Pride Comes Before a Fall

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 31-36.

The God Filled are under grace. However, we must not think grace means accepting forgiveness and deliverance and then continuing in whatever lifestyle pleases us. Hezekiah became ill and was healed by the grace of God. Then 2 Chronicles 32:25 says, “But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem” (ESV). We obviously cannot repay God for His saving grace in the strictest sense of that term. But the God Filled do not take God’s grace for granted. That kind of pride comes before a fall. Instead, they allow it to change them according to the grace they have been given. What are you doing with the grace God has given you?

Tomorrow’s reading is Ezra 1-5.

The #1 Enemy of the Victorious God Filled

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Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 26-30.

How can these good kings who sought the Lord and achieved victory keep abandoning the Lord? Uzziah is another example (2 Chronicles 27). Because of God, Uzziah defeated the Philistines and the Arabians and built towers, fortitudes, cisterns. Things were great. What happened? “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 26:16, ESV). He entered the temple to offer the incense only authorized for the priests to burn, and God struck him with leprosy that lingered until his death. This is the inherent danger of the victory God provides us: pride that the victory was ours instead of God’s. We start taking shortcuts, doing things that are dangerous because we think we can handle it, or we start adopting actions that are not authorized because we believe we can’t be wrong. The #1 enemy for the Victorious God Filled is pride; don’t give in to it today.

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 31-36.

Obedience for a Lifetime Won’t Help if You Forsake the LORD

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 21-25.

In Chronicles it happens again and again; in today’s reading alone it happens twice. People who served the Lord faithfully end up going nuts and abandoning Him. Joash did great things for the Lord, serving Him with a whole heart, repairing the temple, but then forsook the Lord when his counselor Jehoiada died. Amaziah served the Lord achieving victory over Edom, but then forsook the Lord when he was somehow enamored with the idols of the Edomites. Why is this theme repeated in Chronicles again and again? Because the readers were the Israelites returning from Babylonian captivity. They needed to remember what caused their captivity in the first place. The author is saying, “Don’t let it happen again. Just because you’ve done well returning to Israel is no reason to rest on your laurels and abandon the Lord.” They needed to learn what we need to learn: obeying for a time does not pave the way for abandoning the Lord. If you forsake Him, He will forsake you; if you hang on to Him, He will never let you go.

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 26-30.

The #1 Step to Becoming God Filled

 

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 16-20.

The Moabites, Ammonite, Meunites, and Edomites were attacking Judah with a horde too great to face. Instead of surrendering to them, Jehoshaphat surrendered to God. “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you…O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:6, 12, ESV). This is the first step to becoming God Filled: admit that you are empty, unable, powerless. Only those humble enough to admit their powerlessness can ever enjoy God’s power within and, like Jehoshaphat and Judah, win the victory.

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 21-25.

 

From God Filled to God Forsaken

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 11-16.

Azariah the son of Oded cried out, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2, ESV).

What commentary could I add that would make this more clear? Are you seeking?

Monday’s reading is 2 Chronicles 16-20.

What Makes Being God Filled So Awesome?

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 6-10.

“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant…that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house…that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place…And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive” (2 Chronicles 6:18-21, ESV). Herein is what makes being God Filled so awesome. Rather than a God Filled building some place in the world, we are God Filled people. We do not have to turn toward Jerusalem, we can simply turn on the spot toward God who fills us. His eyes are open toward us day and night that He may listen to our prayer. When we pray, He hears from His actual dwelling place in heaven and forgives. What a great God we serve. Praise the Lord!!!

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 11-15.

God Filled Parenting; God Filled Listening

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 1-5.

Solomon made an incredible choice in 2 Chronicles 1:7-10. When given the chance to have any blessing in the world, instead of opting for wealth, power, or fame, he asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern God’s people. WOW!!! But did you know Solomon didn’t come up with this choice on his own? In 1 Chronicles 22:11-12, David taught Solomon to long for discretion and understanding from God so he could govern well. In 1 Chronicles 29:19, Solomon heard his father pray for him to have a whole heart from God that he may keep the commandments. We learn some things about God Filled parenting here, but also about God Filled listening. Are we teaching our children God’s wisdom is greater than anything, and do they hear us praying for them about it? On the other hand, are we listening to God Filled parents or mentors who will direct us to God’s wisdom? Solomon reigned over Israel in its finest hour because he listened, and things only started falling apart when he quit listening to this advice. This leaves us asking, to whom are we listening?

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 6-10.