Today’s reading II Chronicles 20-23

II Chronicles 22:3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counseller to do wickedly.

Ahab was a wicked man because he was counseled to be that way by his mother. What a horrible indictment. His mother encouraged him to do wrong. She gave him ideas about what to do that wouldn’t please God. I think it would be horrible to be remembered by your children this way but even worse to be remembered by God and His church in this way.

The question that comes to all of us now is, what are we doing that counsels and trains our children? If they follow your advice will they serve God or self? If they listen to you will they grow in grace and show God’s great power in their lives?

I think every parent should take a minute and consider how they are using their influence. I think that we all influence others as well and should consider that.

We mentor people. How are we mentoring people. How are we encouraging them. What will they be like due to our influence?

Today’s reading II Chronicles 16-19

II Chronicles 18:31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

God’s man made mistakes in who he hooked up with. He found himself in a fight that he didn’t belong in but there he was. When the battle turned bad then Jehoshaphat cried unto the Lord and God helped him and caused his enemies to leave him.

I think that we often think that once we mess up that it would be useless to call on God. We get discouraged and listen to Satan telling us that God will not answer.

But that is not true. Cry out to the Lord and He will listen. He will hear and move in your life.

God will work in your life!

Today’s reading II Chronicles 12-15

II 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.

Asa understands the power of God. He knows that God’s help is not based on how strong he is but rather that God is strong. God can do great things with a few or with many. God can help the strong or the weak.

The key from Asa’s point of view was that he would trust God. He knew that they had no where else to turn. They would rest in God. They would ask Him to move and work and then wait to see what He would do.

That is the only answer for us as well. We must let God work in our lives. He is not a God to be called on in trouble but at all times. We are to recognize that He is the God that works.

We can trust Him. We can rest. So let’s call on Him to do great and mighty things.

Today’s reading II Chronicles 8-11

II Chronicles 9:23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

Solomon was an extremely wise man, the wisest. It is easy to think of how smart he was, how educated he was, how much he read and thought but more true is that God gave him that wisdom.

We want to think in terms of what a man has accomplished. We rarely think of God doing something. When we think in terms of how wise we are or what we have accomplished we put the emphasis in the wrong place and get glory for ourselves.

People are coming from every where to hear the wisdom that Solomon speaks. It is easy to see the man and elevate him. It is easy to think of him as something special but the Scriptures are clear, God put it in his heart.

I want to remember that God lifts up and puts down. It is God that makes us and gives us all that we have.

We should work as hard as we can but never forget that it is all about Him, what He has done, what He is doing, and He gets all the glory!

Today’s reading II Chronicles 5:2-7:22

II Chronicles 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

What a beautiful and precious story! It motivates me to sing more. The people of God got together as one. They were focused on getting one sound, one harmony, one thing through. They wanted to be heard praising the Lord. They sang out strongly, lifted up their voices. They praised Him. They said out loud for all to hear that God is good, that His mercy endures for ever.

Then when they came together as one, wanted to worship as one, they praised God strongly, and had one message to Him and them He came and filled the place.

How I long to see God fill our place. I want to see Him move in us and in my life. I do not want to live a life of routine and habit. I know that I do.

I go to church. I preach and teach but rarely do we really look for Him to do great and mighty things. I am not complaining. I am confessing a sin.

I want to praise and thank Him more. They weren’t asking Him to come. They were praising Him and He came.

Could it be that we should praise Him more?