2 Chronicles 16:10 "Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time."
Hanani is not a leading character in the Bible. In fact, he's only mentioned a few times. Yet this single bold action, telling the truth regardless of the consequences, is an amazing testimony. It is presumable that prophets understood the risk of their job. They seemingly had a 50/50 chance of either seeing someone repent or having them become angry and threaten punishment.
Yet despite this risk, Hanani spoke the truth as God had told him to. Doing what is right is rarely easy. Yet it is always worth it in the end.
Am I willing to do what God has called me to regardless of the consequences? What within me would give me the strength to follow through in the face of insurmountable odds?
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
To Show Himself Strong
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."
Sometimes you'll hear people saying that God desires to answer our prayers, that He wants to be seen as powerful in our lives. While many of us know this intellectually, few of us truly know this experientially. Something in the back of our mind tells us this can't be true. A lingering doubt asks, "How could God actually care that much?"
While that doubt poisons our potential as servants of God, we happily accept that Jesus Christ died a horrible death on the cross, taking all our sins on Himself to save us from Hell. If one is believable, why not the other?
Perhaps it's that little word "perfect" used to describe a heart. That word scares us because we see who and what we are. But so does God. And He loves us the same. The Hebrew word translated "perfect" means "full, complete." God wants our hearts to be fully His, completely toward Him. This does not mean that we never fall, but it means that anytime we do fall (and we will fall) we will fall while we're pursuing Him. And after we fall, we rise back up by His grace and continue on our way, basking in His mercy, love, and forgiveness.
Do I believe, today, right now, that God Himself is longing to show Himself strong on my behalf? Is my heart fully toward God, completely His? What is holding me back from arriving there? Is it worth the inability to see God work powerfully on my behalf?
Sometimes you'll hear people saying that God desires to answer our prayers, that He wants to be seen as powerful in our lives. While many of us know this intellectually, few of us truly know this experientially. Something in the back of our mind tells us this can't be true. A lingering doubt asks, "How could God actually care that much?"
While that doubt poisons our potential as servants of God, we happily accept that Jesus Christ died a horrible death on the cross, taking all our sins on Himself to save us from Hell. If one is believable, why not the other?
Perhaps it's that little word "perfect" used to describe a heart. That word scares us because we see who and what we are. But so does God. And He loves us the same. The Hebrew word translated "perfect" means "full, complete." God wants our hearts to be fully His, completely toward Him. This does not mean that we never fall, but it means that anytime we do fall (and we will fall) we will fall while we're pursuing Him. And after we fall, we rise back up by His grace and continue on our way, basking in His mercy, love, and forgiveness.
Do I believe, today, right now, that God Himself is longing to show Himself strong on my behalf? Is my heart fully toward God, completely His? What is holding me back from arriving there? Is it worth the inability to see God work powerfully on my behalf?
Monday, April 10, 2017
Sinless Perfection
2 Chronicles 15:17 "But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days."
This verse, and verses like it have always perplexed me. How could a man have his heart perfect with God when he did not utterly remove the idolatry from the land? This excerpt from Matthew Henry's commentary on the Bible is enlightening:
"These he connived [secretly allow (something considered immoral, illegal, wrong, or harmful) to occur] at, and yet his heart was perfect. There may be defects in some particular duties where yet the heart, in the man, is upright with God. Sincerity is something less than sinless perfection."
Looking back through the Bible, we see many examples of this. Abraham was far from perfect. He had a habit of lying and there were many instances where he did not trust God at all. However, the Bible tells us he was faithful and he feared God.
We serve a God Who is touched by our human imperfection. As our Creator, He understands our weaknesses. And more than that, He sees our hearts, He knows us more than we know ourselves. He knows our inability to attain perfection and loves us anyway. Indeed, it was this knowledge of our failures that caused Him to send His Son in the first place.
Though I am imperfect, is my heart sincerely seeking God today? When I fall in sin, is my immediate reaction repentance and seeking restoration of relationship with God? Seek not your own perfection, rather seek the One Who is Perfection.
This verse, and verses like it have always perplexed me. How could a man have his heart perfect with God when he did not utterly remove the idolatry from the land? This excerpt from Matthew Henry's commentary on the Bible is enlightening:
"These he connived [secretly allow (something considered immoral, illegal, wrong, or harmful) to occur] at, and yet his heart was perfect. There may be defects in some particular duties where yet the heart, in the man, is upright with God. Sincerity is something less than sinless perfection."
Looking back through the Bible, we see many examples of this. Abraham was far from perfect. He had a habit of lying and there were many instances where he did not trust God at all. However, the Bible tells us he was faithful and he feared God.
We serve a God Who is touched by our human imperfection. As our Creator, He understands our weaknesses. And more than that, He sees our hearts, He knows us more than we know ourselves. He knows our inability to attain perfection and loves us anyway. Indeed, it was this knowledge of our failures that caused Him to send His Son in the first place.
Though I am imperfect, is my heart sincerely seeking God today? When I fall in sin, is my immediate reaction repentance and seeking restoration of relationship with God? Seek not your own perfection, rather seek the One Who is Perfection.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
They Fell To Him In Abundance
2 Chronicles 15:9 "And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him."
There is an irresistible attraction in a life fully dedicated to God. There is a magnetic draw that comes from a deep, selfless love for God. The presence of God in a life is one of the greatest advertisements this world will ever see.
God will work through a life like that in amazing ways. He's not looking for perfection. Rather for us to draw close to Him, to seek Him, to be strong and courageous through our faults and failures. Then, when people see that God is with you, they will fall to you (and therefore God) in abundance.
Am I living a life that is causing people to seek God? Would my everyday lifestyle inspire others to give up their idols, even leave their homes, to seek God more?
There is an irresistible attraction in a life fully dedicated to God. There is a magnetic draw that comes from a deep, selfless love for God. The presence of God in a life is one of the greatest advertisements this world will ever see.
God will work through a life like that in amazing ways. He's not looking for perfection. Rather for us to draw close to Him, to seek Him, to be strong and courageous through our faults and failures. Then, when people see that God is with you, they will fall to you (and therefore God) in abundance.
Am I living a life that is causing people to seek God? Would my everyday lifestyle inspire others to give up their idols, even leave their homes, to seek God more?
Friday, April 7, 2017
It Is Nothing With Thee
2 Chronicles 14:11 "And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee."
Here we see a king with a proper perspective and understanding of Who God is. Asa realizes that with God all things are possible because He is all powerful. I don't think we comprehend the magnitude of God's omnipotence. Asa did though. And that allowed him and all of Judah to rest on God.
Another thing to note here is that because Asa made it known Judah was resting on God, and that it was in the name of the Lord that they were fighting to protect their land, by defending Judah, God was by extension defending His own name. Asa's argument here is that God shouldn't allow the Ethiopians to prevail "against Thee." That is powerful. When we align ourselves wholly with God, through our words, thoughts, and deeds, His defense of us is a defense of His Own name, something we know from the Bible that He takes very seriously.
Again, am I resting on God today? Is my life so aligned with Him that His name is defended when I am defended? Is it actually aligned? Or do people just perceive it to be? God knows the difference.
Here we see a king with a proper perspective and understanding of Who God is. Asa realizes that with God all things are possible because He is all powerful. I don't think we comprehend the magnitude of God's omnipotence. Asa did though. And that allowed him and all of Judah to rest on God.
Another thing to note here is that because Asa made it known Judah was resting on God, and that it was in the name of the Lord that they were fighting to protect their land, by defending Judah, God was by extension defending His own name. Asa's argument here is that God shouldn't allow the Ethiopians to prevail "against Thee." That is powerful. When we align ourselves wholly with God, through our words, thoughts, and deeds, His defense of us is a defense of His Own name, something we know from the Bible that He takes very seriously.
Again, am I resting on God today? Is my life so aligned with Him that His name is defended when I am defended? Is it actually aligned? Or do people just perceive it to be? God knows the difference.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Ye Shall Not Prosper
2 Chronicles 13:12 & 18 "And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper."
"Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers."
Few passages make the distinction quite so clear. A people that rely on God will prevail. A people who fights against the Lord will not prosper. It's as simple as that.
The word "rely" has the idea of resting on, or leaning on. When you rest or lean on something, you're not mobile. That place of rest is where you are and where you will stay until you cease to rest there. Judah was right next to God because it is only when we are right next to Him, close, that we can truly trust and rest in Him.
Am I close enough to God right now to rest and lean on Him? If I rest on Him, am I willing to stop moving, to be still and know He is God?
"Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers."
Few passages make the distinction quite so clear. A people that rely on God will prevail. A people who fights against the Lord will not prosper. It's as simple as that.
The word "rely" has the idea of resting on, or leaning on. When you rest or lean on something, you're not mobile. That place of rest is where you are and where you will stay until you cease to rest there. Judah was right next to God because it is only when we are right next to Him, close, that we can truly trust and rest in Him.
Am I close enough to God right now to rest and lean on Him? If I rest on Him, am I willing to stop moving, to be still and know He is God?
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
When He Had Strengthened Himself
2 Chronicles 12:1 "And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him."
A wiser person understands that true strength only has One Source - the One True God. Any other "strength" does not accomplish the will of God. Rehoboam found his strength within himself and thereby was too weak to keep the law of the Lord.
We all know that our flesh is weak. We all know that we are unable to keep God's law in and of ourselves. Our own natural will and drive cannot possibly help us do the supernatural (keep God's law). The strength to do the supernatural must come from the supernatural.
The passage makes it clear that not only was Rehoboam unable to keep God's law in his own strength, he went a step beyond and forsook it. That words means to "desert, abandon, forsake". And since he was in a position of leadership, all Israel went with him. The results of trusting in your own strength are disastrous.
Who's strength am I resting in today? What does it truly look like to strengthen myself in God?
Psalm 27:14
A wiser person understands that true strength only has One Source - the One True God. Any other "strength" does not accomplish the will of God. Rehoboam found his strength within himself and thereby was too weak to keep the law of the Lord.
We all know that our flesh is weak. We all know that we are unable to keep God's law in and of ourselves. Our own natural will and drive cannot possibly help us do the supernatural (keep God's law). The strength to do the supernatural must come from the supernatural.
The passage makes it clear that not only was Rehoboam unable to keep God's law in his own strength, he went a step beyond and forsook it. That words means to "desert, abandon, forsake". And since he was in a position of leadership, all Israel went with him. The results of trusting in your own strength are disastrous.
Who's strength am I resting in today? What does it truly look like to strengthen myself in God?
Psalm 27:14
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)