But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.” -2 Chronicles 18:4 In a time when two kings were choosing whether to go into war together against a common enemy, one king paused. Why? He sought to “First seek the counsel of the Lord.” Interestingly, this was not enough. Two problems occurred. First, there was the problem of which voice to listen to. The prophets agreed to the war, yet Jehoshaphat knew they... Read more
“His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.” -2 Chronicles 17:6 Did you realize that devotion to God includes standing against sin? King Jehoshaphat was called devoted to the ways of the Lord. Why? A big part of his devotion included his strong stand against the other gods of his time. If we wish to be fully devoted to the Lord, we must also take a... Read more
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” -2 Chronicles 16:9 This verse has become one of my favorites. Did you realize God is looking throughout the world to bless those who are fully committed to him? Most of us miss this. We live day to day, hoping God will bless us or even wonder if he notices anything we do in service to him. He does notice.... Read more
“Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.” -2 Chronicles 15:17 Today’s thought is very short: Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. If our life ends this way, isn’t everything else secondary? Life in such a way today that this can be said of you after your days. Let’s talk about it on Facebook! Share your thoughts, pictures, or videos on handwriting Scripture. +++ Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of... Read more
“No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.” -2 Chronicles 14:6 Tired? Most of us are. We sleep too little, move too quickly, and find ourselves exhausted more than we feel refreshed. Why? There are many reasons for our modern day exhaustion. One major factor is our faulty belief that being busy is a good thing. Scripture speaks otherwise. In fact, Asa’s time as king was a blessed one. A major mark... Read more
“The people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.” -2 Chronicles 13:18 God often gave military victory to Israel based on their response to him in the Old Testament. When they rejected him, they lost. When they embraced him, they won. Those who walked closely with God recognized this fact. The people of Judah were heavily outnumbered in one particular battle, yet won because we are told they “relied on the Lord.”... Read more
” When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.” -2 Chronicles 12:7 We all talk about the importance of humility, yet find the actual application of it allusive. We often humble ourselves before the Lord with kicking and screaming. When Israel had lived in sin... Read more
2 But this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 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.’” So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam. -2 Chronicles 11:2-4 Sometimes we hesitate to say... Read more
“But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.” -2 Chronicles 10:8 King Rehoboam rejected the advice of his elders. The result? His kingdom was divided. Sound familiar? Of course it does. How many churches, organizations, and businesses have divided because the new leadership would not listen to those who had come before them? This problem was not limited to Rehoboam; it’s a pattern repeated... Read more
“Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.” -2 Chronicles 9:8 Bathsheba recognized God’s hand of blessing upon Solomon and the nation of Israel. Nothing else could adequately explain the great things that had happened among the Israelites. She also pointed out the source of their blessing–God’s love. We often forget this. We achieve success and wrongly believe our hard... Read more
Holy Writ
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