pray to God – Be Still…

Daniel 2:1-23 – The Dream

Read Daniel 2:1-23

Have you ever had a dream haunt you all day as if it was real, yet you have no idea what it means? That must be a little of what King Nebuchadnezzar was experiencing. He seems a bit frantic in front of his own wise men. Yet, they are not forthcoming with any sort of explanation for the king’s dilemma. Why? Because they don’t have any such power.

It seems the king has eyes to see through their deception and won’t allow them to take advantage of him anymore. The king stated, in effect, that if they aren’t smart enough to know the content of his dream they don’t deserve to live. Of course, the astrologers were outraged at the request stating, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream!” They were powerless because their wisdom was not from God. Continue reading “Daniel 2:1-23 – The Dream”

2 Chronicles 20:1-37 – God’s Victory

Read 1 Chronicles 20:1-37

How can you read a passage like this and not be changed? What I mean by that is how life-changing it is to see God at work. Reading accounts of God’s mighty intervention in the lives of his people is both encouraging and uplifting.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in our routines and start taking our blessings for granted. At some point, we are likely to hit a wall or be tempted or be ridiculed for our faithful living. How quickly our perfect existence can be marred by the unexpected attack.

2 Chronicles 1:1-17 – A Great Start!

Read 2 Chronicles 1:1-17

The book of 2^nd Chronicles opens with Solomon’s getting the feel for what it means to be king. This book will chronicle Solomon’s reign as well as all the kings until the time of exile. We’ll be taking a glimpse at all these kingdoms; each king descending from King David. We’ll find out which ones are good and which ones are bad. Solomon clearly starts his reign in a wise way.

What did he do? He sought God at the altar in Gideon. He didn’t go alone either. Solomon called together quite a group of leaders to the place of worship so they could consult the LORD. Solomon sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. Can you even imagine?

1 Chronicles 13:1-14 – Moving the Ark

Read 1 Chronicles 13:1-14

Now that David’s kingdom has been established, it seems one of the first items of business are to bring the Ark of God into the City of David. This was a big deal, and it shows us that David was intent on having God’s presence surrounding him in his kingdom.

As you recall, the Ark is the most sacred object in Israel’s ancient traditions. It was an ornately decorated box containing the tablets of the ten commandments, among other holy items. The Ark was revered for what it represented, the presence of God. Exodus 25:10-22 tells us more detail about the construction of the Ark.

Nehemiah 9:1-3 – Confession

Read Nehemiah 9:1-3

Have you ever confessed your sins out loud to another human? Our sins certainly become a lot more “real” when we do that. It’s also a great way to give away the power our sins have over us, simply by speaking them out loud. And we have an accountability partner to keep us from falling into that sin’s trap!

James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Nehemiah’s contemporaries are ready to make their confession public. I bet you haven’t ever sprinkled dust on your head or worn a burlap garment because of lament over your sin.