2 Chronicles 15:17b “…nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days.”
Asa was the third king of Judah after the divided nation. He was a good king who even removed his mother from a positon of power due to her blasphemous deeds. That took a pure heart and one solely dedicated to God. In fact, the Hebrew word here for blameless can mean whole or perfect. Continue reading
2 Chronicles 12:1 “When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord.”
One generation! That’s all it took! Solomon and his father David had established a great nation. In Solomon’s time peace finally reigned in the country. But Rehoboam wasted no time destroying that peace and ruining the country. Under him, according to the prophecy of the Lord, the kingdom split. Continue reading
2 Chronicles 8:16 “Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.”
The temple wasn’t a quick project. It took years to complete. Solomon was involved from the foundation up and even oversaw the manufacture of the utensils and all the furnishings. He was determined to stick with it to the end to make sure this temple truly was worthy of Jehovah God.
Isn’t it sad, that after all this work on the building that Solomon eventually turned his back on God and began to worship other gods which his wives introduced to him? He was led astray from his own faith. If only his determination regarding building the temple had carried over into his faith.
This is a great example to teach our kids. Their faith walk doesn’t begin and end at salvation. It is a lifelong process. They must stick with it to the end. God will give them the strength and determination to remain loyal to Him, if they ask. But they can’t just check off “the box of faith” and then go on and live as they wish.
As parents, our job is to guide them in this walk. I was asked recently by some parents about the believability of their 6 year old son’s salvation. They have questioned and questioned him to make sure his salvation is true. My advice was to believe with him that it is and do all they can to disciple him in his walk. Only God knows for sure the reality of anyone’s salvation. Help them “stick with it.”
Are you “sticking with it”? Do you have the determination to remain loyal and true to the Lord? What is stopping you from seeing your faith through to the end? The Lord will allow things in our lives to test us in order to make us more like Him. These tests will allow our faith to get stronger. Trust Him in those times.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “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.”
This verse is quoted so very often by people who don’t really look at the whole context. That seems to be the case with a lot of God’s promises in the Bible. People want the promise without understanding what God expects. Continue reading
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 “13 in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, ‘He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,’ then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.”
God just butts right in, doesn’t He? Solomon had built the temple, moved in all the stuff and began the worship service. Notice the order of how this happens. It says, “when…with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice…and when they praised the Lord.” When praise went up, glory came down. Continue reading
1 Chronicles 29:9 “Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.”
David, Solomon and the leaders of Israel are celebrating. Why? Because they had just pledged to give generously to build the temple. Can you just picture the scene? They are all gathered. David announces the challenge gift he is giving and asks them to step up to the challenge. They do, and everyone rejoices. Continue reading
1 Chronicles 28;20 “Then David said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.’”
When my dad got up in years I would call him often for advice. Now, I admit I really didn’t need his advice on the topic I was asking about, but he needed to give it. Do you understand? My father needed to be a father. He needed to know he could still impart wisdom and advice to his son. Continue reading
1 Chronicles 25:6-7 “6 All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the king. 7 Their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288.”
As a singer myself, I noticed these verses today. Heman had fourteen sons and three daughters. They had the privilege of being the musicians and singers for the Lord. Can you imagine? 288 voices and instruments singing and playing for the Lord in worship? I had the privilege once to direct a choir of over 100 voices. I cannot imagine one almost 3 times that size. The sound must have been…well…heavenly. Continue reading
1 Chronicles 23:26 “‘Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.’”
How many times have you had a job with a job description and that job description changes? New duties are added. Others are taken away. Revisions are made in your duties. Sometimes those come with more compensation or less compensation. Regardless, those who are your authorities are the ones who have the power to make those changes. Continue reading
1 Chronicles 19:3 “But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, ‘Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?’”
There’s a saying that goes, “You had better look before you leap, still waters run deep.” I bet Hanun wished he had done that. Instead he takes the bad advice of these men and humiliates David’s ambassadors he had sent to mourn the loss of Hanun’s father. Sometimes grief can make us do some stupid things. Let’s blame Hanun’s actions on that. Continue reading
A Moment In Time 