When He Was Strong His Heart Was Lifted Up
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 25 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 22 – 24; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell– “Launch Out“
Read the “0523 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read previous posts from today’s reading passage – “The Key to Prosperity“; and “Plenty More Where That Came From“
“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:16)
There is a lot of practical truth that we can glean from these Bible passages about the kings of Judah and Israel. In today’s reading, we learned about several kings: some of them good; and some not so good. In chapter 26, we read about a very good king, Uzziah, that was tremendously used of the Lord to strengthen the southern Kingdom of Judah. Early in his reign as king, he sought the Lord, and the Scripture tells us that God made him to prosper. He did a lot of wonderful things, and because he was submissive to the will of God, God blessed him and the nation mightily. I wish that was the end of the story; but unfortunately, the Bible goes on to tell us that Uzziah’s heart became lifted up with pride. He one day decided that he was going to go into the temple himself to offer incense upon the altar of incense. Now that was a job that was exclusively reserved for the priests. Sadly, Uzziah felt that he was so great that he could do whatever he wanted to do, even bypass God’s clear instructions regarding the worship in the temple. The priests immediately withstood him and rebuked him for usurping their God given role. He became furious with the priests. “Who are you to tell me what to do?” “Don’t you know who I am?” “I am the king, and I will do whatever I please” This was Uzziah’s attitude. God’s judgment immediately fell on Uzziah, and he became leprous in his forehead. He realized then that he had crossed the line, but it was too late.
We see this type of thing all too often in the Scripture, and we also see in the lives of Christians today. Many times, when a person first trusts the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, he is very humble. He is moldable, teachable, and can easily be corrected. However, as he grows in the Lord and is obedient to the principles found in the Word, God will prosper him. This prosperity will often bring about pride. Sometimes, it is so subtle that he does not even realize it. He takes the credit for the blessings that were given to him by the Lord. He begins to know more than his teachers, and he begins to pick and choose what he will obey, and what he will not. He begins to gradually seize control of his life away from God’s control. He slowly becomes his own God again, calling his own shots. When he gets to this place God will have to bring judgment in order to bring him back down to earth.
This does not have to happen. We can stay humble. We can continue to lean on the Lord, and not our own understanding. We can stay teachable, and moldable. We can continue to obey the Word of God, and the authorities that God has placed in our lives. We don’t have to head down this road that leads to self-destruction. Watch out for pride. It was Satan’s downfall; it was Eve’s also. Remember, she wanted to be as God, knowing good and evil. Pride is a big part of our flesh that must be put to death on a daily basis.
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)
“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” (Proverbs 29:23)
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How Will You Be Remembered?
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 21 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 19 – 21; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)
Read a previous post from this passage – “Too Dependent on the Preacher“
“Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.” (2Chronicles 21:20)
This verse is perhaps one of the saddest verses in all of the Bible. Here we see the life of Jehoram, a king of Judah: the son of Jehoshaphat, a great king. The verse tells us that when he died he was not desired: nobody wanted him. How sad it is that a person with so much opportunity for good; so much opportunity to impact his nation, would die without being desired. Why did this happen? What would cause this man to be so evil; so different from his father, who was loved and desired by all? Believe it or not, I think the blame belongs to his father. His father, though a great man himself, was not a separated man. Though he loved God, he was very close and friendly to others who hated God. He got so close that he actually allowed his son, Jehoram to marry one of wicked King Ahab’s daughters. The Bible tells us that after the death of Jehoshaphat, Ahab’s family became the counsellors of Jehoram. His father followed God; but the son chose to follow evil.
Parents, please be very careful about what and who you allow to get close to your children. Though you as parents may be strong enough to stand in a wicked environment, your children may not be; and may succumb to the wickedness around them. Live a separated life. Don’t allow the things of this world; or ungodly people to be an influence to your family.
My life will not be judged merely by my own conduct. People will also judge me by whether or not my children walk with God, and serve their generation. I want my kids to be better than I am. I want them to have more love and compassion for their fellow man than I ever could. I want them to be desired.
When you die, will you leave here without being desired? Or will people miss you? Will they grieve for the void that will be there because of your parting? This life is not about you; it’s not about me. It is about glorifying God; and serving our generation; and then training and teaching our children to serve their generation.
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Who Do You Listen To?
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 9 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 10 – 12; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell– “Launch Out“
Read the “0519 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.” – (2 Chronicles 10:6-8)
In our reading passage today, in chapter 10, we see the the beginning of the reign of King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. It seems that shortly after Rehoboam became king his leadership was tested when a delegation from the northern tribes of Israel came to him asking him to lighten the burden that had been placed upon them by King Solomon. I am assuming that the burden that was placed upon them was a tax burden. Government has always been good at taxing its people, hasn’t it? Anyway, it appears that Rehoboam’s father, Solomon, had gradually increased the tax burden placed upon the people of Israel, and they were tired of it. By the way, it is very interesting to note that in the beginning of Solomon’s reign his people were very happy (9:7); but somewhere along the line his spending became out of control, and the source of most of the revenue came from the people.
Reheboam decides to ask the people to give him some time to consider the request, and he seeks counsel from two groups of people. First, he talks to the old men. Their counsel to Reheboam was to “be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words unto them”. Their belief was that if Solomon worked with the people, the people would love him; but if he continued to tax them as his father had, the people would rebel.
The second group that Reheboam sought counsel from was the young men. They told him to whip the people into shape; to show them who was boss. Basically they told Reheboam to make it harder upon the people. They wanted him to rule with an iron fist. Unfortunately, Reheboam listened to the counsel of the young men. The result was disastrous for him, and for the kingdom. The northern tribes rebelled against Reheboam and formed their own kingdom, resulting in a civil war that would last for many years. Reheboam’s decision ended up costing him a whole lot more than the little bit of tax money that the old men had suggested he let the people keep for themselves.
Reheboam should have listened to the old men. Who do you have in your cabinet of counselors? I believe the principle that we can glean from this passage is that we need to be very careful whom we allow to influence us. I would recommend that you would put many godly people in your cabinet of counselors. The Bible says that in the multitude of counselors there is safety, but I am sure that it means only godly counselors. We need to have people in our lives who will be willing to tell us what perhaps we do not want to hear. That cabinet ought to include older men and women who have experienced a little bit of life, and are a little further down the road than we are. It also ought to include some people who are knowledgeable in the Scriptures, like a pastor, or youth leader. It also ought to include godly people who are knowledgeable in particular areas of expertise, such as finances. Choose your counselors wisely, and heed their advice.
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The Grace of God
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 32 – 33
Second Milers also read – Romans 1 – 4; Psalm 119; Proverbs 25
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
“And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.” – (2 Chronicles 33:12 & 13)
In our passage today we see a beautiful picture of the grace of God. The theologians degine “grace” as an unmerited or undeserved favor. In chapter 33, we have the account of King Manasseh who was arguably the most wicked king that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had. He had undone many of the wonderful things that his father, Hezekiah, had done for the nation. Manasseh was into witchcraft, and even had two of his sons “pass through the fire”, which means he sacrificed them. Manasseh was a bad dude, as bad as they get.
In verse 10, the Scripture tells us that God “spake” to Manasseh, but he didn’t listen. God then came in and judged Manasseh by sending in the armies of the Assyrians. Now that got Manasseh’s attention. Now he was ready to listen to God. The Scripture says he “besought” the Lord in his affliction. Manasseh was truly a “new creature” after this moment, and he dedicated the rest of his life to serving the Lord. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to undo all of the evil that he had done before he was redeemed, and even though he finished well, he still has the reputation of being a wicked king.
The first thing that I would like to point out from this passage is that God saves bad people. It is hard for us to fathom the salvation of a man like Manasseh, but God has been in the business of saving wicked men and women for a long time. By the way, it is kind of arrogant on our part to decide who “deserves” salvation. None of us deserves to be saved. We are all sinners, and are all capable of all of the depravity that we have seen in the life of Manasseh. The amazing thing is not that God would save someone like Manasseh, but rather that he would save any of us.
The second thought I would like to pull from this passage is that God had to bring Manasseh down, before he could get his attention. I have often prayed for specific lost people that I know, and I have noticed that God will often allow tragedy to come to their lives in order to get their attention. People who are on top of the world, tend not to take notice of God; but let them go through a severe trial, and they will often re-think things. Though I do not enjoy watching people suffer, I know that the affliction that they may be experiencing today may be the very thing that causes them to turn to the Lord.
The third thought from the passage is that even though it is a wonderful thing that God’s grace reached Manasseh, and that He was saved before it was eternally too late; he still did a lot of bad things in his lifetime. I bet that he wishes that he could go back and re-do some things. But once our time is up, it is up. Manasseh had an appointment with death, and when that appointment came, there was no more time to get things right. We all need to redeem the time, because our time is running out as well.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” – (Hebrews 2:9)
Did you catch that? – every man – even someone as bad as Manasseh – even someone as bad as me
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Soulwinning in 2 Chronicles
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 29 – 31
Second Milers also read – Acts 26 – 28; Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24
“So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.” – (2 Chronicles 30:6)
As I read the passage for today, there were a lot of thoughts that I wanted to develop. The first one came from chapter 29, where Hezekiah told the Levites:
“My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.” – (2 Chronicles 29:11)
I was challenged by this verse to be diligent in the Lord’s work because God has also chosen me to serve Him and minister unto Him, and His people.
However, when I got to chapter 30, I realized that there was another truth that I just had to write about. In this passage Hezekiah sends letters to the remnant of the northern kingdom of Israel, and invites them to return to the Lord. Most of the people of the northern kingdom had already been taken into captivity into the land of Assyria; but there were yet many people remaining in the land. Hezekiah gave them all an open invitation to return to Jerusalem and participate in the worship of the Lord in His house.
The sad truth, however, is that most of the people rejected the invitation. Many had even mocked and laughed at the messengers. This is a perfect picture of our soul winning today. We go out with a message from the king, yet most people reject that message; and many will even mock us for our beliefs. Yet, as it was in the days of Hezekiah, some will accept the invitation. We must not get distracted by the multitudes that reject, but instead realize that there are some, maybe only a few, that will receive the precious message of the grace of God.
So don’t get discouraged if it seems that most of this world is not receptive to the message of Christ. Keep looking for those few precious trophies of grace that will listen. Remember though, you have to weed through the scorners until you eventually find the ones with the soft and penitent hearts that will embrace the glorious gospel of Christ.
Note – the picture at the top is of Pastor Bob Gray II of Longview Baptist Temple, and a young man that was apparently soft-hearted and receptive to the message of God’s grace. They are out there. We just have to keep looking until we find them.
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The Key To Prosperity
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 25 – 28
Second Milers also read – Acts 23 – 25; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read “Plenty More Where That Came From” from 2 Chronicles 25
“And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.” – (2 Chronicles 26:5)
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” – (Psalm 1:2-3)
There is not much that I can add to what was written in 2 Chronicles 26:5 – “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper”. Inside that statement lies the only key to real success in life – seeking God. As long as you and I are truly seeking God and His will for our lives, God will also make our lives to prosper.
In this chapter we see this principle in action in the life of King Uzziah. He was a great king that was mightily used of the Lord as long as he was seeking God. He experienced many military victories, and also caused Judah to prosper economically and scientifically. As long as Uzziah was in submission to the will of God, he and the kingdom prospered greatly. Unfortunately, he got himself into trouble:
“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” – (2 Chronicles 26:16)
Uzziah overstepped his bounds when he went into the temple to offer incense. He felt like he could do whatever he wanted, but God wasn’t pleased. The Lord gave King Uzziah leprosy, and he lived the rest of his life separated from the people in a “several (separated) house”.
So the bottom line is that when we are in submission to the Lord, He will bless what we do; but when we get to the place where we no longer need the Lord, God’s hand of prosperity will cease.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
How Will You Be Remembered?
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 21 – 24
Second Milers also read – Acts 20 – 22; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.(2Chronicles 21:20)
This verse is perhaps one of the saddest verses in all of the Bible. Here we see the life of Jehoram, a king of Judah: the son of Jehoshaphat, a great king. The verse tells us that when he died he was not desired: nobody wanted him. How sad it is that a person with so much opportunity for good; so much opportunity to impact his nation, would die without being desired. Why did this happen? What would cause this man to be so evil; so different from his father, who was loved and desired by all? Believe it or not, I think the blame belongs to his father. His father, though a great man himself, was not a separated man. Though he loved God, he was very close and friendly to others who hated God. He got so close that he actually allowed his son, Jehoram to marry one of wicked King Ahab’s daughters. The Bible tells us that after the death of Jehoshaphat, Ahab’s family became the counsellors of Jehoram. His father followed God; but the son chose to follow evil.
Parents, please be very careful about what and who you allow to get close to your children. Though you as parents may be strong enough to stand in a wicked environment, your children may not be; and may succumb to the wickedness around them. Live a separated life. Don’t allow the things of this world; or ungodly people to be an influence to your family.
My life will not be judged merely by my own conduct. People will also judge me by whether or not my children walk with God, and serve their generation. I want my kids to be better than I am. I want them to have more love and compassion for their fellow man than I ever could. I want them to be desired.
When you die, will you leave here without being desired? Or will people miss you? Will they grieve for the void that will be there because of your parting? This life is not about you; it’s not about me. It is about glorifying God; and serving our generation; and then training and teaching our children to serve their generation.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Keep Your Eyes on the Lord
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 18 – 20
Second Milers also read – Acts 17 – 19; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1
Read “Who’s Your Friend?” by Pastor Ted Stahl from 2 Chronicles 18
“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (2Chronicles 20:12)
My focus this morning is on chapter 20 where we see the nation of Judah threatened by a federation of three nations. Together, these nations were far superior in both numbers and power to the nation of Judah. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, did not seek out help from other nations did (as Asa did in chapter 16); but instead turns the problem completely over to the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a great man of faith, though he was not a separated man. He often would yoke up with the ungodly northern kingdom. However, here he does everything right. Notice in this passage how he demonstrates great faith in God:
1 When first confronted with the problem he sought God. Don’t wait until all else fails. Go to God first.
“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,” (2Chronicles 20:3-5)
2 He searched the Scriptures. Notice in his prayer, in vv 5 – 13, he knows the principles and promises contained in the Scripture. He was able to ask “in the will of God” because he knew what God had promised in His Word.
3 He submitted to the man of God. In v 14, Jehaziel prophesies, and tells Jehoshaphat what to do; and Jehoshaphat obeys the prophecy of the man of God. When you are faced with a battle, go to the man of God for counsel; and listen to what he has to say.
4 He sang praises to God before the battle was actually won. This demonstrated both that he had great faith, and that he was content with whatever God was going to do. Do you trust God enough with the outcome of your battle to praise him before you see the final conclusion.
“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endurethfor ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” (2Chronicles 20:21-22)
The Christian life is full of battles; but if God is with us, the victory is already ours. Don’t fight the battle in your own strength. Keep your eyes upon the Lord , and allow Him to win the battle for you.
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Asa – He Started Well, But Finished Poorly
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 13 – 17
Second Milers also read – Acts 14 – 16; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20
“And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.” – (2 Chronicles 15:8)
“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. … And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.” – (2 Chronicles 16:10, 12)
In chapters 15 – 17 of today’s passage we see the account of King Asa. He started out as a very good king, even going as far as removing his mother from being queen because of her idolatry. In fact in chapter 15, everything that is recorded about his reign as king is good. However, when we get to chapter 16, we see Asa faced with an imminent attack from his neighbor, the northern kingdom of Israel. Now in times past, when Asa faced strong opposition, he trusted in God to deliver him; but here he does something completely out of character for him: he relies, not upon God, but upon another nation to deliver him. God was not too pleased with this, so he sent his prophet to rebuke Asa for his lack of faith. Instead of getting right with God, Asa gets angry and throws the prophet in jail. Not a very wise move. A few years later we find that Asa is “diseased in his feet”; but once again he goes to men (the physicians) instead of going to God. I think that the first mistake that Asa made could have been corrected with a little contrition and repentance; but instead it caused him to get angry and “dig in”; and it literally altered the rest of his life. His pride caused him to stay his course, instead of yielding to God’s will.
I wonder how many Christians today start out well, living their lives for the Lord; but something happens: maybe they make an error in judgment; or maybe just have a moment of weakness, and they sin against God. When they are confronted about it, instead of humbling themselves and getting it right, they “dig in”, refusing to admit that they did wrong. As a result they continue on a path of destruction, refusing to consider the possibility that they could be wrong. This then leads to more problems; not only for the person, but for their families as well.
As God’s people, why can’t we just preprogram ourselves to understand that we are going to blow it at times. We will never (in this life) lose our humanity; we will never arrive at sinless perfection. I think God understands our humanity more that we do. We are going to blow it eventually. It’s OK. We are human. But don’t get mad at your humanity; don’t get mad at the preacher, the church, or God. Get right! Run to God, not away from Him! Admit you blew it; pick yourself up; pay the consequences; and move on with your life. Why lose all of the blessings that God has in store for you simply because of your pride.
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The Fire Came Down From Heaven
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 6 – 8
(Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)
Scripture Memory for may – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” – (2 Chronicles 7:1-3)
I love passages of Scripture like these chapters here in 2 Chronicles. Everything is as it should be. The people are in a right relationship with their God, and the Lord is blessing the people tremendously. In chapter 7, verse 1, God sent down a visible manifestation of His approval of the new temple when He sent the fire down from Heaven. It was if He was saying “Amen” to the prayer that was just made by Solomon in chapter 6. How I wish I could have seen that awesome display of the glory of God.
God still sends His fire down today, though it cannot be seen with the physical eye. The fire He sends down today is the manifestation of His Spirit upon His people when they are pleasing Him. I have witnessed God’s fire fall upon some of the church services which we have had here at our church. I wish that I could say that all of the services had the fire of God on them, but I do cherish the times that He makes His presence among us so apparent that every last individual in the church recognizes it. Why can’t we have services like this every thime we meet together? I believe it is because all of the ingredients are not present; and the same ingredients are necessary today, as were present the day that Solomon dedicated the temple. So what was present in 2 Chronicles, and what must we have today, in order for God to send His fire down from Heaven?
1 There must be unity – These people were all “in one accord”. They all had one heart, one mind, and one purpose that day. Their attention was completely focussed on the Lord.
2 There must be praise – Look at 2 Chronicles 5:13 & 14. God truly does inhabit the praises of His people. They were praising the Lord in song, and with instruments; and the Lord was glorified.
3 There must be humility – I noticed in chapter 6 that Solomon got down on his knees before all of the people. Solomon was a “big shot” , but Solomon yielded and bowed to the One who was infinitely greaer than him.
4 There must be obedience – These people were doing exactly what God wanted them to do.
We could see the manifestation of God’s presence today just as much as Solomon did if we simply get with God’s program.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.