June 9 - 1 Kings 13:1-14:18 | 1 Kings 14:21-14:24 | 2 Chronicles 12:13-14 | 2 Chronicles 11:18-23 | 2 Chronicles 12:1-12 | 1 Kings 14:25-28 | 2 Chronicles 12:13-16 | 1 Kings 14:29-15:5 | 2 Chronicles 13:1-22 | 1 Kings 15:6-8 | 2 Chronicles 14:1-8 | 1 Kings 15:9-15 | 1 Kings 14:19-20 | 1 Kings 15:25-34 | 2 Chronicles 14:9-15

Good morning everyone,

Are you kidding me with all this back and forth from book to book reading today? Great challenge! Great reading too! I hope you hung in there.

So, since the nation of Israel has split, there is a lot going on in keeping up with the two kings and what’s happening in their respective kingdoms. Agreed? In the north we have Jeroboam ruling the 10 northern tribes, which by the way, will never see a “good” king. This morning the first thing we read is the story of  a man of God that was sent by the Lord to Bethel to deliver a message. So, just as Jeroboam was approaching the alter, this man of God shouts out his prophecy. The king, not so pleased with this, points a finger and shouts, “seize him,” his arm freezes in that position, the alter splits, which gets the kings attention, the king asked the man of God to “please” (a little nicer tone) ask your God to restore my arm, he does, the king asked the man of God to go back with him to the palace to eat and receive a gift, to which the man of God replies, “I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.” But then … then this man of God continued on his way and was once again asked, this time by another man of God (though that seems questionable) to go back and dine. After the first man of God declines, the second one LIES to him to get him to go back, disobeying the Lord’s instructions, ultimately ending in death. 

Now, I could go on and on about this, as it great devotional in and of its self, but I will suffice to say, when God has asks us to do or not to do something, when He has given us explicit instructions, unless we hear back from Him and it is validated in His Word or by some other source, we need to stay on task and not believe anyone who tries to throw us off course. Right? Our enemy, the devil, is THE father of lies and will stop at nothing to throw you off course. Sometimes those valleys God asks us to walk through can get long and dark, let’s throw in scary too and they are always meant to sharpen us, to grow us to exercise our faith. So do just that! Exercise your faith. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Don’t get thrown off your donkey.

In the south we started out our reading today with Rehoboam as king over Judah and Benjamin. In the fifth year of his rein, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, ransacked the treasuries and stole everything. What is interesting about this is that King Shishak recorded this in a large relief at his temple, affording us outside conformation of biblical history. Very cool! Right?

To briefly recap the line of kings, it all started with Saul, then David, the Solomon, then the split and the line of David continues with Rehoboam, followed by his son Abijah who only reined for three years . To his credit Abijah went to considerable lengths in his short reign to reunite Israel, but alas, he failed. 

That brings us to Asa, the fifth king from the house of David, who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. How refreshing!! He went in there and cleaned house. I know this is getting long but I just need to say, Asa is a beautiful example of how we do not have to buy into the mind set, “My parents are such and such, so I am too.” No! Absolutely not, no way! We can be who and what we want to be, all that God calls us to be. We can choose to not be confined in any box, so to speak. Asa was surrounded by pagan gods, and idol worship and a dad who led the people in that corrupt life style all of his life, and yet … yet, amongst the trash a flower blooms. It had to have taken incredible courage for Asa to stand strong for the Lord. Friends, are you a light in a family that has known nothing but dark or at best semi-darkness for all of your life? Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” and Joshua 1:9 says,  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

Be strong and courageous; He will never leave you nor forsake you, He will be with you wherever you go. Awesome! Amen?

Have a very good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …