Category: 2 Chronicles

2 Chron 18:6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”

We have discussed in Sunday School more than once that we can say to God, “Thy will be done” or God will say to us, “Thy will be done.” This chapter in 2 Chronicles shows this age old scenario. Ahab wants to go to war. Micaiah speaks God’s truth, “Go to war and die.” Ahab doesn’t like Micaiah because “…he never prophesies anything good about me.” God’s message has been faithfully delivered, and Ahab chooses to do what he wants, his will instead of God’s.

2 Chron 18:7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad….“

I’ve said before that it is so easy for me to “armchair quarterback.” Ahab should have listened, but he did what he wanted instead. I’m just as guilty at times of choosing my will over God’s. Jesus, Help me!

2 Chron 18:13 …Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You guide us when we earnestly seek You and listen. Help me, even when I am being obstinate, to seek Your will and to listen to Your guidance. Draw me closer. Amen.

2 Chron 18:27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 17:3 The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him….
Asa did not finish well, but Jehoshaphat wasn’t doomed to follow in his footsteps, and he didn’t. He was more like David, imperfect, fallible David, who, despite his flaws and mistakes, had such a heart for God.
2 Chron 17:5 The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.
I’m sometimes guilty of having a fatalistic attitude. I sometimes think, “I’ve messed this up so badly there is no going back from here. There is no making this right.” But God. He can make all things new. He loves us so deeply that there is never anything we can do to make Him walk away. And He is right there with us, waiting for us to call His name to reach out to Him. It is truly mind-boggling. 
2 Chron 17:6 His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace, for new beginnings and second chances. Help us to seek Your face always, Lord, and when we find we’ve strayed from Your path, help us to find our footing and reconnect immediately. Draw us closer. Amen.
2 Chron 17:10 The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.”
Commentary says, “All in all, Asa was a good man who did not finish well.” I cannot think of a sadder epitaph. And when the seer points out Asa’s missteps, instead of humbling himself (which is incredibly difficult), he hardens his heart and gives himself over to anger. He did not finish well.
2 Chron 16:9a “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him….”
I know that I am guilty of similar actions. I know that there are times when I give in to fear and seek human allies instead of my Savior. I know how hard it can be in the face of my own folly to humble myself instead of giving in to anger. I know I have work to do so that I can finish well.
2 Chron 16:9b “…You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that I must always keep my eyes, mind, and heart on You so that I can finish well in Your sight. Lord, I am human and fallible, prone to fear and missteps, but I love You more than anything. Help me always to focus on You so that I can finish well. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Chron 16:10 Asa was angry at the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 15:2b … The LORD is with you when you are with Him….
Lord, You want a relationship with each of us. Thank You for the incredible gift that is. However, You would never force us into relationship. Our ability to see You is directly related to how earnestly we seek You. You don’t hide, but You also don’t force. Thank You.
2 Chron 15:2c …If you seek Him, He will be found by you….
Lord, This is a tough time for so many, tougher even than normal years because so many things are different, there is so much stress and anxiety, so much division, but You are still the answer. Help us to seek You even more earnestly. Help us to see You, Your love, Your mercy, Your compassion, everywhere we turn.
2 Chron 15:2d …but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that true, lasting, eternal joy can only come from You. Thank You that Your joy is not a the toxic positivity that has gained so much press of late. Your joy is what we need. Thank You for Your fierce, unconditional, all-encompassing love of us. Draw us closer. Amen.
2 Chron 15:15 … They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 14:2 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
Lord, I’m feeling rather sorry for myself this morning. Thank You for allowing me to recognize the feeling. Thank You for the strength to keep dragging my mind and heart back to You. Thank You that I’m just exhausted from a long week. Nothing more.
2 Chron 14:4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey His laws and commands.
Lord, I know that true rest can only come from You. Thank You for the knowledge. Thank You for allowing me rest and shelter in Your arms. Thank You for allowing me to rest at Your feet. 
2 Chron 14:6 …No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. It is far too easy, especially at the end of a week, for me to get maudlin and moody. But to give in to those feelings would mean that I have taken my eyes off of You and allowed myself to become the center of my world. Help me to keep refocusing my mind and heart on You. Renew my spirit. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Chron 14:11 Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on You…”
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 13:12 “God is with us; He is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”
Abijah did not have a heart like David. Commentary even says about this chapter that “though here he … maintained the better cause, yet [he] was indeed an ungodly man.” And yet, God heard him and helped him. 
2 Chron 13:13-14 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD….
This walk through the Bible has been an incredible gift for my faith. Somehow I got it in my head that I had to be perfect, which is impossible, but what I have seen again and again and again is that God wants me to put Him first. He wants me to set my heart on Him. He wants me to be obedient when He calls. 
2 Chron 13:15 …At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all of Israel before Abijah and Judah.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this reminder that we are human, not perfect. Thank You for the reminder that You want us to have a heart focused solely on You. Thank You that my daily reading, prayer, and study time continues to draw me closer to You daily. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
2 Chron 13:16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 12:14 And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. (BSB)
A refrain of mine from the past few weeks has been, “Lord, help me keep my eyes, mind, and heart focused on You.” I think verse 14, more than any other, shows why seeking Him—first, last, and always—is so crucial for our daily walk. If we don’t intentionally seek Him, set our minds and hearts on Him, things can go very poorly.
2 Chron 12:14 But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart. (NLT)
Here’s a recent example, involving, of all things, cleaning supplies. They are getting scarce again, more so in some parts of our state than others. When I focus on me, I feel fear—a fear of running out, of scarcity, of not being able to keep my family safe because of lack. When I focus on God, I can be generous and share because I know that even if they are harder to find, I will find what I need when I need it or find the strength and ingenuity to do something differently because that’s how God works.
2 Chron 12:14 Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the LORD. (CSB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder to keep my mind and heart intentionally focused on You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Chron 12:14 …but still he did wrong and refused to obey the LORD. (CEV)
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered Judah and Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
The Upper Room is a devotional that I read every morning before I read my chapter from the Bible. This morning’s reflection was on humility.  The writer talked about how the world prompts us to gratify our desires but how Jesus’s life serves as a model of service to others.
2 Chron 11:2 But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
How much humility did it take for Rehoboam, stinging from Jeroboam’s split, standing strong with 180,000 fighting men, to heed the voice of God, spoken through Shemaiah the prophet? 
2 Chron 11:3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that my ego, my anger, have no place in Your kingdom. When I am riled up and spoiling for a fight, give me sense and equanimity to hear Your voice and heed Your word. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Chron 11:4 “…This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing’.” ….
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 10:12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.”
Reading this chapter, I was filled again with a sense of frustration. I’ve seen Rehoboam make these mistakes before. It is just as disheartening to see it the second time. And since I know the purpose of the Bible is not for me to feel frustrated and hopeless, I went looking for an explanation of the books of Chronicles. What’s the point? 
2 Chron 10:13 The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders….
It turns out, the point of these books is to give hope. It is a history, a genealogy, a character study, and a hope for the future. In this light, verse 15 becomes more of a focus than a side note: “… for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam….” God is here. He is still in control. He is moving us towards a hope and a future.
2 Chron 10:14 …he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Just like those in these books, we face upheaval, poor choices, bad judgements, leaders who turn their hearts from You. Help us to read these books through the same lens You intended them for the original recipients. Help us to understand that even through the upheaval and turmoil, You are here. You are still in control. You are moving us towards a hope and a future. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
2 Chron 10:15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam….
Have a blessed day.

2 Chron 9:15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
A popular theme in literature is that of appearance versus reality—when what seems to be isn’t actually what is. It is a common motif in life as well, and I feel like we see this theme clearly in this chapter. What appears to be a mighty defense—500 golden shields of various sizes, really isn’t made for defense. It is made to impress. Commentary says: “Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields.”
2 Chron 9:16a He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels of gold in each shield….
The Queen of Sheba finds Solomon to be wise and wealthy. That’s true. But his actions toward the end of the chapter indicate that he is turning his heart from God, even now. Like his shields, Solomon appears to be getting heavy (with the weight of his amassed fortune) and soft (in his devotion to God).
2 Chron 9:16b … The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You must remain at our core for us to be effective for You. Help us to be diligent in keeping our eyes, minds, and hearts focused on You. Draw us closer. Amen.
2 Chron 9:17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
Have a blessed day.