Devotional Thoughts

2 Chronicles 20:20    "And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper."    This is the beginning of one of the most miraculous battles ever fought. We think about the battle of Jericho, the battle between David and Goliath, and other battles which were great. But this one has always stuck in my mind for the manner in which the people prepared and then went into the battle field. The Lord answered their prayer and told them to wait until the next day to go into the place of battle. "They rose early in the morning, and went forth..."  I am trying to imagine both the excitement and anxiety that night. I wonder how many of them really had a good night's sleep as they were anticipating this day. To me, it is a wonderful example of

2 Chronicles 20:16-18    "To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.  (17)  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.  (18)  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD." We understand there are three possible answers to every request made to God: "Yes, No, Not now."  We love the "yes" answers, don't we? We have to tolerate the "no" answers; yet, we should also love the "no" answers if we truly understand the motivation of God. His "no's" to us are positive in that He provides that which is best for us, even when th

2 Chronicles 20:13-15    "And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.  (14)  Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;  (15)  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." Jehoshaphat's prayer: "Lord, we are not strong enough. There isn't enough of us to go against these strong nations. I don't know what to do, but I'm looking to you."  There is always a way of escape even when the burden becomes so heavy that we are not able to handle it. It would be much easier if we turned to the one way of escape immediately rather than waiting until we can see no way out. The way

2 Chronicles 20:4-12    "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.  (5)  And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,  (6)  And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?  (7)  Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?  (8)  And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,  (9)  If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.  (10)  And now,

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. – Lamentations 3:26 The Prophet Jeremiah lived in a very tumultuous time. Israel and Judah experienced a great falling away during his life culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and captivity. Even though he warned them in strong terms to repent, the leader and the people refused to heed the word of the Lord. Realizing the impending doom that awaited his people, Jeremiah wept bitterly and suffered greatly for his loyalty to the truth. Thus he is known as the weeping prophet. Even though he mourned for the souls of Judah and Israel, Jeremiah also understood that ultimately the Lord would not forsake His chosen people in Israel and the rest of the world. The Lord chastens and straitly disciplines His children, but His eternal love is indisputable. Therefore, it is good for us to quietly wait upon the salvation of the Lord. I am sure you have seen troubles and trials in your life and in the lives

2 Chronicles 20:1-3    "It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.  (2)  Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.  (3)  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." Throughout my life, I have listened to people who talk tough. Sometimes the tough talk comes when times are good and an imagined enemy is looming. Sometimes, the tough talk comes after a struggle has taken place. Sometimes the tough talk comes in conversation with someone else who is going through a rough time. Usually the talk comes in a manner as to say what that individual would have done if they had been in that same situation. When the enemy is larger than life and looming in the shad

2 Chronicles 19:5-7    "And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,  (6)  And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.  (7)  Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." Jehoshaphat was reprimanded when he came back from helping the army of Israel. The Lord sent a prophet to him and, in essence, scolded him for helping those who hate God. But he also commended him for the good things Jehoshaphat had done. It was at that point that Jehoshaphat went throughout Judah to encourage, exhort, and direct the people into the ways of the Lord. No, he was not a Levite. He was not a priest. He was not a prophet. But his heart was set upon the Lord and wanted what was best for his people. As he went through the cities of Judah, he appointed judges

2 Chronicles 18:6-7    "But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?  (7)  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so." We continue our study of Jehoshaphat. The Lord had blessed him tremendously in every way. Ahab, king of Israel, asked him to come help them in a battle. "And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war." (2 Chronicles 18:3) Before they went into battle, Jehoshaphat asked King Ahab concerning prophets that they may seek the Lord's guidance. Ahab called the prophets of Israel who said, "Go into battle." This is when o

2 Chronicles 17:1-6    "And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.  (2)  And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.  (3)  And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;  (4)  But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.  (5)  Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.  (6)  And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah."   King Asa had died and his son was now king. I admit Jehoshaphat is one of my favorite kings of Judah. There is much to be said about him.  Like every other human being, he had his ups and downs i

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: – 1 Peter 1:19 Who can forgive your debts? Only the one who owns the debt can release you from it. Since God is the ultimate authority in the universe and beyond, only God can truly, ultimately forgive sin. Following the events recorded in 2 Samuel 11, David wrote, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:4). Even though David had done terrible wrongs to others, his sin was a reproach to God, the Creator and Lawgiver. Thus in the New Testament, the religious leaders were upset that Jesus of Nazareth forgave sins not realizing that Jesus is the Son of God. Not only could Jesus forgive sins with the authority of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9). He was born to save His people from their sins, and He provided the sacrifice required to make things right with God the Father. He already

2 Chronicles 16:7-9    "And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.  (9)  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." The king of Israel was mad because many of the people of Israel had fled to Judah. He began to fortify himself against Judah by overtaking cities and reinforcing them to prevent anyone else from defecting. When King Asa heard this was happening, he sent gold and silver to the king of Syria and asked him to retake the cities for

2 Chronicles 15:1-4    "And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:  (2)  And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.  (3)  Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.  (4)  But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them." There is still some relationship between Israel and Judah. The people of Israel have been watching what was happening in Judah and realized God was blessing them in a mighty way. Let us stop to remember what had happened in Israel. Jeroboam had become king and had influenced the people to stay away from Jerusalem. He had two golden calves made and set aside his own people to become priests. They were not of the tribe of Levi; therefore, they w

G od wants us to love Him deeply, personally, intimately, and passionately. God wants our all.  He wants us, in fact, He commands us to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The command is simple, straightforward, unmistakable.  There is no middle ground.  If you don’t love God more than you love your spouse, you sin.  If you don’t love God more than you love your children, you sin.  If you don’t love God more than you love your country, you sin.  If you don’t love God more than you love yourself, you sin.  If you don’t love God more than……whatever, you sin.   Jesus Provides What He Demands “Wait a minute!”  “I think you may have gone a little bit too far.”  “This seems too extreme.”  Many feel such an all-encompassing demand seems a little radical, and at times, too radical.  Those folks have a lot of

2 Chronicles 14:11-12    "And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.  (12)  So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled." With foresight, King Asa had established fenced cities around Judah. He armed the men with the latest weaponry, but more importantly he covered them with prayer and the defense of the Lord.  He fortified his army with over half a million men. 300,000 carried shields and spears. 280,000 were efficient with bows. They were all men of strength and valour. But then the king of Ethiopia came against Judah with a million men in his army. King Asa's army was outnumbered two to one. Hence we come to our text today. Though the numbers were against Asa as far as the natural s

2 Chronicles 14:1-5    "So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.  (2)  And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:  (3)  For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:  (4)  And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.  (5)  Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him." Asa, the son of Abijah, is now reigning in Judah.  It is apparent that Asa paid attention to the actions of his father, Abijah. There are two things that Asa did as king that set the tone for Judah. They seem to be simple statements; yet, the nation profited from these actions. First, Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He did what he

2 Chronicles 13:18     "Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers." King Rehoboam died and now Abijah, his son, is reigning in Judah. Jeroboam is still king of Israel and there is strife between the two nations. Though they are brothers in nationality, they have become enemies of one another. Mainly, Jeroboam sees Judah as the enemy of Israel. It seems he may want to show power to his people because he has taken them from the worship of Jerusalem. The world always wants to try to prove to the people of God that there is a better way. The way of the world always takes an individual, or a nation, on the downward spiral to destruction. The world tries to make us think they are our friends. The truth of the matter is that the way of the world is the way of Satan and it results in defeat and destruction. The way of the world is pride. The wise man Solomon tells us, &q

  And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. – 2 Samuel 23:4 Unless you are a farmer or a gardener, I guess that you may not be a fan of the rain. Even those who rely directly on the rain complain of too much rain. It often makes the day gloomy, messes up traffic and ruins our outdoor plans. Rain can cause floods and contribute to problems with our homes and businesses. Like all things in life, rain is best in moderation. However, without rain, I doubt we would appreciate the sunshine. Sometimes we simply need negative to understand the positive. King David knew that the best king would be a godly king. Such a ruler would be to the people as the sun shining through the clouds after rain when we most want it. This is Jesus. We cannot appreciate Jesus without first recognizing how much we need Him and want Him. So it was that Jesus was born at one of the most

2 Chronicles 12:6-8    "Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.  (7)  And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.  (8)  Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries." Recently, we saw the king of Egypt with his army coming against Rehoboam. When the prophet of the Lord came with the message of God's chastising hand upon them, we see them now humbling themselves. They indeed realized their sin, confessed it, and proclaimed the Lord is right in doing this because of their sin. "The LORD is righteous." When they humbled themselves, the Lord declared mercy upon them in that Jerusalem would not be

2 Chronicles 12:1-2    "And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.  (2)  And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD" 2 Chronicles 12:5    "Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak."   Rehoboam had forgotten the Lord. The nation went the way of the king. The Lord was going to get their attention. I often hear people say that the Lord must be trying to get our attention. May I say that the Lord never TRIES to do anything. When needed, He WILL get our attention by any means that is necessary. For this point in Israel's history, the Lord

  New Testament Christianity is the response of a born-again believer to the supernatural creator God.  This creator God reveals Himself as the God who is an intimate Father of perfect saving love.  Therefore, Christianity is correctly characterized as a religion of love.  Loving those who were in rebellion against Him, God the Father created a plan of salvation in which the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, would become man and die for the sins of those who were the objects of God the Father’s saving love.  The incarnate Jesus Christ faithfully accomplished that plan on Calvary.  The Father and the Son together sent their Spirit to apply that accomplished salvation in the life of each of those who were the object of God’s love.  All this work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was done to save sinners from a life of misery and lead them into glory.  Believing in this and being overwhelmed by this amazing reality of divine love sustains love for God in a manner that the Greatest

2 Chronicles 12:1    "And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him." We see something happening to Rehoboam that is so typical of the carnal nature of mankind. He became so strong that he started relying upon himself instead of the Lord. Strength is a wonderful thing unless it becomes a source of pride. We all have seen, and maybe experienced ourselves, when someone has surgery and as soon as they begin to feel better from the effects of the initial operation, they think they can go right back to doing anything they want. If you will, please excuse me for using a personal experience. Several years ago I had my gall bladder removed. There were only three small puncture wounds instead of the major incision. A few days later, I was feeling good and not too sore. Sunday was coming and I didn't want anyone else to take my place. Youth in the ministry was speaking at that

2 Chronicles 11:13-17    "And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.  (14)  For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD:  (15)  And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.  (16)  And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.  (17)  So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon." Israel was divided. We are told in the book of James the reason for all division, strife, and wars. "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in you

2 Chronicles 9:31    "And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 10:6-11    "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?  (7)  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.  (8)  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.  (9)  And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?  (10)  And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Th

He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. – John 1:39 From the prophecies of His birth to the advent in Bethlehem and the miraculous life that followed, the Gospel record of Jesus’s earthly sojourn cries out, “Come and see.” For those with faith to believe the prophets and recognize in Jesus the fulfillment of ages, the coming of the Son of God is the greatest event in history aside from the Resurrection. The invitation of Jesus is to all His disciples. As the Lord said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Rest is found at the manger. Rest is found at the foot of the cross. Rest is found at the open tomb. The Revelation concludes the matter saying, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” Revelation 22:

2 Chronicles 9:22-23     "And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.  (23)  And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart." 2 Chronicles 9:30-31    "And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.  (31)  And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead." As I write this morning, I am trying to imagine what it must have been like for Solomon to have the kings of the earth come to him seeking wisdom. The Chronicles account does not go into all the details concerning the time of Solomon's reign and the effect it had upon him as an individual. We know from the various writings of Solomon that with the great gift of wisdom given to him, there also came great responsibility. Solomon handled it well at times and not so well at other times. He was human. That is not to try to ju

2 Chronicles 9:6-8    "Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.  (7)  Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.  (8)  Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice." The Word of God tells us  there was no more spirit in her when the Queen of Sheba saw all the glory of Solomon's kingdom. She had heard about Solomon, but now she saw. Recently, we mentioned the two disciples of John the Baptist who were told, "Come and see." I think of Job after all his suffering who made the statement: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye