses as he prepared to send the people into the Promised Land.  The same words were told by Moses to Joshua as Moses prepared him to lead the people.  And now here we hear that echo again.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Will you echo those words to your children?  Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.  Those are great words for your children.  No matter what they face in life, they can rest in the knowledge the Lord God is there.

When your children see you being strong and not weak, being courageous and not cowardice, trusting and not fearing and confident and not dismayed, they will learn to do the same.  Do that! Be that!

But perhaps today you are saying, “Carl, I just have too much stuff in my life.” It does not matter what it is.  God has issued this charge to us today. Those words spoken to Moses, Joshua and Solomon apply to us just as strongly.

Father, help me be strong, courageous, fearless and not dismayed.  I want to rely on You for everything I need.  Let me be that role model for others.

1 Chronicles 18:14 “So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people.”

EASY TO FOLLOW

Don’t you just love this verse?  If you read just the first part, it would sound like any other king of Israel.  You have to read the second part.  It tells HOW he reigned – with justice and righteousness.  Those two words change everything.  Don’t you think?

David administered justice.  That means he did what was just for all.  Those decisions probably were not easy.  But if you are following the Lord, you will be just.  Then it says he administered righteousness.  Now, David wasn’t righteous by himself.  He relied on God to make him righteous, and through that righteousness flowed to the people.

TEACHING MOMENT

How do you teach your children about justice and righteousness?  It is not easy.  Only by allowing the Holy Spirit to reign in your life can you do that. And your children will only learn justice and righteousness through the saving power of Jesus.

Just does NOT mean fair.  Just means according to God’s justice.  He will always be just and true.  By allowing Him to reign, He can show your children true justice.  And your children will only be made “right” through His righteousness.  Anything else comes up short.

Are you “reigning in justice and righteousness?  Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in your everyday decisions? Remember, people are being influenced by you. Don’t show them the flip side – injustice and unrighteousness. That would drive them further away from our Savior.

Lord God, You are beside me all the time.  I know that.  But help me as I seek to lead others in righteousness and justice.  Let them see You and not me.

1 Chronicles 15:29 “It happened when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.”

LOOKING AT THE WRONG THING

I don’t know if you remember or not, but Michal was the younger daughter of Saul and David’s first wife.  When David was forced to flee from Saul’s wrath, Saul gave her to another man as his wife.  Years later when David became king he wanted her back.  Apparently, this was done without Michal’s input and she resented it.

Perhaps she thought since she was Saul’s daughter she was better than everyone else. When she saw David acting unkingly (yes, I just made up that word, lol), she was embarrassed.  She didn’t understand David’s abandonment in worship.  She was obviously too full of herself.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Our children must be taught to not see themselves better than anyone else.  By that I mean they should not look down on anyone.  As my brother-in-law used to say, “No one has arrived.”  Instead of looking down on others, we need to teach them to look up to the Lord.  When things are seen through His eyes there is no room for snobbish behavior.

Let me encourage you, mom and dad, to nip an obnoxious attitude in the bud. Don’t let this prideful (in the wrong way) attitude continue.  Not only does this attitude drive a wedge between them and others, but it will also do the same between them and the Lord.

Are you looking down at others? Do you think you are too good for some act of service? No one has arrived.  We are all on the journey.  You may be further down the road, but we are all headed in the same direction – eternity.  Shouldn’t we all be more concerned about bringing as many as possible along with us?

Father, I know pride can be a good thing.  Help me keep my pride focused on boasting on You, not myself.  Thank You for walking with me on the path you have chosen for me.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 “13So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, 14and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore, He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

 THERE’S ONLY ONE RIGHT ONE

 Most of us who have ever attended Sunday School have heard the story about Saul, the first king of Israel.  God had chosen him above all the men of Israel to be the king and lead the people. Someone who began so humbly became proud quickly and turned his back on God.  He chose to lead his way and not God’s way.

As a result, the kingdom was taken from him and given to David.  These two verses today occur right after the description of his death at the hands of the Philistines.  He died for “his trespass…against the Lord,” “because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep” and “because he asked counsel of a medium…and did not inquire of the LORD.”

TEACHING MOMENT

 There is much to learn from this to teach our children. Our trespasses will kill us.  Wow, that’s harsh, but true.  Unless we confess our sins and turn to Christ, we all die in our sins.  We must all keep God’s Word or face the consequence of our disobedience.  And finally, there is only one true counsel we should seek – God’s.

If we teach our children those three principles that are so vital to their walk with Christ, they will realize life instead of death.  They will experience joy rather than despair.  They will walk in victory rather than defeat.  Isn’t that how you want your children to live?

And the same applies to you.  Make the right choices.  Follow the Lord rather than your own mind.  Our desires can quickly turn us down the wrong path, even when we THINK we are doing the right thing.  See God’s counsel first.  He can always be trusted to give you the right guidance.

O Lord my God, forgive me when I go my own way. Grab me and pull me back to You, where I can hear Your wise counsel.  Lead me Lord, even when I tug against You.

1 Chronicles 1:10 “Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.”

YOU’RE SUCH A NIMROD

 Back in the 80’s calling someone a “nimrod” was not a compliment.  It meant you were a geek or socially awkward.  But in 1 Chronicles 1 this is the first person to which an explanation was given.  According to the Bible and a lot of other historical writers, Nimrod was the king of Babel and was the one who led the people to build the tower, supposedly out of rebellion against God.

Nimrod was a large man, bigger than most.  In fact, some believe he was a giant, similar to Goliath.  What a pity that he chose to use his might against God rather than use his “God-given” strength and might to lead his people toward God.  His name could have been known as a great one.  But let me ask you, “Do you ever hear of anyone naming their child Nimrod?” Of course not.

TEACHING MOMENT

 We should teach our children that their name means something.  They carry your name, Dads.  It should be a name they are proud of.  And we should teach them to be careful to never do anything to dishonor it or bring shame to it.  Once a name is marred by bad choices, it takes a long time to reclaim your reputation.

We also teach our children that, as believers, we carry the name of Jesus.  We should be careful how we portray the name of Christ.  People are watching so we need to be mindful of the image we are showing the world. Children need to be reminded of that as they go to school.  They need to be reminded of that when they go off to college.  We bear the name of Christ.  Don’t forget that.

How about your name?  Do people hear your name and say, “Oh yeah, I know them.  What a great guy.  He really loves the Lord.”?  Do people even know you are a believer?  Let your name instantly remind people of your walk with Christ.  Remember that your life, as a believer, is a reflection of Christ.

Father, help me today to carry Your name proudly. I know that as I live for You, others will be drawn to You.  Remind me each day to guard Your name and make it my own.

Malachi 4:5 “‘Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.’”

BUT SOON

 Before Jesus returns to judge the earth, Elijah and Enoch will return to earth to proclaim His return.  Won’t that be incredible?  Whether you are pre-millenial, post-millenial or a-millenial, this is going to occur. Malachi gives us the warning right here.

But for believers, there is nothing to fear in that “great and terrible day of the Lord.”  We are secure in Christ.  He has already covered our judgment through His blood which we have accepted.  By surrendering to Him, we have secured our place by His side on that day.  We will observe the judgment knowing we are spending eternity with our heavenly Father.

TEACHING MOMENT

I don’t expect you to teach end time prophecy to your young child.  They can’t possibly understand all the implications of that event.  Most adults can’t.  But we can teach them to get their hearts ready.  We can lead them into a saving knowledge of Christ.  We can disciple them to walk with Him daily.  And by doing all those things, they will come to understand.

The Spirit of God can teach our children things we can never teach them.  He speaks to their hearts.  He speaks in a way they can understand.  He knows them deeper than we ever will.  Our job as parents is to prepare them to hear Him. Let Him do the rest.

Are you listening to the Spirit?  Are you ready for that day?  Personally, I hope I am alive to see Christ’s return.  I pray you are ready to go to the right side of eternity.  I pray you are secure in your faith in Jesus.  If you have any doubts, make it right today.

O Lord, I am so thankful I get to spend eternity worshipping You.  I look forward to that day when I see You face to face.  But Lord, in the meantime, help me spread the Good News to as many as I can so they can join me there.

Zephaniah 2:3 “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

SOUNDS BACKWARDS, RIGHT?

 What a beautiful message from the Lord through Zephaniah!  Look at the verse.  He says, “seek the Lord…seek righteousness, seek humility…you will be hidden.”  He says seek and be hidden, not hide and seek. I’ve never done that, have you?

But notice that you are not the one hiding.  The Lord will hide you in the day of His anger.  How is that possible?  Because we are told we are hidden in Christ.  His blood covers us.  When we are washed in His blood, all those sins that make us stand out in God’s anger are hidden from His view.  He chooses to NOT LOOK at them.  Wow!

TEACHING MOMENT

Now, try to explain seek and hide to your children.  They understand hide and seek, but not seek and hide.  You see, the key to this verse is what we are seeking. If your children will seek the Lord, righteousness and humility, they will be walking with Him daily.

I bet they know how to seek someone who is hiding when they are playing that game. The beautiful thing is God is NOT hiding.  He WANTS to be found.  He WANTS your children to seek Him, so He can show Himself to them.  Isn’t that awesome?

Are you seeking the Lord, righteousness and humility?  Are you hidden in Christ?  Not sure?  Make sure today.  Seek Him today.  Let Him show Himself to you.  Remove that fear of His anger of your sins by seeking Him passionately.

Thank You, Lord, for hiding me under the blood of Jesus.  Thank You for allowing me to “find” You.  I do want to seek righteousness and humility.

Zechariah 11:12-13 “12 I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!’ So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.’ So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.” 

GOD EVEN USED THE DEVIL

God will use whomever and whatever He needs to fulfill prophecy.  Just look at this prophecy in Zechariah.  Now tell me who fulfilled this in the New Testament? That’s right – Judas Iscariot. And who was controlling him?  That’s right – the devil.  He was doing the devil’s bidding when he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver which he threw in the temple after Jesus had been arrested.

I am not going to tell you that the Lord is going to use you to fulfill prophecy, but He could.  We all play a part in the furtherance of His kingdom here on earth.  As believers we are to share with whomever we can the living giving message of the cross.  And at some point, when all have heard, Christ will return.  Who knows – you may be the one who does that last sharing which ushers in that glorious day.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Even your children can be used by the Lord in His kingdom’s work.  Look through Scripture and you will find people of all ages being used.  Perhaps your little Gertrude will be like the little boy who shared his lunch and fed 5000+ people.  Maybe your little Elrod grows up to be the next Paul who travels thousands of miles to preach the Gospel.

Whatever the Lord wants to do with your children, you can trust that it is good. But give your children the freedom to be used.  In fact, our job as parents is to prepare them to be used.  The hard part is letting them go.  Just remember that our children are simply on loan from God.  They really belong to Him.

But are you willing to be used yourself?  Are you available and willing to do whatever He asks of you?  He may just use you to usher in His return.  Wouldn’t that be incredible?

Father, I surrender myself anew to You today. Take me and use me wherever and however You choose. 

Zechariah 5:1 “Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying scroll.”

IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

 Zechariah says so nonchalantly, “and behold, there was a flying scroll.” What?  If I had seen a flying scroll, I think I would have done a double take.  How did Zechariah accept this sight so easily?  Because he trusted the One who was given him the vision.

What has the Lord shown you lately?  Are you even looking?  The Lord is constantly revealing Himself to us in amazing ways.  Sometimes it is in the normal things around us.  But other times He shows Himself in extraordinary ways. They are so extraordinary that we try to explain them away.  God doesn’t still use visions, does He?  Oh yes, but ONLY to bring glory to Himself and draw us to Him.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Take a minute today to point out to your little Susie a glimpse of God you have had today.  “What? How?  I haven’t seen God, Carl.”  Well, are you looking?  You have to be looking to see Him.  But, if you are His child, He wants to show you more and more about Him every day.

Your child may point out something to you today that you recognize as a “God sighting.”  It’s something that can only be explained as coming from God.  Make sure your child knows how you know this.  Take the time to explain it.  They won’t forget it.

If you aren’t seeing God around you, open your eyes.  He is there.  God is not in the habit of hiding from us.  He WANTS us to see Him.  He WANTS us to know Him.  Just look. He may just show you something extraordinary today.

You are truly amazing to see, Lord.  I never get used to seeing Your handiwork. Whether it is the colors of a rainbow or the birth of child, You are an amazing Creator.

Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.’”

 COME HOME

 Don’t you just love to go home? There is just something that feels good about going home to your loved ones.  When I travel I look forward to arriving at my home and seeing my wife. When my kids were little they would welcome me with hugs and kisses.  It feels good to be welcomed home.

Here in Zechariah 1:3 the Lord is telling Zechariah to tell the people to come home.  Specifically, He says, “Return to Me.”  Can you picture that?  God is calling them home.  He is calling us home today.  When we stray from home, He says, “Return to Me.”

TEACHING MOMENT

 How many times have you opened the door and yelled to your kids, “Time to come home”?  The next time you have to do that, share this verse with them. Talk about how the Lord desired His children to come back home to Him just like you want your children to come home to you.

Of course, coming home to you is an actual physical act where returning to the Lord is more spiritual.  It can involve the physical too, but it is more about your children repenting and returning to the Lord in their heart. Make sure Johnny and Susie understand that.  They need to understand what it means to come back home to the Lord.

How about you?  Have you wandered away spiritually?  Are you far from home?  Do you hear the Lord say, “Return to Me”?  If you will stop and listen, you will hear Him.  He won’t force you, but He is waiting.  Go to Him.  He is waiting with open arms.

O God, I know You desire for me to dwell with You at all times.  Help me stay close.  When I begin to wander, call me home.