Sept 30, 2010 2 Chronicles 24

Today we learn that when we go to church and learn from ministers and teachers it helps us stay true in our walk with the Lord.  We also need an accountability partner. Joash was only 7 years old when he became king. He ruled for 40 years and he walked with the Lord as long as Jeioada was the priest. So lets read through Chapter 24 together to learn about Joash.

Chapter 24 Verses 1-3 Joash reigned for 40 years. Jeioada found two wives for Joash, finally a king marries a woman of his own faith, not women who worship false gods.  When I say faith, I mean the followers of God. 


Verses 4-7 Joash had a heart for the Lord so he goes about rebuilding the Temple of the Lord according to the laws that Moses commanded. And he took out any false gods such as baal worship from the temple.


Verses 8-14 Joash has a chest made in front of the temple, so that people could give towards the rebuilding of the temple.  I noticed in this section that Joash didn't take out a loan to fix the temple. They refurbished the temple as funds came in. In fact there was an abundance of money that was donated.  This is a reminder to me that saving up and paying cash is a greater blessing than going into debt. Our whole world has been in a recession the past couple of years because of poor banking decisions. What is written in the bible is not old stuff - its message is timeless and applies to us today. I paid off my car recently. Its a great feeling to have it paid off.  Fortunately my car still runs great, and my long term goal is to save up for the next car. That would be awesome to pay cash for the next car. I might add - when I bought this car it was 3 years old - and I have had no regrets buying a "gently used" vehicle.  I bought what I could afford and it was a wise decision. 


Verses 15-16 The priest Jeioada dies at the ripe old age of 130! God blessed him with a long life. He was buried with the kings in Jerusalem because he had done so much good for the nation.  


Verses 17-19 After Jeioada dies, Joash listens to leaders of Judah who did not walk with the Lord and he follows them in with their evil ways.  I had a long talk with a good friend about this last night.  Why do Christians make friends with people who don't have the same values as us, and instead of us building them up, they tear us down?  I know many Christians who admit they don't have any non-Christian friends and feel a little guilty about this. Maybe its not such a bad thing. Maybe it is. Maybe the true answer is - and this is hard to say - maybe our faith is shallow and we just follow whatever seems good at the moment.

So my prayer for today is Lord let us REALLY establish deep roots. Lets stop right here and read the first 3 verses of  Psalm 1 and meditate upon these words.


Psalm 1

1Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

 http://niv.scripturetext.com/psalms/1.htm

Verses 20-22 Zechariah, son of Jeioada, the Lord speaks to him, and he tells Judah that since the nation has turned their backs from God, he will forsake them. This angers the people so they go to the king and he agrees to have Zehariah stoned. 

Verses 23-27 The Syrians come to battle Judah and they destroy all the leaders. Joash is wounded and his servants kill him. Joash is not buried with other kings.

Father God, we learn today that we must be ever diligent with our walk with you. I ask that we grow deep roots in our faith. Read the bible, attend church, have mentors, and pray. And we plead that we never stray from you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 29, 2010 2 Chronicles 22:10-23:21

Good morning. Finally caught up - I will probably not have time to finish this daily study this morning but will take a stab at it.

I just realized that I did not finish yesterday's study! I stopped at the end of Chapter 21, so I will pick up with Chapter 22 Verse 1

Verses 1-9 Ahaziah becomes king after his father Jehoram dies. He was Jehoram's youngest son. All his older brothers were killed when the Arabs came in and destroyed the city.  Ahaziah was 22 when he became king and reigned for 1 year. Ahaziah's mother was Athaliah (granddaughter of Omri) and she was the daughter of Ahab who was evil.  Athaliah told her son to do evil things as her father Ahab had done. So he was brought up in his mother's ways which were not the ways of the Lord. He received counsel from Ahab. Ahab's son Joram goes to battle and becomes wounded. Ahaziah goes to see Joram.

Jehu is a man whom God raised up to bring down the northern kingdom of Israel, and Ahab.  2 Kings 9:1-10:36 provides more details about Jehu. Jehu is sent to destroy the house of Ahab, and since Ahazhiah and his prince were also there - he was killed too. They gave him a proper funeral only because he was Jehoshapat's grandson.

Now we start with today's daily reading.

Verse 9 Athaliah - Ahziah's Mother finds out Ahziah is dead so she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family in Judah.   But one of king Jehoram's daughters - Jehosheba - takes Ahaziah's son Joash and has him safely hidden with his nurse in a bedroom so his life will be spared. The child was hidden in the temple of God for 6 years while Athaliah ruled the land.

Chapter 23  Verses 1-7. 7 years after Athaliah took over ruling Judah, Jehoiada, a priest, decided to take a stand. He makes a covenant with several leaders and goes through out Judah and gathers more priest and Levites, and they assemble at the temple of God.  Jehoiada divides the group into thirds, and they surround the king.  Anyone who enters the temple will be put to death.

Verses 8-11 Joash is crowned king. He is given King David's shields, his crown. He was anointed and every one said Long live the King!

Verses 12-13 Althaliah hears all the commotion and goes to see what is happening. When she finds out what happened she is distressed and tears her clothes and yells treason!

Verses 14-15 Althaliah and her supporters are taken away from the temple and executed.

Verses 15-17 Josiah makes a covenant between the himself and the people, that they should be with God. Then they tear down the temple of Baal.

Verses 18-21 Josiah restores Judah to worship God as they should. He assigns the priests and they give offerings as they should. He set the gatekeepers at the gates so no one who was unclean would enter the gates. He sat on his throne. And the people rejoiced and there was peace in the nation.

Father God, we finally read of a happy ending. Good triumphs over evil with King Josiah. I pray today that we will see the good at the end of a dark passage in life. Let us be bold as Jehoiada and share our faith. I pray that we keep our hearts pure, and worship with fellow believers and follow your commands. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 28, 2010 2 Chronicles 21:1 - 22:9

We continue with the death of Jehoshaphat and the next king Jehoram. In chapter 22 we read about the life of Ahaziah the next king.

Chapter 21  Verses 1-5 Jehoshaphat had several sons, and chose Jehoram to succeed him because he was the firstborn son. His other sons were given gifts of silver and gold. Jehoshaphat dies and was buried with his fathers. Jehoram became king at the age of 32 and ruled for 8 years. He kills his 6 brothers so there will be no threats from them. I sense trouble brewing! Killing one's own brother is clearly sinning. 

Verses 6-7 Jehoram marries a daughter of Ahab, and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. But God made a covenant with David so he does not destroy the nation, for he had promised to David he would keep his descendants forever and not end the covenant.

Verses 8-11 Edom and Libnah revolted against Judah. God allowed for peace when kings followed God. Now the kingdom is in turmoil because of Jehoram's sinful behavior and not walking with the Lord.  He built high places, and Judah had prostitutes.

Verses 12-15 Elijah writes a letter to Jehoram saying God tells him to say the following:

• He has not walked in the ways of the Lord
• Led Judah to prostitution - just like Ahab did - for Israel had turned from God
• Killed his brothers who were better than him

As a consquence for his sin God will:

• Strike all his people with a heavy blow
• Suffer with a lingering disease of the bowel that will cause his bowels to come out.

Verses 16-17 More hostility brews - the Philistines and Arabs attacked Judah and the palace. Even all the sons and wives were taken except for his youngest son Ahaziah

Verses 18-20  Jehoram indeed gets the disease of the bowel and dies a long lingering painful death.  When he dies no one has "a funeral" like they did for his forefathers. He was buried in Jerusalem but not in the tomb of kings. No one was sorry to see him go. Wow. This is a sobering reminder that when we turn from God, so does our fellow man. We may have a few friends to hang around with but society as a whole turns their back against us. Is our sin really worth losing the respect of others? This was difficult to read. Sometimes I get angry because sinful people seem to get away with what they are doing. This passage clearly shows that God does not let evil win after all. He loses fortune respect of his subordinates and God strikes him with an awful disease.

Father God - we have read in recent chapters about kings falling away from walking with you, but they usually come back. Jehoram however never did walk with you. You preserved Judah only because you made a covenant with David. However the nation suffered because of Jehoram's sinful nature and this led to him dying from a painful disease. His mind was rotten and his insides rotted out.  Father God we ask this day that we do not turn from you. Give us mercy oh Lord to remain in your sight. When we are tempted we quickly ask for your help in turning from the temptation before it becomes full blown sin. Let us also realize that our sin not only affects us - it affects people around us. We do not deserve your love and we thank you that you are a loving God slow to anger. You will discipline us but we can come back to you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

Sept 27, 2010 2 Chronicles 19-20

Hello, I am a day behind and I'm going to try to catch up tonight. I am taking the advice of my friend and write daily, instead of cramming everything in over the weekend, and then posting daily.  I started a part-time job on Sept 13 and it has turned out to be close to full-time, so I have a little "time management" to work out. But as we are learning in 2 Chronicles when the Kings do not put God first in their life they get into some pretty big messes. So, let that be a lesson to me, and to everyone reading this,  that I should strive to put God first even when I have a busy schedule :-).

Chapter 19 In this chapter we learn a little how to be a good leader.

Verses 1-3 Jehoshaphat returns home safely from his battle. Jehoshaphat is mostly a good king, loves the Lord, but we read in the last chapter that he went to war with Ahab, they foolishly didn't listen to the wise counsel of God, Ahab was killed. Jehoshaphat was spared death.  Jehu - who was a seer - came to Jehoshaphat to tell him why did he go help the wicked, those who hate God? The wrath of God is now upon Jehoshaphat. But God sees some good in Jehoshaphat because he got rid of some of the idols. This was to encourage Jehoshaphat with his final comment.

Verse 4  Jehoshaphat went out among his kingdom and returned his people back to the Lord.

Verses 5-11 What a gem of wisdom in these verses! Jehoshaphat appoints judges in cities through out the land. He instructs the judges to consider carefully what they do because they are judging for the Lord, who is with them where ever they go. Fear the Lord - which means to have awe and respect for the Lord. Judge carefully because the Lord is not partial. Jehoshaphat also selected some of the Levite Priest sand family heads to settle disputes. And he tells them to serve faithfully and fear the Lord. Amaraiah is the chief priest over all concerning the Lord. Zebadiah will be over all concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials.  I love the last line - Act with COURAGE and may the Lord be with those who do well.

Chapter 20. In this chapter Judah was at war. The Moabites, Ammonites and some Meunites came to battle Jehoshaphat.

Verse 2-4 some men came to Jehoshaphat to tell him the army was coming. Jehoshaphat was alarmed and called upon the Lord. He proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.

Verses 5-12 Jehoshaphat prays before the assembly. He recounts the history of his people and how God has protected them in the past. He asks God for protection from this vast army, for he did know what to do.

Verse 13 All the men, wives children and little ones stood before the Lord.

Verses 14-19 The Lord speaks through Jahaziel, son of Zechariah. The Lord says do not be afraid or discouraged. The battle is not yours but Gods. He instructs them where to go, do not be afraid, face them tomorrow. The Lord will be with you. I pray for anyone reading this today as they face a fierce battle, that they will not be afraid but feel at peace for God is with you as you walk through troubled times.

Verses 20-30. On the morning of the battle, they went to the place they were to go.They sang "Give thanks to the Lord, for his loves endures forever"  While they sang, the Lord set ambushes against the warriors, and they were all killed. When Judah arrived everyone was dead, and they took the plunder. It took 3 days to collect the plunder. They joyfully returned to Judah. Other nations feared the Lord, so Judah lived in peace.

Verses 31- 34. The end of Jehoshaphat's life. He ruled for 25 years.  He walked in the ways of the Lord and did not stray from him. Not everyone in the kingdom however followed the Lord.

Vereses 35-37 Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Ahaziah, and evil man. Why I ask? I guess it shows the human nature of man, we do slip and fall at times. So they have ships and the ships wreck. God allows the ships to wreck out of mercy - so that he will not commit to anymore foolishness. That gives one to ponder doesn't it? God allows disaster so we won't have more disasters.

Father God - we read today how a faithful King walks with you. He wisely taught his people about you, put leaders into place that followed your commands and judged as if it was you. He came to you when he faced battle and you delivered him. Today I ask that I have the faith of Jehoshaphat. When I sin I pray that my mind and heart be open to hear your word and accept any punishment. I know when I slip and fall I can return to you and be a faithful follower of you Lord. I pray for courage as we go through battles. I pray for faith, hope and trust to be your ever faithful servant. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Sept 26, 2010 2 Chronicles 17-18

Today we study  King Jehoshaphat, who was a good king.

Chapter 17 Verses 1-4 Jehoshaphat was a godly king, who walked in the footsteps as King David did, and as his father Asa did.

Verses 5-6 Jehoshaphat's kingdom was blessed by God.

Verses 7-10 Jehoshaphat sends his leaders and Levites priests, 16 in all, throughout his nation to teach his people the book of the law.

Verses 11-19 - Other nations gave Jehoshaphat gifts, even the Philistines and Arabians. He grew in wealth. These verses also include what was given to him from the various 12 tribes.

Chapter 18
Verse 1 - Jehoshaphat visits king Ahab. His son marries Ahab's daughter. Now Ahab didn't follow God, so this was probably an unwise move to allow his son to marry Ahab's daughter even if was just for political reasons.

Verses 2-3 Some years later Jehoshaphat went to visit Ahab and while he was there, Ahab asked him if would go into battle to attack Ramoth Gilead.  Jehoshaphat says they have common people so yes he would go with him.

Verses 4-8 Jehoshaphat wants to seek the counsel of the Lord before going into battle. Ahab gathers his prophets but they didn't follow the Lord and told the kings what they felt the kings wanted to hear.  Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a true priest who would tell them the truth. Ahab hated the prophet because he told Ahab the truth from God. Ahab took out his hatred on men instead of God. The prophet was Micaiah.

Verses 9-11 The kings dressed in their royal robes and went to the gates at Samaria, where many trials were heard. Zedekiah made iron horns and told the kings that the Lord told him that they would fight the Arameans and would win. The other prophets said the same.

Verses 12-15 The king then brings Micaiah. Micaiah was told to agree with the other prophets proclaiming that they would win the battle. And he said this mockingly.

Verses 16-17 Then Micaiah becomes serious and he says he sees Israel scattered as sheep scattered on a hill. They have no master.

Verses 18-22 - Micaiah continues saying he has seen God sitting on the throne with the hosts of heaven sitting on his right and on his left.  God says who will entice the prophets to lie to the kings? The lying spirit says he will. God says to do it - the Lord has decreed disaster.

Verses 23-27 Then Zedekiah walks up to Micaiah and slaps him on the cheek. He asks Micaiah which way did the spirit go when he finished talking to God. And Micaiah responds that he will find out when he goes and hides in his inner room. Ahab has Micaiah put in prison. As Micaiah leaves he tells everyone if they return safely its not because the Lord has spoken through him. And he says Mark my words.

This is quite a story! Grown men who can't stand to hear the truth so they retaliate. I can't imagine watching a grown man - supposedly a man of God - slap another man across the cheek for speaking the truth!  I fear the same happening today in our society. Allowing gay clergy preach when they are not celibate is one example these days. Church denominations are dividing over these issues. As believers we need to stand up and speak the truth even though it may offend those who are sinning. We don't hate the person but we hate the sin they are committing.

Verses 28-29 So Ahab and Jehoshaphat go into battle but Ahab disguises himself. What a coward.

Versese 30-34  The king of Aram tells his commanders to only fight the king. Jehoshaphat sees the warriors coming towards him and pleads for God's help. God rescues him, but Ahab - an arrow hits his shield and mortally wounds him - he dies later in the day.  Jehoshaphat knew he was sinning against God when he went into battle yet he pleaded for help. God rescued him.  Let us remember that we can always depend on God. We may suffer consequences for our sins, but he will take us back.

Father God, today we pray that when you speak to us through your still small voice or through a believer, that we take heed to what is said. Help us to be mature and wise enough to follow your direction even though we don't want to hear what you have to say. Today we read about King Jehoshaphat who mostly followed you, but he found it easier to stray than to stay true to you Lord. I ask that we chose our friends and peers wisely - ones who will help hold us up and not tear us down. We thank you for the bible to read your words by, and being able to pray to you directly, and we ask that we trust that your words are the only true words to believe in. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 25, 2010 2 Chronicles 15-16

This is the first day I have gotten a day behind in my blog since I started it. On the one hand I feel good for staying current this long, but on the other hand I had hoped I wouldn't get behind! I recently started a new job after being unemployed for a long time, and now I need to manage my time better :-). I have debated doing a whole week at a time then posting daily, but I enjoy reading each day's reading fresh and new each morning. I love writing this blog, I have learned a lot just making myself read the scriptures and putting my thoughts into words. I am not just glossing over the daily passage and moving on. OK confession time is over :-).

Chapters 15 and 16 continues with King Asa.

Chapter 15
Verses 1-7 The spirit of God came to Azariah son of Oded, and he went to Asa to tell Asa what God had told him. The Lord is with Judah because Asa follows the Lord. Israel spent many years turning their back from God, but eventually returned to God. But they were not safe, there were still many dangers because of their past sins. The spirit of God wanted Asa to know to be courageous and God will bring peace and no more fear to Judah.

Verses 8-15 So Asa took courage, and removed all idols and idol worship from all of the land of Judah. He assembled tribes from Benjamin and Judah  and also Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon (tribes) who had also settled in Judah because they had knew God was with them. This occurred during the 15th year of Asa's reign. They made sacrafices to God, made a covenant with God. Anyone who wouldn't make a covenant to God, even children, were put to death. They took an oath to God, and rejoiced. God was with them, and gave them rest from all their enemies.

Verses 16-19 Asa's grandmother Maacah - was desposed of her position as queen and her idols were torn down and burned.  Asa was fully committed to God. He placed in the temple gold and silver that his father had to worship God. There was no war until the 35th year of Asa's reign.

I added this map because it tells where the 12 tribes of Israel lived. The 12 tribes are listed in green lettering.

Ramah is just above Jerusalem on the map.

Chapter 16 Ramah is on the main road 5 miles north of Jerusalem - and this the location where all the trouble happens in chapter 16.

Verses 1-3. The king of Israel, Baasha, fortifies Ramah so no one from Judah can pass through Ramah. So, Asa goes to Ben-Hadad King of Aram and proposes to make a treaty with him so Ben-Hadad will break the treaty he has with Baasha. Asa sends the gold and silver from the temple as part of the treaty. Ben-Hadad agrees to the treaty.

Verses 4-6 Ben-Hadad attacks several cities in Israel, and when Baasha hears of this, he stops fortifying Ramah. Asa takes the building materials away from Ramah.

Verses 7-9 Hanani the seer goes to Asa and tells him he has done a foolish thing by going to Ben-Hadad - a man - instead of going to God to protect the nation of Judah. So from now on Judah will be at war for not depending upon God.

Verse 10 Asa flies into a rage and has Hanani put in prison, and he begins to oppress some of his people, probably the people who could see that he did wrong making a treaty with another country.

Verses 11-14 In the 39th year Asa develops a foot disease but refuses to go to God with it. He uses his physicians for help instead. There is nothing wrong with using a physician - however he wouldn't ask for God's help for healing his foot. Now THAT is wrong! He dies in his 41st year of reign. His people give him a royal funeral.  This is a sad ending to a king who did mostly good in God's eyes, but in the end when he is told he has done something foolish he turns his back to God.

Father God,  today we read about Asa who was mostly a good King but he falls when he foolishly makes a treaty with a neighboring king instead of relying on you Lord to protect his country. You saved the nation from Zerah the Cushite, so it is baffling why he didn't know you would be there for him again. God, let us remember when we encounter a problem, we come to you first and ask for guidance who to go to. Even doctors. And lastly we ask that we do not harbor anger for being show the errors of our ways. Its embarrassing, but we can treat the situation as a learning experience. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.  

Sept 24, 2010 2 Chronicles 13-14

We officially began the fall season yesterday. The harvest moon was gorgeous last night! Its been unusually warm here in Indiana. I am ready for some cooler fall days, watching the leaves turn beautiful shades of oranges, reds and yellows. The farmers have their crops mostly in now. I hope and pray that my little blog has helped bring in the harvest of more fully understanding God both to myself and to those who are reading along.

Chapter 14 Abijah is now the king of Judah. Just a little review here .... We read in the last couple of chapters that the kingdom of Israel became divided because Rehoboam - and Isreal - fell away from God. 2 Chronicles does not go into detail about the events of rulers during this time period, but focuses on God's relationship with them. Other books in the old Testament focus on events, in 1 and 2 Kings, and I think 1 and 2 Samuel too. As we read through the next few chapters we read about the kings, and how their sin or devotion to God affects their nation.

Verses 1-2 Abijah becomes king after his father Rohaboam died. He was ruler for 3 years. We read a couple chapters ago that Abijah was not the oldest son or Roaboam, but his mother was Roaboam's favorite wife so that is how he was chosen king. Now that would cause some family friction wouldn't you think? Note - stay faithful to one spouse and love your children equally.

Verses 2b-3 Abijah goes into battle against Jeroboam, and he only has half as many men as Jeroboam.

Verses 4-12 As these two armies prepare to go into battle, Abijah tells Jeroboam that they have turned their back against God. Even the priests and Levites came to Judah.
In verse 5 God gave a covenant of salt to David. David Guzik's commentary says three things about the covenant of salt.  1. It is a pure covenant. Salt is a pure compound, it never changes. 2. Its an enduring covenant - salt makes things preserve and endure. 3. It was a valuable covenant. Salt was expensive in the time that 2 Chronicles was written. Jeroboam was a descendant of David but rejected him. To be fair, Rohaboam wasn't much better but at least they made feeble attempts to worship God. Verse 9 - Jeroboam appointed priests instead of using God's appointed priests.   Abijah finishes his speech by saying that Jeroboam going into battle with Judah is fighting against the Lord.

Verses 13-18 - while Abijah gives his speech, Jeroboam prepares an ambush against Judah. When they see what is happening, they cried out to God and the priests blew their trumpets. God routed Jeroboam before Abijah. The Israelites fled, and God delivered them to Judah's hands.  500,000 of the 800,000 Israelites men were killed. The men of Judah were victorious because they relied on God.

Verses 19-22.  Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah, and he died. Abijah however grew in strength. He had 14 wives, 22 sons and 16 daughters.

Chapter 14 King Asa. Asa began his reign obeying God. He had anger issues and this led to part of his downfall.

Verse 1-6 - Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of God. He removed pagan altars. The nation is at peace. This story line is starting to sound familiar. New king follows God. Gradually drifts away. I am waiting for a happy ending, but we aren't going to get a happy ending with this king. I remember when my second child was born I promised myself I would be a better parent, be more patient, not yell at him, etc. I wonder how long that lasted?  We have good, even great intentions. But then we get comfortable - complacent. We don't even realize we are backsliding. But we do.

Verse 7 - Asa builds up the towns on the outer limits of their territory. It is good to prepare for coming bad times.

Verses 8-15 Asa has armies from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah.
Zerah the Cushite comes to do battle with Asa's army, and Zerah's army is much larger than Asa's. Asa prays to God for help defeating Zerah's army and God listens and not only do they defeat Zerah but they press forward and the men of Judah carry off a lot of plunder (possessions). They destroyed villages around Gerar, for the inhabitants  had left because they were terrified of what God had done to their army.

Father God, we are reading the history of the kings ruling over Israel and what type of relationship each king has with you Lord. I am seeing the same story line over and over, Kings worship and honor you for a while and then they drift away during times of peace and prosperity. God, our nation (USA) is a very wealthy nation compared to most of the world. I pray that while we have much we do not forget that you are the one who blessed us and our nation. Please let us not forget you are the most holy and we should place you first in our lives, not all the worldly goods we have around us. Let us not become complacent and then have us and our nation judged. For those who may read this of the world, we pray for peace among all nations. We plead for your mercy Lord, In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 23, 2010 2 Chronicles 11-12

Yesterday's bible reading was tough for me. Lots going on places and people I didn't know.  The purpose of 2 Chronicles is centered around worshiping God and how the nation of Israel is judged based upon how the rulers worship God. This reminds me that my faith or lack of faith has an impact on those who know me, my family, friends and business associates. Lets read together what is in Chapters 11-12.

Chapter 11.
Verses 1-4 The nation of Israel had just divided in chapter 10, so Rehoboam gathers men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to fight the other ten tribes - to reunite the entire kingdom. When we are in conflict with others, it is wise to think through how to best resolve the conflict. Peaceful measures are better than through force against another person's will.  So God intervenes and speaks to Shemaiah a man of God. Shemaiah goes to Rahoboam to tell him God said the nation was divided God's doing so do not go to battle. Go home. Rehoboam listens and goes home.

Verses 5-12 Rehoboam returns to Jerusalem, and focuses on building and fortifying the cities he is ruler over, for the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. The priests and Levites side with him and join him. Jeroboam rejected God therefore rejecting the priests. Rehoboam ruled for three years, his people walked in the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

Verses 18-22 We read about Rehoboam's family. He marries 18 wives, has 60 concubines, has 28 sons and 60 daughters. He loved Maacah, his third wife more than all the others.  He appointed Abijah, son with his wife Maacah to replace him as king. He wisely moved his other sons to different regions in his kingdom - gave them many provisions and gave them many wives. Again - God does not approve of having more than one wife but he doesn't obey Gods commands.

Chapter 12

Verse 1. Rehoboam followed God - or made attempts to - for three years as we saw in the end of Chapter 11.  However - as he becomes stronger as king, he abandons God.  Israel abandons God too. We need to remember that we should always place God first in our lives - no matter what circumstances we are in.

Verses 2-5 In the 5th year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak, King of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. God allowed this to happen because his people had fallen away from him. I find it baffling that God found favor on Rahoboam  just five years before and then they slowly drifted from God again. In verse 5, Shemaiah comes to Rahoboam again and says the Lord told him that since Rhahoboam has abandoned God, God abandoned him.

Verses 6-8  Rahaboam and the leaders of Israel humbled themselves and said "the Lord is just."  When God sees this he shows mercy by not allowing Israel to be destroyed, but they will be subject to Shishak. They will be subject to man and God.

Verses 9-11 Shishak took all of the treasures of the temple and in the royal palace. Even the gold shields Solomon made, and replaced them with bronze. Rehaboam kept these on guard.

Verses 12 - God found favor in Judah and was no longer angry with them.

Verses 13-16. We read Rahaboam was 41 when he became king, and reigned 17 years until he died. He did evil because he did not seek the Lord. He was buried in Jerusalem. Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

Father God - we sadly read your people continue to drift away from you. Even your great temple has lost all the gold and glitter because your people walked away. And you warned them this would happen. I hope as we read the scriptures that we aren't critical of past generations but read this to remind us that our faith in you is precious and fragile. We can't hold you close when times are bad and ignore you when times are good. You are constant - our relationship to you should be constant too. We ask that we teach our children about you too Lord so that they may desire to have a personal relationship with you too.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 22, 2010 2 Chronicles 9-10

Today we read about the end of Solomon's life and his son Rehoboam becomes king. And we see the nation of of Israel deteriorate. Please follow along in your bible.

Chapter 9

Verses 1-8 The Queen of Sheba comes to visit Solomon because she has heard how wise he is. She tested him with hard questions. He answered all of them for her. I wonder what questions she asked. She traveled a long ways to see Solomon with her harem and brought lots of gifts. She marveled at all that Solomon had.  And she was impressed with what God had done for the Israelites.

Verses 9-12 The Queen of Sheba gives Solomon spices they had never seen before. Not to be outdone, Solomon gives the Queen of Sheba many more gifts.

Verses 13-14 Solomon's salary is told. 666 talents plus what the merchants brought in.

Verses 15-28 This group of verses describes all the gold laden possessions he has from shields to his throne, even goblets. Silver was not used because it was too common. Horses were brought from Israel.

Verses 20-31 Solomon reigns for 40 years and then he dies.

Chapter 10

Verses 1-5 Rehoboam, son of Solomon becomes king. Jeroboam hears about Rehoboam becoming King. He was in Egypt, and returned. Jehoboam along with many people, go to Rehoboam to ask for relief from high taxation. Solomon heavily taxed his people.

Verses 6-7 Rehoboam goes to the advisors that had been Solomon's advisors and asks them what he should do about the people's request. They advise him to treat the people kindly and they will be faithful to him. 

Verses 8-11 Rehoboam goes to his friends after rejecting the advice of the elder advisors. They tell Rehoboam to say instead of making their lives easier he will make them even harder.

Verses 12-15 Rehobaom tells Jehoboam to come back in three days, and they do. He says he will make life worse for everyone. Rehoboam doesn't listen to the elders. This decision was orchestrated by God, who had told Rehoboam through Ahijah. 

Verses 16-17 This begins the revolt against Rehoboam. The people reject Rehoboam. The twelve tribes of Isreal begins to break up. Ten tribes will be in northern Israel and the two tribes in the south will be the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. 

Verses 18-19 Israel revolts.  Rehoboam sends the revenue collector and he is stoned to death. Rehoboam flees to Jerusalem.  Israel is rebellion against the house of David to this day. 

Father God we see today what happens when we turn from you as a nation. Selfishness and sin can ruin a nation, in one short generation. We pray that pass on our faith to our children and grandchildren, and stand firm not to allow sinful ways to enter into our homes. We also ask that we seek the counsel of wise men, and take heed to what they say.  God, you do provide us with wise counsel through the word, prayer, other believers who follow your word.  We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Sept 21, 2010 2 Chronicles 7-8

Today's scripture reading - God lights a fire at the temple, speaks to Solomon, then the bible jumps forward 20 years later. Lets follow along in our bibles.

Chapter 7 The dedication of the temple.

Verses 1-3 After Solomon finished praying, a fire came down from heaven, consumed the burnt offerings and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Can you imagine how awesome that must have been to experience this first hand? Surely it must have left a lasting impression on the Isrealites watching fire from heaven come down. The priests could not enter the temple because the glory of the Lord filled it.  When all the Israelites saw the fire they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, worshiped, gave thanks and said He is good, his Love endures forever.

Verses 4-5 Solomon and all the people offered sacrifices to God. 22,000 head of cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats.  That's a lot animals!  Commentary by David Guzik said that parts of the animal sacrifices were given to the priests and people, and there was enough food to feed everyone for 2 weeks.

Verses 6-10 The festivities lasted for 14 days. The priests took their positions and Levites played instruments that David had made for praising the Lord. They again said His love endures forever. Solomon consecrated the middle part of the temple. They celebrated for 14 days! Can you imagine a 14 day party? Today we celebrate for a few hours then we are done.  This makes me think maybe we need to take more time to praise and enjoy the good things that happen in our lives. Take time to enjoy each other, smell the roses. etc. 

Verses 11-22 The Lord appears to Solomon. God tells Solomon that he heard his prayer. When God causes famine, or plagues, if the people have humbled themselves before God, pray and and seek God, he will forgive them for their sins.  He has consecrated the temple so the people may see him and he will be there forever. Then God gives his warning, if his people turn from him he will uproot the Israelites and reject the temple. People from other nations will be appalled by the Temple and ask about it, and they will say it is appalling because the Israelites turned from God.  These sound like harsh words.  We will suffer consequences when we sin.

Chapter 8
20 years later - Solomon rebuilds villages that King Hiram gave him and throughout the land. I couldn't find a map to show his territory 20 years later.

Verses 11-12 Solomon marries Pharoah's daughter and builds a palace for her away from the Jerusalem because she is not Jewish so she can't be near the temple. The marriage may have been for political or military reasons. 2 Chronicles does not go into detail about Solomon's life, but he marries many women who weren't Jewish and they worshiped their gods and they had influence on Solomon which caused his downfall. We should be very careful who we marry. God does not want us to marry anyone who does not share our faith.  I know we fall in love and say but this is different. When we have to put a but in the statement to defend ourselves  then its probably wrong in the first place.  We also need to be careful about other significant things in our lives, not just potential spouses. What about our circle of friends, what do we value the most?  Career, possesions? 

Verses 12-16 Solomon continues to follow the Lords commands for the temple, daily rituals, and all the festivals. All the work was completed for the temple.  I wonder why Solomon made sure the Temple rituals were done according to the Lords commands, but yet he sinned and gradually fell away from God. Its a sobering thought that we must always be on guard not to let sin slowly seep into our lives.  Ephesians 6:10-18 instructs us to put on the Armor of God. We need the belt for truth, breastplate for righteousness, foot gear to be ready to spread the word of God, shield for faith, helmet for salvation, and the sword which is the spirit, the word of God.

Verses 17-18 Hiram's men and Solomon's men go to sea and bring back 17 tons of gold.  This indicates Solomon had great wealth.

Father God, today we read about a 14 day celebrate to dedicate your holy temple, it had to be a time of great feasting and fellowship! Maybe we take time to celebrate you. We read how you will bless us when we choose to follow you. If we sin and repent you will welcome us back.  Lastly we ask for a daily renewal of putting on the Armor of God so that we won't be tempted to drift away from you. You wisely say we should not marry those who aren't believers. We need to be careful who are in our circle of friends/influences have on us. Be careful that we share our faith and not lose our faith.  We ask these things in Jesus name, Amen

Sept 20, 2010 2 Chronicles 6:12-42

The twins, who were born yesterday, are two beautiful little girls - Brooklynn Elizabeth and Hailey Lynn.  They were fearfully and wonderfully made - designed by God. We think they are identical twins. They do look a lot alike - except poor Hailey has a bruised forehead from being born. They will probably be in NICU for about a month since they were born 7 weeks early. Mommy is doing great! She will come home tomorrow. It will be tough to go home and have to leave the babies in the hospital.

Today scripture is Solomon's prayer of dedication to the temple.

Verses 12-13 Solomon spreads out his hands in prayer - which was the custom in his day. He had made a bronze platform which was 7 1/2 feet high, 7 1/2 feet wide and 4/12 feet high. He stood on this platform, then he knelt down to pray. Even though he is king he is submissive to God.

Verses 14-15 Solomon begins his prayer thanking God for keeping his covenant with his people who love God. He kept his promise he made to David and to Solomon.

Verses 16-17 Solomon continues his prayer thanking God for keeping his promise that as the Israelites walk in God's ways - there would be a king to rule over Israel.

The following verses are prayers for specific situations that will happen in the future.

Verses 18-21 Solomon asks God for his mercy for his people

Verses 22-23 Prayers for crime and judgement for the one who stole, and retain innocence of the victim.

Verses 24-25 Enemy attacks because Israel sins - ask that when they repent God will return to them.

Verses 26-27 Drought due to sin. When the people return to God, teach them to walk in God's ways and let the rains return.

Verses 28-31 Famine.  Ask for answered prayer when anyone prays to him during bad times such as a famine. Ask for forgiveness for each man who asks, for God knows each man's heart.

Verse 32-33 Foreigners - that they will know you.The temple was for everyone who wanted to pray to God, so that other nations would know God.

Verses 34-39 War. All man sins. When we are at war, Solomon asks that God will hear the prayers of those in battle, and be allowed to return to God.

Verses 40-42 Finally Solomon ends his prayer asking that God's eyes be open and ears attentive to the prayers offered at the temple. He asks God to come to the temple, the priests be clothed in salvation, and the saints rejoice in goodness.  Solomon's last thought is asking God not to reject Solomon but to remember the promise God gave to David God's servant.

Father God, we thank you today for the miracle of new life, and bless these little babies. We thank you for reading today that even great leaders bow before you in prayer. We know God as individuals and as a nation we will sin. As Solomon prayed, we humbly ask this day that when we sin, that you will give us mercy and allow us to come back to you. We thank you that your temple is open to anyone who desires to worship you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 19, 2010 2 Chronicles 5:2-6:11

Today's scripture reading is about dedicating the temple.  It took 7 years to build the temple. I can imagine all the pomp and circumstance that went into the dedication of this temple! What a time of joyful celebration! 

On a side note - my twin grandchildren were born this morning! I don't know their sex or names yet - I won't know until I get the phone call when I can go to the hospital to go see them. Baby A was born at 9:27am and weighed 5 pounds. Baby B was born at 9:38 am and weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces. They were born 7 weeks early so they will spend time in NICU until they are ready to go home. I am so thankful that they are here safe and sound. Mommy is doing well too - babies were born naturally - no  c-section!  So yes, I can imagine the celebration of the new temple being dedicated as we celebrate the lives of two new babies into our family.


Chapter 5 
Verses 2-3 Solomon summons all the elders of Israel and they bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. The priests brought the ark along with the tent it was housed in. The ark was brought in during their annual festival of Shelters, which is held during the fall.


Verses 4-6 The Levites carried the ark into Jerusalem, along with the tent. This was done in accordance with God's law. Then King Solomon sacrificed so many animals no one could count them all. They included cattle, sheep, and goats.


Verses 7-10 The Ark is carried into the innermost sanctuary of the temple called the Most Holy Place. The ark was placed under the wings of the cherubim. 


Verses 11-12 The priests purified themselves, according to law, and the musicians played. The music must have been awesome with 120 trumpets alone! There were also musicians who played cymbals, lyres, and harps, along with singers.


Verse 13 - 14 The singers sang "He is good, his faithful love endures forever".Then a thick cloud filled the temple. 
The priests could not continue the service because the cloud filled the temple - and the cloud is the the Lord.


Chapter 6:1-11 Solomon prays to God, telling him that he has built the temple so God could live there. Then Solomon gives a blessing to the people. Prays that David designed the temple, for the people of Israel. God told David that one of his sons would build the temple to honor him, and Solomon built the temple. 


Father God, today we read about the dedication of a magnificent temple built so you could reside there, amongst your people. We thank you for all the festivals, times to get together and celebrate all that you have done. And today we thank you for the twins being safely born today. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 18, 2010 2 Chronicles 3:1-5:1

Today's scripture reading is Solomon building the temple. There is a funny advert as the Brits say, on British radio. In the commercial several men are in a support group setting airing their confessions.  The first man admits he doesn't understand cricket very well. The third man says Hi, I'm Charles, and I read the instructions that come in the box." All the other men sigh with great sympathy. (So I don't leave you in suspense, the commercial is for male bladder problems.)  Fortunately Solomon and his builders DID read and follow all instructions King David outlined for building the temple.

Chapter 3
Verses 1-2 The temple was built at Mt Moriah, the hill where Abraham offered the sacrifice of his son Issac, and the location is the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Jesus was crucified in this area too. We read in 1 Chronicles chapter 21 the story of David sinning and God was going to destroy Israel and David pleaded with him not to. God told David to build the temple at this threshing floor and David paid Araunah for this site. The temple's construction begins in the 4th year of Solomon's reign.

This is a picture of a threshing floor.



http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/araunahs-threshing-floor/

Dome of the Rock. Original site of Solomon's Temple. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.



http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/araunahs-threshing-floor/

Verses 3-5 gives the measurements of the temple. In the NLT, the dimensions are 30 feet by 90 feet long. the entry was was 30 feet wide and 30 feet long, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with gold. Can you imagine what this must have looked like?

Chapter 3-4 I found a YouTube video that walks you through what the temple must have looked like. Read chapters 3 and 4 before viewing the video so it will make some sense to you. There really isn't any need to comment on the construction of the building.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/king-solomons-temple/5df3e5ec6189f539075a5df3e5ec6189f539075a-167760167096?q=solmon's%20temple

Chapter 5 verse 1. Solomon finished the temple and he brought in all the things that David had dedicated and he placed them in the treasuries of God's temple.

Father God, the temple that David designed and Solomon built was an awesome building - designed as a gathering place to come and worship you. You deserve the finest of everything because you are our great God. Much care and detail was put into this magnificent building. And there have been many great cathedrals built since Solomon's time. I have worshiped you in small churches too.  Your presence is everywhere, and I thank you for that. We can worship you in humble surroundings or great buildings. We also thank you this day that Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and we can come before you 24/7. In your holy name we pray, Amen.

Sept 17, 2010 2 Chronicles 1-2

We begin a new book of the bible today. 2 Chronicles picks up where 1 Chronicles ends, with the death of David and now Solomon is king over Israel. Ezra is probably the author of this book. We will read about Solomon and subsequent rulers, some are good kings, many are bad.

This is a map that was copied from Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts and Maps. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

The map itself the grayed in area is Israel and Judah, along with the dark lettering. The gray lettering is modern day names and places.

Chapter 1 begins with Solomon, son of King David, has established his kingdom. God was with him and made him great.

Verses 2-5 Solomon spoke to all of Israel where the Ark of the Covenant was located, in Gibeon. Gibeon is about 6 miles from Jerusalem. David had moved the Ark itself to Jerusalem but the remainder was still at Gibeon, and was the central religious center.

Verse 6  Solomon prepared 1000 burnt offerings at the bronze altar.

Verse 7 The night that Solomon prepared the offering, God asked Solomon for anything he wanted and God would give it to him.

Verses 8-9 Solomon eloquently answers God by stating what great kindness God showed to his father David, and then to him.

Verse 10 Solomon asks for wisdom and knowledge so that he will know how to lead his people. God responds in verses 11-12 since the desire of Solomon's heart is for wisdom, he will give him much more than that. He will be given riches and honor and wealth. We can all approach God and ask for wisdom. God will give us more than we could ever imagine.

Verse 13 Then Solomon reigned over Israel

Verse 14-17 talks about all the chariots and horses Solomon owned.  One commentary I read by David Guzik says that Solomon broke God's law. Deuteronomy 17:14-19 gives instructions for the King who rules over Israel.  These verses say not to acquire many horses for themselves, nor go back to Egypt to acquire more. Do not go back to where you came from. Solomon did this.  The king should not take many wives, nor accumulate lots of money. Solomon did both of these (although we don't read about all of his wives yet). Taking many wives will lead your heart astray from God. The king is to write these laws down and read them as long as he is king.  The king is not to think of himself as better than anyone else, but to always revere God. So we begin to see the crack in Solomon's character for not following God's commands. We are all guilty of this. We may be on fire for Christ as a new believer but we slowly fall away if we aren't careful. We mindlessly watch too much tv, have the wrong kind of friends, place money or other obsession first,  in place of God. We don't read our bibles very often so we forget Gods commands and promises.  We need to guard our hearts, attend church with fellow believers, and have a friend we can be accountable too.  And of course pray daily :-).

Chapter 2 Solomon builds the temple. Solomon prepares to build the temple, and writes to Hiram Kind of Tyre for supplies.

Verses 1 and 2. Solomon begins building the temple and a royal palace for himself. David paved the way for the temple by designing it and having the funds to build it, as we read in 1 Chronicles.  Its amazing how many men were used to build these buildings! 70,000 as carriers, 80,000 as stone cutters, and 3,600 foremen to oversee them. That's a lot of workers!

Verses 3-10. Solomon writes a letter to Hiram, King of Tyre requesting cedar logs be sent to him. Solomon explains that he is building a temple for God, and God is greater than any other god. Solomon wants the best of everything in the temple, he obtains the best materials and hires skilled tradesmen to do the work that Israelites can't do themselves. He will also feed Hiram's servants who cut down the trees.

Verses 11-16 Hiram responds to Solomons letter. Hiram praises God for Solomon becoming king, and for building a temple for God and a palace of Solomon. He sends Huram-Abi, whose mother was Jewish from the family of Dan, and had a gentile father, who is skilled in working with metal and linens. Hiram agrees with Solomon's provisions for feeding the workers.

Verses 17 and 18 Solomon takes a census of the aliens in Israel and these are the men who will build the temple and palace.

Father God, we read today about Solomon building a magnificent building to worship you in. Solomon does this to fulfill his father's dream. We also read that Solomon who could have anything asks for wisdom. We observe that although you gave Solomon wisdom which is the ability to make good decisions, maybe he becomes a little too confident and ignores the laws God has written for Kings. No matter how high up the ladder we go, we are still accountable before God. We thank you for all that you have given us and we ask that we always remember you gave us everything. We ask that we can work peacefully with our neighbors and business owners to complete tasks at hand. Even pagans know how great you are God. We ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.

Sept 16, 2010 Psalm 138

Today is our last day in the Psalms for a while. Tomorrow we start in 2 Chronicles. Today we are reading Psalm 138, and it is a psalm of thanksgiving for answered prayer.  Please follow along in your bible or go online - one good site is www.biblegateway.com. David wrote psalm 138.

Verses 1-3 David, the psalmist, says I will praise you three times in these verses.  Praising before the "gods" can have two meanings, the first could mean that this is praise before subordinates of God such as the angels, or the second meaning could be ridiculing the gods of pagan religions. Our God is the highest God of all.
David will praise God:

• With all his heart
• Will bow down before him in his holy temple
• For God's love and faithfulness
• For God's name is one of honor
• For God answering his prayers
• For Encouraging David
• For Giving David Strength

We can insert our name in place of David's name and praise God for what he has done for us. 

Verses 4-5 David prays asking that all the kings and nations hear your word and praise you also. 

Verses 6-8 God is greater than anyone or any god but he looks upon the lowly.  God walks along side David, and any of us who desire to be with him. God will protect us from our enemies. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.  God has a plan for each of us, and we should ask what he has planned for us. I truly do believe he wants and desires the best for us, so I willingly follow him.

Last night I helped my friend who moved this week set up her computer so she could access the Internet. In the end I had to call the Internet provider for help.  We had the phone wire hooked up to the computer instead of the modem box. She found the instruction manual after we made the phone call :-).  As I read this psalm this morning I thought we have a straight connection to God. We don't need wires and modems or routers, or have to have contracts to pay to access the Internet. We can just connect to God anytime day or night. And there is no wait time, instant access - all we need to do is pray! Its a free gift from him. He loves us and we desire to love him in return.  

Father God, we thank you for all that you have done for us. We praise you that you are a great and loving God, who rules the heavens and the earth but also cares for each and everyone of us. You hear our prayers and answer them. You protect us from evil, like parent with a small child.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 15, 2010 Psalm 137

Today's psalm is about sorrow and being in exile. I appreciate reading what is on the psalm's heart.  Sometimes we feel so alone during difficult times. The psalms help verbalize what we can't quite put into words.  My daughter in law is showing definite signs of going into pre-term labor with the twins. These are anxious days for me. Will the babies be ok? And worry for my daughter in law - as she goes through labor. The waiting is awful. Anxious. Hoping for the best - being realistically prepared for preemies. Depending on God to help guide us through this journey.

Psalm 137  I have provided a link of a map to show how far away the Israelites were from home, for those who are curious about geography.  You can change the look of the google map  from satellite to MAP then zoom out to find how far Jerusalem (Zion) is from Babylon.

http://maps.google.com/?q=32.53650369,44.42088287%20(Babylon)&t=k&z=8

Verse 1 - the psalmist sat and wept remembering their homeland.

Verses 2-3 the Israelites hung up their instruments - they could not sing praises. Their captors taunted them to sing praises to God but they were too homesick to do so.

Verses 4-6 the psalmist pleads with God not to let him forget the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land.
He asks that if he forgets about God that God will take away the gifts given him, and his tongue will be stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Verses 7 The Edomites. Descendants of Esau. Neighbors of Isrealites. They lived south and west of Jerusalem, and they did not get along. The Edomites did not come to the rescue of the Israelites when Babylon destroyed the city.

Verses 8-9 God eventually destroys Babylon. Verse 9 seems really harsh, and it is, killing babies. Our children are our immortality. The psalmist wants done to Babylon what the Babylon did to Israel.  I read through some commentaries, and this was common during this time period. When one city was conquered everyone was killed, even women and infants.  We should view sin this way - want it killed once and for all. Never to return.

Father God, we all go through dark times. We ask that as we walk through these times that we never lose sight of you. You may seem far away but we ask that we know in our hearts that you will never leave our side. We ask that any wrongs against us be fair and just, as you would treat us. And lastly we need to grieve for a season, but we ask for your help to bring us out of our grief. To accept what happened and have courage to move forward hope that some day we can sing your praises again. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Sept 14,2010 Psalm 136

Today we are reading Psalm 136 A popular praise song comes from Psalm 136 "His Love Endures Forever" by Chris Tomlin, and you can listen to this song using this link.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/his-love-endures-forever/64ead2572f78700788b864ead2572f78700788b8-167136265452?q=his%20love%20endures%20forever&FORM=VIRE1

This is responsive type of psalm - the reader speaks the first part and the congregation responds with His love endures forever.

Psalm 136
The psalm begins with us giving thanks for the Lord for he is good in verses 1-3.

Verses 4-9 the psalmist recites the great wonders God has done creating the heavens and the earth.

Verses 10-15 God took the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he parted the Red Sea so they could escape, and the Pharaoh and his army were swept away in the waters.

Verses 16-22 God led his people in the desert, and when they reached their final destination - he helped them win battles so they could claim their land which was their inheritance.

Verses 23-26 The psalmist recaps everything God has done for us, freed us from slavery, feed us when we were in the desert, and protected us from our enemies.  We give thanks for all that he has done.  God is alive and living today. He continues to help us fight against our enemies. We all have a story to tell, we can look back and thank God for all that he has done for us.

Father God we thank you and praise you that your love endures forever. I praise you as I look out the window this morning and enjoy the quiet stillness of this morning after a restful sleep, and prepare for the hectic day ahead. You created the heavens and the earth in order to love us. You have delivered us from our enemies. Your love endures forever. Let us also love you forever too. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Sept 13, 2010 Psalm 135

Today's psalm is a psalm of praise. God is greater than any god. He has the power to move mountains and calm the stormy sea.  The psalmist talks about what God has done for the Israelites over time. We can personalize the psalm today for our own lives, praising God for what he has done for us.  Let's open our bibles and read through Psalm 135

Psalm 135 begins and ends with the phrase praise the Lord. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

Verses 1-4 the word praise is used 5 times. We praise God for he is good, and it is pleasant to sing praise.
Praise God for he has chosen the Israelites to be his own. Continuing with reasons to praise God in verse 5 - praise God for his infinite power and that he created us.

Verses 5-8 God is greater than any other god. He does whatever he pleases. He created the heavens and earth. I am thankful he created out of goodness. He created us to love him and worship him. God created the winds, the rains, the storms.

Verses 9-12 The psalmist talks about the great things God has done for the Israelites. He freed the Israelite nation from slavery in Egypt. He killed the firstborn of every Egyptian home, and this is where the Passover Feast came from. God performed many great miracles, such as the parting of the Red Sea. Through the hand of God, the Israelites won battles so they could increase their nation.  We can personalize this for us - what miracles has God done in our lives?  God has chosen each one of us to come to him. Freely. No strings attached. Creating each one of us as a unique individual. The miracle of a new born baby - restoring broken relationships - healing us when we are physically or mentally sick. Giving us talents to do our jobs well, the list could go on and on.

Verses 13-14  Verse 13 "Your name, O Lord, endures forever".  God is known through all the generations. The Bible is the most sold book ever. His word is relevant today as it was yesterday. We have this great history of what he has done for us. God will save his people and have compassion on them.

Verses 15-18 talks about idols. Idols may appear to have a life of their own but the are lifeless. A dummy.
They have eyes but cannot hear, ears but cannot see, mouths but cannot speak. Why would we want to worship something that cannot give us anything back in return?  Those who worship idols will be like them. What are our idols today? I probably spend too much time on my computer. I am overweight - therefore I probably substitute food as a source of comfort.

Verses 19-22 the psalmist ends with repetition for the people of Israel to praise God. The priests and the nation is to praise God. Today this includes the Church.

Father God we praise you today for your great and awesome power. We thank you that you put the stars in the sky, the sun and moon, and you created the earth and everything in it. This psalm gives many reasons to praise you and they are all good and pleasing. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 12, 2010 Psalms 133-134

Today begins a new week, I am starting a new job tomorrow, a friend is downsizing from her home to an apartment, she is moving Tuesday. Unborn twin grandchildren have made it to 32 weeks!  The pregnancy has been tough, am thankful for each day they stay in the womb. Last but not least I decided to disconnect cable TV on Friday. I am somewhat suffering from TV withdrawal but I'm glad I did it. 2 reasons - budget cuts and I really don't watch a lot of  TV. So lots of changes in lives of those around me - and me.  Change is exciting and scary. We need God's help to get us through.

Today we are reading Psalms 133 - 134. Please follow along.

Psalm 133 is a short psalm written by David and it is a psalm about harmonious relationships.

Verse 1 "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity." There will always be conflict. That's life. Decide what is important to you and let the little things go. Choose to pleasant, not negative. That alone will go a long way in creating harmony with everyone you interact with.

Verse 2 - Living in unity is like anointing the priests with oil - anointing with oil is an act of serving God.

Verse 3 Mt Zion is the tallest mountain in the region, and this is where the Lord gives his blessing.

Psalm 134 - Worship and praise God

Verses 1-3 This is a psalm for the temple watchmen who protect the temple. After they have watched the temple all night the people would sing this psalm for praising those who watched over and protected the temple. May we take our job as seriously as the temple watchmen.

Father God, we thank you for these short psalms that teach us that it is good and pleasant to live in unity, and doing a good job no matter what we do, is done to give praise to you Lord. Search our hearts today, maybe we need a positive attitude adjustment, let us be open to hearing and obeying your still small voice. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 11, 2010 Psalm 132

Today is the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 bombing of the Twin Towers in NYC. Today's psalm is about the psalmist celebrating bringing the Ark of Covenant back into Jerusalem. God promises the Israelites that David's sons would sit on the throne forever. One promise is conditional - David's line would rule over Israel as long as they followed God's command. The other promise is unconditional and it is that royal line will reign forever. This was fulfilled through Christ. Christ came from the line of David. Remember the Jewish heritage is deeply steeped in genealogy. Our country was formed in part to be able to worship God freely, not forced to worship God according to man/government rule. The bombing on 9/11 has given many of us pause for thought, have we wandered away from God? The Israelites were God's chosen people (now the church is) and although God is slow to anger he does punish us for turning from him. Our nation was built on Christian principles, we should be praying that we return to our roots the founders envisioned for our country.

Psalm 132 Verse 1 David endured many hardships - he sinned - but he always returned to God.

Verses 2-5 refers to David wanting to build a temple for the ark. He felt so strongly that he couldn't rest until the Ark was in a permanent location. The temple was not to be built by David because he was a warrier, but through his son who was a ruler during peaceful times. David honored this request, however he prepared and planned the building of the temple for his son.

Verses 6-9 The ark is an obscure place - a temporary location. Ephrathah is the ancient Bethlehem. Commentaries don't think the ark was specifically in Ephrathah, but in an isolated location. David went to worship the Ark where it was located. Verse 9 asks the the priests be clothed in righteousness and may the saints sing for joy. We may long to worship in a church but we can worship God anywhere. He is portable :-). I spent some awesome times worshiping with God walking through the woods.

Verses 11-12 God swore an oath to David. David's line will rule forever. God will never revoke this oath. The second oath God proclaimed is that his sons will rule over Israel forever if they keep God's covenant.

Verses 13-16 God chose Zion/Jerusalem as his dwelling place and he will bless it abundantly. Today God dwells in our hearts - and he will bless us with abundant provisions, clothe us with salvation, and we will sing to him with joy.

Verses 17-18 Growing a horn for David means that mighty descendants will come from David. Solomon was a great king, Christ is the greatest descendant from David's line. Christ will reign to the end of time.

Father God we thank you for the psalmists words. One of David's passions was to build a temple for the Ark. He never got to build it himself but he had the vision. And God promised him that his descendants will rule the  earth forever.  We pray today for having the passion to pass on our faith to our children and grandchildren. We thank you that we can worship you in a great and mighty cathedral, in each others homes, out in nature, and on our knees in a quiet place. We ask this day that you continue to protect our country from the enemy in order that we can worship you in freedom.  We take this freedom for granted and we humbly ask for forgiveness. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Sept 10, 2010 Psalm 130-131

Good morning! I love the cooler fall days. Today is one of them. Yesterday I went to the Grabill Fair with a friend. I love the fall festivals!  While we were there, my friend spotted a Nike baby shoe on the ground. She said we need to take this to the lost and found box because the parents will be looking for this shoe. So, we slowly walked towards the information booth while we looked at all the crafts booths venders were selling. We finally arrived at the information booth. She put the shoe in the lost and found box and immediately we saw a man take the shoe out of  the box, hold it up and say "Wait - we found your shoe!" Well, there was the Mon, Dad and a little toddler sitting in his stroller, his left foot missing a shoe. We got to meet the little guy, and that was kind of neat. We walked away and I said to my friend "That wasn't coincidence." She agreed. God timed our returning the shoe at just the right moment and that we got to meet the owner of the shoe :-). God provides for all of our needs. And sometimes we need to do the right thing and pick up a lost shoe, so that the lost may be found. 

Today we will be reading Psalms 130-131. Please follow along in your bible.

Psalm 130 The theme is assurance of forgiveness.

Verses 1-2 The psalmist is remorseful for sins he committed.

Verses 3-4 NLT "Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, Oh Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you." My hope and prayer is that no one who is reading my blog today fear that they have done something so wrong that God will not forgive them.  God willingly and lovingly allows us to come to him no matter what! If we seek God he will hear our prayer. God doesn't keep record of our sins. Let us humbly remember this, and not keep record of those who have sinned against us.

 

Verses 5-6 The psalmist waits for the Lord, he puts his hope in God. Verse 6 the psalmist repeats that he waits for the Lord more than the watchman waits for the morning.  This signifies the importance of waiting for the Lord.

Verses 7-8 The psalmist tells us as a community of faith to put our hope in the Lord. God will redeem us of our sins. We have many who pray for our church, our community and for our nation. 

Psalm 131 is a psalm of trust and commitment.

Verse 1 - "My heart is not proud...."  Being prideful makes us think we are better than who we really are. We look down at others.  "I do not concern myself with great matters" speaks of humility. We seek God with the right frame of mind, and content with what God gives us.

Verse 2 - Be still and quiet my soul, like a child who is weaned from his mother. We always need and love God, find comfort from him. 

Verse 3 The psalmist asks that Israel put their hope in God for ever and ever. 

Father God, we thank you for your steadfast and eternal presence, as sure as the rising sun every morning. You have even created the sun.  When we sin, God will forgive us, he will not keep record of our sins. He sent his son Jesus to redeem us from our sins. We ask that we come humbly before you, and not be too proud to come before you.  Your faithfulness brings me comfort during bad times. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.   

Sept 9, 2010 Psalms 127-129

We are reading three psalms today. The first psalm is about building a good foundation, the second was often said at Israelite marriages, and the third is about God bringing us through tough times. Lets open our bibles and begin reading.

Psalm 127 - the author for this psalm is Solomon.  Verse 1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, hits builders labor in vain ...  God should be put first, the cornerstone of our homes, and our countries.

Verse 2  This verse talks about balance between work and home. If we work too hard and never spend time with our families, we are showing a lack of trust that God will provide. Being lazy is not good either. We need to trust that God will provide for all our needs. We need to rest and eat both spiritually and physically to renew our minds and souls.

Verses 3-5 God speaks about the value of having children. They are a heritage from the Lord. Verse 5 "Blessed is the man who whose quiver is full of them."  

Psalm 128 This is a great little psalm!  Verse 1"Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways"

Fear means being in awe - having honor and respect.  The man who fears the Lord will be blessed with a good home, and good children.  We will eat the fruit of our labor and be prosperous.

Verses 5-6 When we fear the Lord we will see prosperity, and may we live to see our grandchildren. 

Psalm 129 Verses 1-2 The psalmist was oppressed in his youth and overcame them. He was not defeated. Let us remember this - that bad things may have happened to us in our past, and they were bad, but through the help of Christ we were able to over come our adversities.  Yes, I agree we need to grieve the bad things that happen to us, pray, get counseling from a Godly person, and then get over it!  God will deal with those who oppress us. God will deal with our oppression as a person and as a nation.

Father God we thank you today so much for giving us families today. You show us to love you first, by being the cornerstone in our homes. When we follow you we will be greatly blessed. We thank you for our parents who raised us, our spouses, our children.  We ask for confidence today if we are lacking in this. We ask for healing from our wounds, and that you will make us stronger than before. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Sept 8, 2010 Psalms 124-126

Let us prepare our hearts and minds to reading Psalms 124-126 as we read these short pilgrim psalms.

Psalm 124 God delivers us from evil doers. He is on our side.
The psalmist recounts how the Lord has protected the Israelites from the enemy. Verse 4 The psalmist talks about the flood would have engulfed us, this brings the visual of the parting of the red sea for me, as the Israelites flee from Egypt, and Noah's ark.
Verses 6-7 we praise God for protection against harm.
Verse 8 "Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth"

Psalm 125 God is our protector
God is strong and trustworthy and cannot be budged, like Mount Zion. Have you ever bought a 40 pound bag of dirt? It doesn't go very far does it? Now imagine how many millions of 40 pound bags of dirt it would take to make a mountain. Unmovable!

Verse 3-5 The wicked will not rule over us forever. There will be times when evil rules over us, but God is ultimately in control, and when he comes again he will rule the earth. God will bless those who do good and banish those who do evil.
"Peace be upon Israel"

Psalm 126 God does great things.
We can rejoice about the great things God has done for us after the storms in our lives. He redeems us shows mercy upon us for the wrongs that we have done. We are broken and God heals us.  We have lost jobs, loved ones have died, endured broken relationships, been sick or injured. We bounce back stronger than ever. Sometimes it is a long journey but when we come out the other side we can rejoice. I have been unemployed a long time, and I accepted a part time job recently, I start Monday the 13th. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Its very faint but its there. I am also getting excited about the twin grandchildren!!! Each day they are in the womb means one day closer to healthier full term babies, less time in hospital.

Father God, the psalms today reaffirm that while we struggle with sin and evil that surrounds us, you are in control. You are strong, you are true, you never sway or turn your back against us. You show mercy upon our nations and upon us.  May we reflect upon our lives today, and see how you have walked beside us and carried us through the bad times. May we give you praise for the good times! In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 7, 2010 Psalms 122-123

Today we continue with pilgrim psalms. Please follow along as we go through todays psalms.

Psalm 122
Verse 1 - "I rejoiced with those who said to me let us go to the house of the Lord." Here in a America we are fortunate to have many churches in our towns. If you aren't attending a church, seek a bible believing church and GO. I struggled many years attending church - my former husband quit attending church shortly after we married, and there were many Sundays I sat in church feeling sorry for myself because I went to church alone. Then we divorced.  I felt ashamed as a Christian for being divorced. So yes  I have had a long list of excuses over the years justifying why going to church was just too painful. Sad to say I went because I knew I should, but my heart wasn't in it. I don't know when I turned around my sorry state of myself but I finally have. It took MANY years to get in the right attitude for worshiping God. But you know what - God never gave up on me and my attitude. Praise God! And what is the right attitude for attending church? We should go rejoicing with those who said to me let us going to the house of the Lord. God accepts us for who we are, and we should accept us for who we are. OK that was long winded but I hope this helps someone who struggles going to church.

Verses 2-4 Jerusalem and the house of David is the church today. We have many denominations to choose from and my prayer is that no matter what church we attend, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is the centerpiece of  our church, and the bible is revered as the true and holy word of the trinity. Saying this the community of faith comes together collectively as THE CHURCH.  Let us warmly welcome any fellow believer into our buildings and homes.

Verse 5 The throne of judgement - The courts of law were at the gate entering the city. Sometimes the king even came and listened to the people and their legal issues.

Verse 6-9 is a prayer for peace. Pray for peace; peace in the church, peace among brothers and sisters, and peace for oneself.  Verse 9 in the NIV says "I will seek your prosperity", the NLT  says "I will seek what is best for you." I have to admit when I saw prosperity I thought of money. Money is a HUGE problem in today's culture. Let us be careful not to think prosperity only means material wealth and riches. Money itself isn't sinful but the love of money, worshiping money is a sin. God gives us prosperity in so many ways, the pleasure of seeing the changing seasons, people he brings into our lives, our gifts and talents, and hugs and kisses from grandchildren. Now THIS is prosperity :-).

Psalm 123
This psalm asks for Gods mercy.  I lift my eyes to you who's throne is in heaven. The psalmist asks for mercy - for God giving us kindness we don't deserve for the sinful things we have done. And we ask for mercy for those who contempt us. Let the contempt be focused on God not me specifically.

Father God, we continue the pilgrim psalms and we are all on a pilgrimage as we journey on earth. We thank you for being able to go to your house and worship you. I thank you I live in a country where I can freely worship you. We pray today for the saints who risk their lives to spread your message so that others may worship you.  We ask for mercy on those who suffer for your cause. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Sept 6, 2010 Psalms 120-121

Yesterday I said we were going to start in 2 Chronicles and I was wrong, we will be in Psalms a few more days then move to 2 Chronicles. Psalms 12-134 are Pilgrim Psalms, ones that people will say while on a journey. So, lets open our bibles and begin

Psalm 120 is a prayer for deliverance from false accusers. Verses 1 and 2, the psalmist calls upon the Lord in his distress for those who say false things about him.

Verses 3-4 God will punish those with lying tongues. 

Verses 5-6 Meshech is north of Israel and Kedar is southeast of Israel. The psalmist is tired of being in distant lands where there is no peace.

Verse 7 The psalmist searches for peace but those around him want war. It is very hard to talk of peace when others want vengeance. We have battles in our own homes, at work, and in our culture. We need to go to the Lord in prayer and ask for his wise counsel to resolve our conflicts.  If others accuse us of untruths, we should let God handle them.

Psalm 121 - This is a familiar psalm to me as I read it, and must admit I don't read the psalms much :-). Since I recognized the words I did a quick search on the internet and found this video.  This video gave me peace, and I hope you will find the same. I look up to the mountains and where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. He watches over me. He never slumbers or sleeps, he stands by me protecting me, day and night. He protects my life. The Lord keeps watch over me where ever I go.
http://www.e-water.net/viewflash.php?flash=psalm121_en
PS when you finish viewing - click the backspace key on your screen to come back to this page.

Father God we thank you for giving us the Psalms that we can read when we are in distress. We thank you for the creativity of someone who can put your words into a short video that echoes what the psalmist was saying. May we reach out to you for everything for all our distresses in our lives and you bring us peace and comfort. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.