trust God – Page 4 – Be Still…

Daniel 6:19-28 – Happy Endings

Read Daniel 6:19-28

Daniel trusted God with his life. God showed up and closed the mouths of the lions. Those lions had to be hungry because our passage tells us, in descriptive fashion, how the people thrown in the den right after Daniel were devoured. Isn’t our God amazing?

We’re told the king went to the lion’s den “very early” the next morning to check on Daniel. We were told in our last reading that the king couldn’t sleep and spent the night fasting. Clearly, he was distraught with having to place his asset, Daniel, in harm’s way. Continue reading “Daniel 6:19-28 – Happy Endings”

2 Chronicles 36:1-10 – The Last Kings

Read 2 Chronicles 36:1-10

These final kings are summed up pretty quickly by the Chronicler. Being they weren’t “good” kings who followed the law and worshipped God, it makes sense this author would be brief.

Even more interesting is how these kings were chosen and the family dynamics that must have been going on during this 22+ year period. Let’s look at that and glean some wisdom on what the message is for us today. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 36:1-10 – The Last Kings”

2 Chronicles 24:17-27 – When We Turn From God

Read 2 Chronicles 24:17-27

Again, we see how a good king can very quickly become disillusioned and turn evil. There are some shocking twists in this passage. The Chronicler’s history differs from the parallel texts in 2 Kings, so it’s helpful to remember his focus is usually on the priests.

Without Jehoiada the priest to keep King Joash’s focus holy, other leaders swoop in and the kingdom crumbles. We’ve seen before what happens when leaders turn away from God. The warning from Jehoiada’s son could not have been clearer. Zechariah stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”

2 Chronicles 16:1-14 – God’s Attentiveness

Read 2 Chronicles 16:1-14

Now we know why Asa’s peaceful rule abruptly changed in his final years. He didn’t turn to God first. That’s kind of an “oops” moment for me knowing there are plenty of times in my life so far that I’ve trusted worldly advisors first before turning to God. I’m quite sure I’m not alone. How many opportunities have I missed out on because my focus wasn’t right?

King Asa teaches us a great lesson here, one he probably didn’t even see as a teachable moment. Did Asa think that God was always “automatically” going to be with him? I think that’s partly my issue. I forget to ask before I jump because I know God is going to catch me. But why not soar with God instead?

2 Chronicles 13:1-22 – The LORD’s Power

Read 2 Chronicles 13:1-22

On paper, Abijah and his select troops were outnumbered two to one by Jeroboam’s troops in the north. Jeroboam must have believed his victory was sure. But Abijah didn’t retreat out of fear. Instead, Abijah boldly proclaimed the LORD to Jeroboam’s mighty army.

I was proud of Abijah, weren’t you? How many times have we, in the face of danger, declared our allegiance to God and called out the ignorance of our rival? Abijah said without hesitation, “But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him.”