Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: 2 Chronicles 26:3-5

By

2 Chronicles 26:3-5    "Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.  (4)  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.  (5)  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."

What is the key to prosperity? We train our children to have a desire to be successful in life. We want them to do the best they possibly can do. The mantra for many generations has been, "I want my children to have it better than me." That originated with generations who had to scrape and scrounge. For many of us, it came from parents who had to endure The Great Depression.  It meant they wanted us to have a good education and a good job. They did not want us to have to work as hard as they did. I, for one, am very grateful for parents who wanted us to have it better than they had it.

But at some point, it seems that "having it better" meant not having to work, worry, sweat out situations. We went from "having it better" to "living on easy street."  I promise I'm going to get to the text, but the word "prosper" jumped out at me. The verse that contains that word also contains the key to prosperity: "as long as he sought the LORD".

We shall see on another day that King Uzziah became a very skillful king. He became a great tactician in battle and provided great safety for Judah. The Lord blessed him because "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord... And he sought God in the days of Zechariah." King Uzziah had a desire to do the right thing and he surrounded himself with godly people including the prophet Zechariah. He was not afraid to ask advice. He was not too prideful (at this point in his life) to take that advice.

Yes, the key to having it better in life and enjoying prosperity comes in setting proper priorities. Jesus stated it in this manner: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)  I do not know who to give proper credit for this, but to have joy, I must place Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Psalm 100:4-5 - Thanksgiving

By
Psalm 100:4-5     "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Many songs have been written about these verses and with these words included. What do they mean? Today, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. I've listened to many people speak about their family traditions and most of them include family, food, and football. These are wonderful and fun things that enrich the day, but is it the true meaning that was intended when the day was established?  The Psalmist instructed us to include a special action with our words of thankfulness.  We are to "enter into HIS gates." The heartfelt words of thanksgiving allow us to enter the gates of the Lord, but there is a much deeper place into which we can go. Not only are we to enter into HIS gates, but He invites us to come much closer to H...
Read more