Week 19

Reading Schedule: Week 19

5/5 Ezra 9-10

5/6 Nehemiah 1-2

5/7 Nehemiah 3-4

5/8 Nehemiah 5-7

5/9 Nehemiah 8-10

5/10-5/11 Nehemiah 11-13

Week 18

Reading Schedule: Week 18

4/28 2 Chronicles 21-25

4/29 2 Chronicles 26-28

4/30 2 Chronicles 33-36

5/1 Ezra 1-3

5/2 Ezra 4-6

5/3-5/4 Ezra 7-8

Picking Battles

2 Chronicles 17-20

Who is God? He sits on a throne with the host of heaven standing on his left and on his right. He put a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s prophets. (Yikes!) He fights the enemies of his faithful children. He is the source of peace.

What does this mean for me? Seek God first and follow his practices, not the practices of your culture. Use the Bible to teach others, as the minor prophets are in 17:9. Don’t rush God. Don’t think you know what’s best. Don’t follow the example of Ahab. Serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. Warn others not to sin against the Lord.

I’m surprised to find this direction, 19:2- “Should you help the wicked and love those who hat the Lord?” I would think yes, right? But the verse goes on to say, “Because of this, the wrath of the Lord upon you.” Hmm.

Second Chances

2 Chronicles 10-12

Who is God? He is not always what I expect. (This story in chapter 10 is tough to grasp. Does anyone else have any insight? This King Rehoboam seems like the worst. He follows a young man’s advice and announces that he will beat his people with scorpions, figuratively I hope. Then the king ignores his people and we find out that all of this is God’s doing. And then we learn that God has angered the northern tribes of Israel so much that they refuse to be ruled by a descendant of David, ie Jesus, ever again. Is this story about God cutting these tribes off from salvation? I’m not swallowing this so easily.) He is merciful. 12:7, when the Lord saw Rehoboam’s and Judah’s leaders’ change of heart he decides to “not completely destroy them,” as the NLT version phrases it. He is a God of second chances.

What does this mean for me? Pray for wisdom. Don’t abandon the Lord. No matter what you have done, humbling yourself before the Lord is a good decision. Seek the Lord with all of your heart.

King Solomon

2 Chronicles 6-9

Who is God? He is to be praised. He kept his promise to King David and Solomon, David’s son, for Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. He is the one and only. He shows his unfailing love to all who walk in wholehearted devotion. He has the power to protect us from our enemies, or not. He alone knows each human heart. He is good and his love endures forever. He hears our prayers and forgives us. He will let us fall out of his favor if we turn away.

What does this mean for me? Pray to and praise the Lord. Walk in wholehearted devotion. 6:16, guard your behavior and faithfully follow his word. Pray for forgiveness and that God will hear you. Fear God and walk in his ways. 7:14, humble yourself and pray and seek God’s face and turn from your wicked ways and he will hear and you will be forgiven. (These are God’s words) There are real consequences when I do the opposite.

Of all the things I hear about God and think about God during the day, it is refreshing to come here and read about who God really is in his word. Lord, protect me today from the wicked thoughts that will flood my mind, from the selfish desires, and from the petty frustrations. Help me to remember who you say you are Lord and in what direction my heart and mind should be focused. Help me to focus on you Lord. Help me to understand who I am in you. Your sacrifice, Lord, was great. Help me to realize the weight and love you communicate through the Jesus and let that change my life. Help me to find joy and peace in you Lord, for you are good.

Week 17

Reading Schedule: Week 17

4/21 2 Chronicles 1-5

4/22 2 Chronicles 6-9

4/23 2 Chronicles 10-12

4/24 2 Chronicles 13-16

4/25 2 Chronicles 17-20

4/26-4/27 2 Chronicles 21-25

King David

1 Chronicles 17-21

Who is God? He wants amazing things for his people, 17:9-10, “I will provide a homeland…a secure place…evil nations won’t oppress them…I will defeat all your enemies.” He is the one and only. He redeemed his people from slavery. He performs miracles and made King David victorious in all of his battles. He hates it when we give into Satan and sin, 21:7, “God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.” God sends a plague upon Israel and 70,000 of his people die. He answers prayer.

What does this mean for me? Praise the Lord and thank him for his goodness. Maintain a humble perception of yourself (“Who am I, O Lord”). Pray boldly. Trust in his promises. Be courageous and fight bravely for God’s people. Beware of Satan’s influence, 21:1, “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census.” 21:3, Joab replies, “Why [David] must you cause Israel to sin?” Ask for forgiveness when you sin. Pray boldly and honestly.

Josiah

(from April 14th)

2 Kings 22-25

Who is God? His anger is real. It has destroyed cities and civilizations. The Lord did not forgive Judah, even after Josiah had turned to him wholeheartedly and rid the kingdom of all pagan symbols and gods. God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to carry all of the treasures away from the Lord’s temple and take all of Jerusalem captive, 10,000 in all. God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to burn down the temple of the Lord. Though, 2 Kings ends with hope for Israel’s Royal Line. God did not completely give up on his people.

What does this mean for me? Do what is pleasing in the Lord’s sight. Do not turn away from doing what is right. Destroy the sin in your life. We see king Josiah tearing down alters, burning Asherah poles, and destroying pagan shrines. He got rid of mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice. What would make us take such action today? What would happen if one of our leaders took such drastic action today? 23:25 says “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.”

Numbered Days

2 Kings 18-21

Who is God? He is a jealous God and wants the full and undivided attention of his people. The Lord is with his people always. He will never give them more than they can handle. The Lord allows his people to endure hardships. The Lord is capable of anything. He hears our prayers. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knew King Sennacherib of Assyria, 19:27 “But I know you well- where you stay … I know the way you have raged against me. And because of your raging against me. And because of your arrogance … I will make you return by the same road on which you came,” and dealt with him accordingly. King Sennacherib never entered Jerusalem. The Lord cared for and loved Hezekiah, he healed him from his illness and added 15 extra years onto his life.

What does this mean for me? God can use twentysomethings. Hezekiah was just 25 when he became king and he did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. Trust in the Lord, remain faithful to him, and obey his commands. Pray and ask for help when you need it. Our days are numbered. Only God knows how many I have left. How will I spend them? Will I be pleading and in communication with God through it all? Will I be honestly and wholeheartedly seeking him? Will I be fleeing from sin and running from his goodness? Will I stop worrying and start trusting him? Will I remain faithful? My life will be shorter tomorrow than it is today. Use me here, Lord.

Week 16

Reading Schedule: Week 16

4/14 2 Kings 22-25

4/15 1 Chronicles 1-9

4/16 1 Chronicles 10-16

4/17 1 Chronicles 17-21

4/18 1 Chronicles 22-27

4/19 & 20 1 Chronicles 28-29