QT 31 Jul 19, 2 Chron 36:20-21 (2 Chron 36:17-23), We are called to obey from the heart

2 Chronicles 36:20–21 (ESV) —

20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

NOTE: The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple represents the fulfillment of promises (curses) laid out in Deuteronomy for failure to obey. The length of the departure from the land corresponds to a number representing failed Sabbaths. The number is probably associated with the Sabbath years (every seventh), but it very well could represent all Sabbaths since the nation was founded long enough to accumulate the required Sabbaths. In either case, both actions are the result of failure to obey God (the casting out of the land and the length of time they are cast out). God's message is very clear -- "I demand obedience." But it is not just obedience, in fact, it is the heart that is more important than the actions. Later God will say that he abhors their sacrifices (which are actions of obedience) because there is no heart associated with the action. Jesus' summary of the entire law -- Love God and Love your neighbor -- essentially reiterates the same point. God expects obedience that issues out of a loving heart.

PRAYER: Father, may I never obey just for the sake of the action. I want to obey your law in Spirit as much as in deed. I am under the OT Law, but I am under the Law of Christ. I desire to obey. I desire greatly to be responsive to your prodding of my heart.

QT 30 Jul 19, 2 Chron 26:14-15 (2 Chron 36:1-16), The end is truly near

2 Chronicles 36:14–15 (ESV) —

14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

NOTE: These last 16 verses describe four kings that immediately followed Josiah. It is pretty clear that Josiah's efforts were temporary. The people and especially the leaders quickly fall back into patterns of sin. The end is indeed near. Jeremiah and other prophets attempt to stem the wound, but are ignored, ridiculed, and even imprisoned for suggesting Jerusalem's actions were wrong. In tomorrow's passage, God destroys Jerusalem and takes most of the remaining people to Babylon. I wonder how close we are to the end. God has given us godly leaders in the past, and he has also given us ungodly leaders. He has even given ungodly leaders who at least show wisdom in their leading, although not in their personal lives. How close are we to the end? I fear we are very close to the end. We all need to repent. We need to live holy lives. We need to worship God and not the idols of this life. It is very difficult to imagine that there is much time remaining before the tribulation. Are we living as if the years are short? Paul was, although, unknown to him, the end was over 2000 years in the future.

PRAYER: Father, I hold little hope for my nation and its culture. In the days that are left, I pray to live a holy and godly life. I pray to have an impact on those around me. I pray that I would continue to make disciples.

QT 29 Jul 19, 2 Chron 35:21-22 (2 Chron 35:20-27), God is sovereign does not mean all things are his actions

2 Chronicles 35:21–22 (ESV) — 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo.

NOTE: This is a difficult passage. First of all, Josiah is not condemned anywhere in scripture for his action. It is likely that at this time, Josiah ruled all the land of Israel, and not just Judah, so Neco did transverse his land. Neco produced nothing to validate his claim as a prophet of God. Was it a necessary war? No, he could have let Neco cross, so we might call it unjust. Why does not God save him? Was it because he disguised himself? Not necessarily. In fact, God does not interject himself in all the affairs of men, just the ones that are peculiar to his will. God is sovereign, but that does not mean he interferes in all activities; it only means that he could if he wished. For believers, the bible does promise that God works for the good in all things, but that does not say he is the cause of all things. They are two different things.

PRAYER: Father, I do trust that you will intervene if it is absolutely necessary to your will, but that most of your work in my life and my family is bringing good out of the events and circumstances of our lives. Help us to learn and to be receptive to your work.

QT 26 Jul 19, 2 Chron 35:18 (2 Chron 35:1-19), Be on the lookout for God's assignments

2 Chronicles 35:18 (ESV) — No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

NOTE: This is a very significant event in the life of Israel. It is a high point in the midst of a series of low points. It is also significant in that it probably included some of the other tribes (given comments in the preceding chapter and the phrase in v17, "… and the people of Israel who were present …") or at least what was left of them. Still, it only delays the inevitable judgment upon the nation. It does show how one person can make such an impact. We might argue that Josiah was a king, but somebody instructed him when he was eight years old, and someone had the courage to show him the book of the law found in the temple. Sometimes, we are in the right place at the right time and we just need to stand up and say something (or do something).

PRAYER: Father, keep me receptive to the divine events that you place in my life. Give me sight to see them and recognize them as divine opportunities from you to serve your will. I don't want to fail to see what you want me to do.

QT 25 Jul 19, 2 Chron 34:27,30 (2 Chron 34:22-33), Obey truth -- share truth

2 Chronicles 34:27 (ESV) — because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.

2 Chronicles 34:30 (ESV) — And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord.

NOTE: It wasn't good enough for Josiah to be heard and (by God) protected from the disaster that was to come, he wanted all the people to hear the word of God. There is a specific mention of the curses, so this does sound like the Book of Deuteronomy because of the long curses section in chapter 28. I imagine Josiah led off with 28 and then started again from the beginning of the book. Unlike some other kings who were only concerned with their own skin, Josiah shows tremendous spiritual maturity. He was rich. He was protected from disaster. He lived like a king, literally. But he was concerned for the people and their spiritual lives. I guess we could also say, he had a true Pastor's heart. He wanted everyone to know God's word and experience the fullness of walking with God wholly.

PRAYER: Father, I pray I would respond equally to your word. I pray I would humble my heart. I pray that I would care so much for the people I minister to that I would not hold back any of the truth of God's word. But that I would always share it with gentleness and respect.

QT 24 Jul 19, 2 Chron 34:19, 21(2 Chron 34:8-21), Repent and DO! All else is failure.

2 Chronicles 34:19 (ESV) — And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.

2 Chronicles 34:21 (ESV) — “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

NOTE: A book of the law has been found in the temple during the renovation. In our age, it is hard to imagine how a book could be lost and forgotten. But they did not have Kindles or printing presses. We are not sure what book was lost, or if the entire Pentateuch was lost, but given the King's response, it was most likely Deuteronomy (and many scholars agree). Why do I think Deuteronomy? Again, given Josiah's response, it seems as if they read Deuteronomy Chapter 28. Josiah now responds in two ways, and these two ways are still the best response to the word of God today. One, Josiah heard the word and tore his clothes -- his heart was touched and repentance overtook him. He would have been a failure if he had stopped there, an emotional response to the hearing. Two, his next step was to go to God and figure out what he needed to do. He realized that they had not been doing the word. He did not just hear it, but he took steps to apply it. This is the single greatest failure of the church today bar none. We hear the word but we don't individually apply it to our lives. We apply it to others in terms of what they "ought" to be doing. But we don't apply it ourselves. We are fools. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 (ESV)"

PRAYER: Father, I pray for myself. As you speak to me, make it clear to me my failures. Help me to develop plans to apply the word of God to my life. Thank you for the IDQs and the emphasis on application. I want to be known as a doer of the Word, and not just a hearer.

QT 23 Jul 19, 2 Chron 34:3(2 Chron 34:1-7), We need God not new laws

2 Chronicles 34:3 (ESV) — For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.

NOTE: Verse one tells us that Joshua was eight years old when he began to reign. When he was 16, he began to seek God, and when he was 20 he started purging Judah and Jerusalem of certain idols and false practices. I imagine the knowledge of what happened to his Father, and the counsel of his staff encouraged him to behave different from his Father. But the scripture also says that he began to seek God. Real change does not occur without God. We can write laws, we can vote for "just" representatives, but real change in our country will only occur when people seek God. It appears that a very significant percentage of the nation has no interest in God. Another large group is moral, but does not seek God. Another group is religious, but do not have a living relationship with the savior. And a small minority actually put God first as evidenced by daily time in the word, daily prayer, application of the word's truth to their life, and a witness that has a sweet attractive aroma. It is discouraging -- not because of the nation's drift, but because people are misled by a worldview that will only destroy them.

PRAYER: Father, I still pray for mercy toward my nation. Open our eyes to our foolishness. I pray we would repent. I pray we would understand that things are not getting better. We are just destroying ourselves in our rush to be rid of you. Have mercy I pray.

QT 22 Jul 19, 2 Chron 33:23 (2 Chron 33:21-25), We need wisdom (but only the wise seem to understand the fact)

2 Chronicles 33:23 (ESV) — And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more.

NOTE: Israel is in quite a yo-yo: up and down, up and down. Except the last time, the up and down occurred in the same reign of the King, Manasseh. Amon was foolish and young--the young often are foolish. Wisdom is indeed available to all, but the aged seem to acquire it in greater quantities. So how does a man acquire wisdom when he is young since he lacks the apparently prerequisite requirements of experience? I am not sure it is possible, at least not to the degree one would like. The book of Proverbs suggests God's law, and while true, it does not completely substitute for experience, but rather augments and completes experience with truth. Listening to elders is also useful, provided they are not fools, but men who deeply love God. And prayer, because God promises to give wisdom to those who ask. So three things are needed for the young man to gain wisdom (and for the old as well): saturation in God's word, godly counsel, and prayer. Which is all very easy to say, but it takes a "wise" man to make those choices -- ahh, a conundrum (what comes first?).

PRAYER: Father, I ask for wisdom in my life. I need wisdom to counsel others. I need wisdom to make good choices for myself and family. I need wisdom to lead others. I just need your wisdom. Teach me through your word. Help me to see the difference between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom.

QT 18 Jul 19, 2 Chron 33:9(2 Chron 33:1-9), I can only do what God requires of me

2 Chronicles 33:9 (ESV) — Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.

NOTE: Manasseh is an example of an ungodly offspring who is raised by godly parents. It is true that Manasseh will return to the Lord late in life and so the proverb' "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov 22:6)" is applicable. Some versions use "and" instead of "even" which seems more true. Proverbs are general truths and are not promises. Manasseh was a very evil king. It takes 7-8 verses to fully describe his evil, including the sacrificing of his sons to the gods of the land. He had one of the best Fathers of all the kings, outside of David, but it did not prevent his free will from choosing evil over good. Like Adam and Eve rebelling from God or the prodigal sons (yes, there were two prodigals) turning from their father, godliness is no promise of children choosing to walk in the faith of their parents (and vice-a-versa). So what is a parent to do when their offspring choose a different path? It seems to happen a lot in Chronicles. We can only do what God has called us to do. We must be faithful to do the right thing, despite the results. And we must pray. Who knows if the person will come back. God knows, and we must be faithful. We must not blame ourselves. All parents can find some fault to blame themselves. Likewise though, parents of children who do follow God should not take pride in their parenting. The freewill choice of their children is a cause for rejoicing and certainly not pride.

PRAYER: Thank you Father that my children have come back to you. But either way, I am called to obedience to you first. I do not stand for my children. We all stand before you on our own. And hopefully, we stand on the merit of Jesus Christ, because we really have no merit ourselves.

QT 17 Jul 19, 2 Chron 32:25 (2 Chron 32:24-33), Pride is crouching at the door …

2 Chronicles 32:25 (ESV) — 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.

2 Chronicles 32:27a (ESV) — And Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, …

2 Chronicles 32:31b (ESV) — … God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.

NOTE: I could spend a lot of time dissecting what happened to Hezekiah, but the issue boils down to pride. When wealth and honor grows, it takes a very special person to not let it go to his head. When we think we are smarter than everyone else, or richer, or more respected, or more known--we fall into a dangerous trap. We begin to have expectations of how we should be treated, and we might even treat others differently. Riches, intelligence, acknowledgments are all traps and it takes a special person to not let it go to his/her head. We need to constantly remind ourselves of a lot of things, such as: there, but for the grace of God, go I (I'm no different from the person who ruined their life through poor choices); I was created by God like everyone else for his glory and service; I am loved just the same as any other believer in Christ; I should treat and be treated just like everyone else is treated; I should treat others BETTER than myself; I should have no expectations; I should be content in my lot; I should give and sacrifice for others especially if I have been give more. These are good things to remind myself.

PRAYER: Father, protect me from Hezekiah's error. May I truly live out Philippians 2:3–4 (ESV) — 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Thank you for all that you have given. May I prove a worthy son.

QT 16 Jul 19, 2 Chron 32:11,20 (2 Chron 32:9-23), Prepare, but also pray

2 Chronicles 32:11 (ESV) — Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”?

2 Chronicles 32:20 (ESV) — Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven.

NOTE: This passage reiterates the contrast in the previous section. Hezekiah did a lot to prepare but ultimately it was God he trusted. Sennacherib's argument is that no other "gods" have stopped his mighty war machine. From a physical point of view, this was a slam dunk. There was no contest. And this was true, it was no conquest, because it was man's efforts against God, and not as Sennacherib thought, man against man. Hezekiah understood the distinction. And Hezekiah put his confidence rightly in God. That did not stop him from preparing, but his confidence was not in his preparation but in his God. To reiterate this point, the two leaders, King and Prophet prayed. We need to prepare and we need to pray.

PRAYER: Father, Help me to prepare well and to pray well. I should never walk into a situation without praying no matter how well prepared I feel. I need to trust you even more in those moments. The times when I feel confident should be my reminder to pray. I want to trust in you and not in myself.

QT 15 Jul 19, 2 Chron 32:7 (2 Chron 32:1-8), Work hard, but trust God

2 Chronicles 32:7 (ESV) — “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

NOTE: Hezekiah made extensive changes to prepare for the king of Assyria. He rebuilt walls, towers, stopped brooks and springs, added a second surrounding wall, and accumulated a great amount of shields and weapons. He was prudent and took action. But his words to the troops and people show that his trust was not in all his preparation, but in God. And this statement was not intended to suggest that there were more people in Israel than in Assyria, but rather, that the Lord and the Lord's army greatly tilted the battle in their favor. So, we do the best we can, but we trust in God for the results, and not in the effort we put into our endeavor.

PRAYER: Father, help me to keep that attitude. I want to do the best I can in my job, but I want to trust you for the results always.

QT 11 Jul 19, 2 Chron 30:10-11 (30:1-27), Humility is so much more important than all the externals combined

2 Chronicles 30:10–11 (ESV) — 10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

NOTE: So, a lot of things were wrong, but a lot of things were right. The date was wrong, the length was wrong, even with the extra month, the priests were not ready. Not all the Levites were consecrated. The people came and were not consecrate, and not all the people showed or considered it important in the other tribes. But a couple of things were perfect: 1) Hezekiah's heart (vs 18-19), and 2) some of the men from three tribes who humbled themselves. Does God want sacrifices or humbled hearts? I believe he tells Isaiah that he is sick of their sacrifices (chapter 1). And to the prophet Micah, God makes it clear, it is not the letter of the law but the spirit of the law that counts. His requirement is not sacrifices, but justice, KINDNESS, and a person who walks humbly before his God.

PRAYER: Father, I fail so often in this area. Kindness and humility are not my natural strengths. I need your help to consider everyone important and worthy of great respect. And I need to be humble. I don't have all the answers. And even if I did, I could never be sure I was right. I need to be gently in my advice to others.

QT 10 Jul 19, 2 Chron 29:36 (29:20-36), Are we ready for when God moves suddenly?

2 Chronicles 29:36 (ESV) — And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

NOTE: This story (29:20-36) is a high point in Israel's history. It is a revival. It is a return to God in obedience. And it came about suddenly. Verse 34 suggests that the Levites were more prepared than the priests. And verse 34 says that it came from the heart. God's work can come about slowly and God's work can happen quite quickly. Are we prepared in our heart to respond? Or, might we miss out, like the priests? They were the supposedly more spiritual persons, but whether it was their arrogance or nonchalance, they missed out in participating in a major movement of God.  So how do we stay ready? We deal with sin. We confess sin. We immediately repent of sin. We seek God daily in his word. We listen to God from his word daily. We speak to God daily in prayer. We serve others. We share our faith. We obey the word (not just hear). Then we will be ready when God moves suddenly.

PRAYER: Father, I want to be ready for when you move suddenly. I pray my heart would be attuned to your Spirit to see it. I pray I would walk closely to you (listening, praying, serving, sharing, and obeying). And I repent of my sins against you. Keep me sensitive to my disobedience. May I never get dull to them.

QT 9 Jul 19, 2 Cron 29:11, How is your foundation?

2 Chronicles 29:11 (ESV) — My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him.”

NOTE: Israel's problems -- defeat, captivity, shame, fear -- were spiritual issues first. And Hezekiah dealt with the spiritual issue first. Certainly, some issues also need physical change or correction, but first the foundation needs repair before the cracks in the wall can be addressed. This is also true for us. Yes, many issues have physical roots (chemical imbalances, physical defects, etc.), but I think we are foolish if we do not consider the spiritual side as well as the physical. The spiritual does affect the physical (and the mental). It is not the only cause of physical problems, it may not even be the cause of the majority of physical issues, but it can affect many things. And when we try to change physical problems without any consideration of spiritual issues, we are doomed to failure -- like fixing cracks in a wall that has a foundation problem. Most people have spiritual problems whether or not they affect their physical body. But not many people ever address the spiritual side, they only address or seek to address the physical.

PRAYER: Father, help me to see and understand my spiritual failures. Give me insight into repairing myself spiritually. Open up my eyes to how I can build a better foundation.

QT 8 Jul 19, 2 Chron 28:22-23, Do we trust God, or foolishly try to do it our way

2 Chronicles 28:22–23 (ESV) — 22 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

NOTE: Pain, suffering, distress, and other forces can have one of two effects. They can draw a person closer to God or they can push a person farther from God. It depends upon the person and their faith. A person of faith will take shelter under the wings of the almighty. A person, who does not really have faith, will search for remedies outside of God. To some degree, this is because they desire to be in control. To submit and trust in the one and only God requires a person to let go of themselves and serve God. Other ways to deal with pain, outside of trust in God, give the appearance of remaining in control of one's destiny. But that actually is an illusion. God is always in control and sovereign independent of any person's response to him. His actions may change, but his control is not changed.

PRAYER: Father, I don't want to respond like Ahaz did. I don't want to be the one who takes control. But, in the moment of pain, I'm not that much different from Ahaz. Protect me. Guide me. I do desire to submit my will to yours.

QT 3 Jul 19, 2 Chron 26:16, 19, 21a, Pride is shown in anger and results in separation

2 Chronicles 26:16 (ESV) — But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

2 Chronicles 26:19 (ESV) — Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense.

2 Chronicles 26:21a (ESV) — And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. …

NOTE: A number of key phrases in this passage need to be noted. The first "when he was strong, he grew proud." He really was "strong," it wasn't that he thought he was strong, he had achieved quite a bit. So, the second phrase is now key, "he grew proud, to his destruction." Pride is not a simple sin. It is the sin of Satan. It destroys people just as surely as sexual immorality. We believe the latter, we are not convinced of the former. Also, the next phrase is key to recognizing pride, "Then Uzziah was angry, …, he became angry with the …" This is the sign of pride, when people makes us angry because they won't listen to us or won't let us do what we want to do or think ought to be done. I see this in church where people become angry about worship or music, because they are convinced that they know the right way to do something. It really is rooted in pride if we were honest with ourselves. At least it is for me. The last phrase is crucial, "… lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord." When our pride is really bad, people begin to exclude us, and we find ourselves separated and lonely.

PRAYER: Father, protect me from my own stupidity. I think I know what is right but in most cases, it doesn't really matter. Help me to let go of things that are not the essentials of the Christian faith. Help me to teach truth clearly and respectfully. People may disagree. It is okay, as long as it not a core belief of the faith. Other things aren't worth being separated over.

QT 2 Jul 19, 2 Chron 26:5, Pride is such an insidious sin

2 Chronicles 26:5 (ESV) — He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

2 Chronicles 26:15b–16a (ESV) —

15 …. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. …

NOTE: These first 16 verses of chapter 26 tell the story of a man who started out well, but he was upended by his pride. He really was an amazing person, Uzziah. He sought the Lord. He grew in his relationship with God. He accomplished quite a bit. He was an innovator with the use of machines on the castle walls to repel invaders. He restored the inventory of weapons and shields. Basically, he was a very smart and wise person, and consequently prospered. But, he started to think too highly of himself, his skill, his intelligence, his knowledge, and his ability. And he started doing the wrong things. This is us -- this is me. What is the wrong thing? Well, for me, it could be my response to a person or a question. It could be irritability because someone doesn't understand or believe me. It could be a haughtiness in my countenance. It could simply be my facial features in talking to someone.

PRAYER: Lord, protect me from my pride. It has consistently been the destroyer of my life. I really want to be gracious to everyone. They don't have to believe me or even follow my suggested application or idea. Nothing in life is that important other than outright sin which can destroy the soul. Give me a gentleness and a respect for all people in my interactions. May I, like Jesus, consider others more important than myself.

QT 1 Jul 19, 1 Chron 25:16 20, Protect us from our blind pride

2 Chronicles 25:16 (ESV) — But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

2 Chronicles 25:20 (ESV) — But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

NOTE: Amaziah did not like listening to correction. The first (and there were probably many of those), he initiates the action. Later on, the wording of the verse suggests God was hardening his heart in response to his past stubbornness. That happens to us too. Every time we harden our heart to correction or rebuke, God allows the hardening to go a little deeper, until we are almost unaware of our pride and haughtiness. Amaziah thought he knew better. He was the king. He had great victories. He did not have to listen to little people tell him what he needed to do. He knew what he needed to do -- well, at least he thought he did.

PRAYER: Father protect me from my wicked and stubborn pride. As David prayed, so do I --

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV) —

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!

Amen.