Sat.'s Devo - Restoring the Temple

Read: 2 Chronicles 29:1-36; Romans 14:1-23:Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 20:12 Hezekiah was 25 when he became king. He pleased the Lord like David did. In the first month of his rule he reopened the doors of the Temple and repaired them. He met with the priests and commanded them to purify themselves and the Temple. The doors of the Temple had been closed by King Ahaz and the lamps had been snuffed out. That was why the nation had declined and lost power and respect. Their men had been killed in battle and their women and children had been taken into slavery. The Levites got right to work and purified themselves and began to cleanse the Temple. They took all the defiled things out of the temple and burned them in the Kidron Valley. They started on the first day of Nisan and ended the sixteenth, the day after Passover. They reported back to Hezekiah and he offered seven bulls, seven rams and seven lambs as burnt offerings to the Lord. They sprinkled the altar with the blood and prayed for all Israel. Hezekiah stationed the singers and musicians in the Temple and presented the burnt offerings with songs and praise to the Lord. The people worshipped the Lord as the singers sang and the trumpets blew. Then the people were able to bring their sacrifices to the Lord. Three thousand, three hundred and seventy offerings were given. There were too few priests so the relatives of the Levites had to help them with the offerings. The Temple was now restored to service. In Romans Paul encouraged them to stop judging each other and instead to judge themselves. They were to be true to their own convictions and accept one another for their own beliefs. If we live our lives pure and holy and love others, they will want to live their lives pure and holy also. The most important thing is to be true to our own convictions. They were stumbling over religious laws about eating instead of obeying God from their hearts. We stumble over small insignificant things just like they did. What might be okay for someone else might not be right for us. We are only responsible for our own hearts. Lord, help us to listen to the Holy Spirit in us and do what it tells us to do. Help us not to judge other people by ourselves but let You judge them.

Fri.’s Devo - The Futility of Worshiping Idols

Read: 2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 20:11 Amaziah’s son, Uzziah became king when he died. Uzziah was 16 and followed the Lord as long as Zechariah was alive. Zechariah was the high priest who taught him to fear God. He had great success as long as he asked the Lord for his wisdom. He won many battles against the Philistines and captured parts of their lands. The Meunites paid him tribute and he became powerful in the land. He built up the army and fortifications in Jerusalem. He loved the soil so he had much farmland and vineyards. Then he became proud and entered he Temple to offer incense at the altar, something only the priests were to do. The priests were able to stop him but not before leprosy broke out on his body. He spent the rest of his life secluded in a separate house and was never able to enter the Temple again. His son Jotham became king when he died. He was 25 and reigned 16 years. He followed the Lord, but the people did not. He built up Judah and rebuilt most of the wall of Jerusalem that Israel had broken down. He received tribute from the Ammonites of silver, wheat and barley. He became powerful because he followed after the Lord. When he died, his son, Ahaz became king. Ahaz was 20 when he became king and reigned 16 years. He did not do what was pleasing to the Lord. He cast metal images to worship Baal and offered his own sons as sacrifices to Molech in the valley of Hinnom. He burned incense at the pagan shrines. Because of his sins, God allowed the king of Aram to defeat him and take many people to Damascus. Israel also fought them and killed many of them. They killed his son, his palace commander and his second in command of his army. They took great amount of plunder and captured 200,000 some and children from Judah. God sent Odeb, a prophet to meet the men coming back to Israel who told them that God was angry with them. God had let Israel defeat Judah because of how Judah had turned away from him but he they had gone too far. They had killed the men of Judah without mercy and now all heaven was disturbed. And now they were planning to make the women and children their slaves. When the leaders heard the word from the Lord, they agreed that they should have mercy. They released the prisoners, clothed them and nursed their wounds then sent them back home. To add to King Ahah’s sins, he asked the king of Assyria for help. The armies of Edom had invaded Judah and taken captives and the Philistines had raided their towns in the Negev. When the king of Aram came “to help,” he attacked instead. He took valuable items from the Temple and the palace and from the homes of the officials. None of what was happening caused King Ahaz to turn to the Lord. He just offered more sacrifices to his idols. He took articles from the Temple to use in sacrificing to idols and shut the Temple doors so no one could worship the Lord. He set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah. When he died, he was not buried in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. His son Hezekiah became the next king. In Romans, the law teaches that God places people in authority to uphold righteousness. Their job is to punish the people who do not follow the law. They are not a threat to those who pay their taxes and respect those in authority. Our greatest law is love. Love does no wrong so God’s laws are fulfilled when we love. We are to stay awake to God and his plan, and to clothe ourselves in the presence of the Lord. Lord, help us to see the joy of following you and the stupidity of following Satan. Thank you that you are our Shepherd who loves us and cares for us.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Price of Disobedience

Read: 2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28; Romans 12:1-21; Psalm 22:19-311; Proverbs 20:8-10 Joash was seven when he became king of Judah and reigned 40 years, as David did. He served the Lord as long as Jehoiada, the priest who raised him lived. Jehoiada picked out two wives for him. Joash wanted to repair and restore the Temple that Athalia had destroyed and used to serve Baal. He had the leaders collect the Temple tax of the people and use it for the repairs as the law required. They restored the Temple according to its original design and strengthened it. Jehoiada, the priest died at the age of 130. He was buried among the kings of Judah because he had done so much good for the Lord and his Temple. But once he was gone, the leaders came to Jerusalem and persuaded Joash to abandon the Temple and worship idols instead. The Lord brought prophets to turn the people and Joash back to the Lord but they wouldn’t listen. Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah was one of the prophets who asked them why they had abandoned the Lord and didn’t want to prosper. The leaders plotted to kill Zechariah and ordered King Joash to stone him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. When he was dying he cried out for revenge from the Lord. That spring, the Arabian army marched against Judah with a small army. They killed all the leaders of Judah and took much plunder. They plundered much spoil and left Joash severely injured. His own officials assassinated Joash for killing Zechariah. I would say that God heard Zechariah’s last words. Joash’s son, Amaziah became king. When he became established he had his father’s assassins killed. He gathered an army of 300,000 men from Judah and Benjamin. He then payed 7,500 pounds of silver to hire 100,000 men from Israel to fight with him. God send a prophet to tell him not to hire the men from Israel because he would not help him win if he did. When Amaziah asked what to do about the money he had spent for them, the prophet said that God could pay him back so much more than that. So he sent the soldiers he had hired back to Ephraim which made them very mad. They plundered the towns of Judah all the way back home and killed 3,000 and taking much plunder. Amaziah led his small army against the Edomites and they killed 10,000 and captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off dashing them to pieces on the rocks below. (Reminds me of the evil spirits that Jesus cast out of the man and they begged to go into the pigs which threw themselves over the cliff and were dashed upon the rocks.) When King Amaziah returned from his battle with the Edomites, he brought the idols of the Edomites and set them up to worship them. God sent a prophet to ask the king why he would worship gods that couldn’t protect their own people instead of worshipping the God who delivered them. King Amaziah shut the prophet up but not before he could give a final warning that he would be destroyed. Amaziah met with his officials and decided to attack Israel. The king of Israel gave him a parable about Judah’s kings who thought they were all powerful because they had married into Israel’s line (speaking of Jehoram’s marriage with Ahab’s daughter.) Amaziah refused to listen and mobilized his army against Israel. Judah was defeated, Amaziah was captured and brought to Jerusalem where they destroyed 600 feet of Jerusalem’s wall. King Jehoash of Israel carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God including the Ark. They also took hostages back to Samaria. Amaziah fled to Lachish were he was killed by his enemies. His body was brought back and buried with his ancestors in the City of David. In Romans, Paul encouraged them that the way to really worship the Lord was to renew the way they thought by letting the Lord transform them into a new person. He told them not to think of themselves more than they should but to be humble and honest. Everyone of us are made differently for different purposes. What ever our gift is we should do it the best we can. We should love others, work hard and serve God by helping others and being kind and loving God with all our hearts. It is not our job to take revenge but to trust in the Lord to punish who he judges need to be punished. That is his job. We conquer evil with good. Lord, help us to learn by reading the stories of the kings. You are the only way for us to prosper and to be truly happy. Thank you that you are such a good and loving God and father.

Wed.’s Devo - The End of Ahab’s Dynasty

2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21; Romans 11:13-36; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 20:7 Jehoshaphat died and his son, Jehoram became the next king. He had six younger brothers who had been made rulers over some of Judah’s towns. When Jehoram became established as the king, he had all his brothers and other leaders killed. He was as wicked as Ahab, king of Israel and married one of Ahab’s daughters. The Edomites who had been subject to Judah, rebelled and crowned their own king. Judah couldn’t get them back. Libnah also rebelled. All of this happened because Jehoram rebelled against the Lord. God struck Jehoram with an intestinal disease that got worse and worse until it took his life. God also stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs against him. When Jehoram died, no one was sorry that he died nor did they honor him. The people made his youngest son, Ahaziah the king. The older sons had been killed by marauding bands of Arabs. He only ruled one year. His mother Athalia encouraged him to sin. She was from Ahab’s desendents. She talked him into joining Israel to get Ramoth-gilead from King Hazael of Aram. Joram, king of Israel was wounded in this war. Ahaziah went to visit him and was introduced to Jehu, Nimshi’s grandson. God had appointed Jehu to destroy the dynasty of Ahab. Jehu killed Ahaziah and all of his officials and relatives traveling with him. When Athaliah heard of her son’s death, she began killing all the relatives that would be put as king so she would be the queen. Ahaziah’s sister hid his infant son, Joash in the Temple of God for six years while Athalia reigned. He was raised by Jehoiada the high priest. In the seventh year, Jehoiada decided to bring Joash out and present him to the world. He made a pact with five army commanders who traveled secretly thought Judah and gathered the support of the Levites and clan leaders to come to Jerusalem. They gathered at the Temple where they promised to support Joash. They surrounded Joash with armed guards and placed the crown on his head and presented him with a copy of God’s laws and anointed him king. Everyone rejoiced. Athalia heard the celebration and ran to the Temple. When she saw what was happening, she cried “Treason? The priest ordered her to be killed outside of the Temple. The people recommitted their lives to serve the Lord and tore down the temple of Baal. The priests offered sacrifices to the Lord and reestablished God as their God. They seated Joash on the throne and the land rejoiced because Athaliah had been killed. In Romans, Paul explained that he was called to the Gentiles to provoke the jealousy of the Jews so that they would return to their God. Abraham was the root of the Jewish line, but his branches were evil and had to be broken off. Gentile branches from a wild tree were grafted into Abraham’s root but they too can be broken off and the original branches grafted back in. There is a set time for the Gentiles and then there will be a set time for the Jews again. Lord, your plan is perfect. Thank you for grafting us into your root and giving us the gift of salvation. May we carry your glory so that others would want it also.

Tues.’s Devo - Jehoshaphat’s Reign

Read: 2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37; Romans 10:14-11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; Provers 20:4-6 Ahab died in the war Jehoshaphat had agreed to fight in with him. They didn’t win that war and every soldier went back to his own country. When Jehoshaphat came back to Jerusalem, the seer, Hanani went to meet him. God wanted to know why he would go and fight with the ones that God called wicked and hated. He was speaking of Ahab and Israel. He did add that there was good in Jehoshaphat because he had removed the Asherah poles and had committed to seek Him. Jehoshaphat showed his allegiance to the Lord by traveling his kingdom encouraging the people to return to the Lord. He appointed good judges throughout the nation to judge fairly to please God and not be bribed by the people. In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests and clan leaders to serve as the judges but the high priest had the final say in all cases involving the Lord. Zebadiah, the leader of Judah would have the last say in all civil cases. The armies of Moab, Ammonites, and some of the Menuites declared war on Jehoshaphat. They came to Engedi. The people of Judah met in Jerusalem where Jehoshaphat stood before the Temple and prayed. One of the Levites spoke for the Lord and told them not to be afraid because God was going to fight this battle. They were to all march as one and meet the army where all they would need to do was to stand. God would give them the victory. They all fell on their faces to the ground and worshipped the Lord. Early the next morning they started their march. Jehoshaphat encouraged the people along the way to believe in God and the prophets. He appointed singers to walk ahead of him singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. They sang, “Give thanks to the Lord: his faithful love endures forever!” The moment they began to sing, the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mt. Seer started fighting each other. All Judah had to do was to collect the plunder which was so much it took four days. They returned singing praise with much joy. When their neighboring nations heard that they had won without a fight because God had fought for them, they were afraid to attack Judah. Jehoshaphat was 35 when he became king and reigned 25 years. He pleased the Lord but failed to remove all the pagan shrines and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the Lord. In the end of his life, Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Ahaziah, the king of Israel who was very wicked. Together they built a fleet of trading ships which the Lord destroyed and they never sailed. In Romans, Paul continues to teach that no one can believe in the Lord unless they hear about him. It is the Good News but not to everyone. People cannot hear the good news without faith. Israel had lost their faith so God raised up another people, the Gentiles and gave them the gift of faith. They will provoke the Jews to turn back to the Lord. There are still many Jews who have faith just like in the days of Elijah. He had thought he was the only one who served the Lord but God told him that there were 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal. The Gentiles would cause the Jews to be jealous over their love for God and they would turn back to serve him with faith also. Lord, thank you for saving the Jew and the Gentile. Thank you for the great harvest of souls you have prepared for us to reap.

Mon.’s Devo - The Plan of Salvation

Read: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:25-10:13; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 20:2-3 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the next king. He fortified the towns of Judah against any attack from Israel. God was with Jehoshaphat in his early years because he followed after him and did not worship the images of Baal. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah causing Judah to prosper. In his third year, he sent priests to the different towns to teach them the law and God’s ways. This caused the other nations to fear Judah and not attack it. He had over a million in his army stationed in fortified towns around Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Ahab of Israel and had his son marry Ahab’s daughter. A few years later Ahab invited Jehoshaphat to come to one of his feasts. He enticed him to join him in recovering Ramoth-gilead. Ramoth-gilead had once belonged to Og and Bashan so it was a high place to worship Satan before Israel took it. Jehoshaphat first wanted to ask the Lord what He thought about taking Ramoth-gilead. Ahab called in his occult prophets and they all gave him the thumbs up. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God in Israel. Ahab told him there was one but he never had anything good to say to him. Jehoshaphat insisted on asking him. Micaiah came and agreed sarcastically with the false prophets. When Ahab told him to stop teasing and tell them the truth, he told him that Israel would be defeated and he, Ahab would be killed in battle. Ahab had him thrown in jail and went anyway. When they went to battle, Ahab decided not to dress as the king but told Jehoshaphat to go in his kingly robes. The king of Aram had told his men to only fight the king of Israel. When they couldn’t find him, one of the men randomly shot his arrow and it landed right in the kink of Ahab’s armor. Ahad died propped up in his chariot watching the battle. God will not be mocked or tricked. In Romans, we read that the Gentiles who were once God’s enemies would now be his beloved people. Only a remnant of true Israelites would be saved, though God had made them like the sands of the sea. They had rebelled over and over and now God’s sentence was being made. The Jews tried to please God by just following the law without having faith in him. They tried to do it on their own merits. God wanted them to trust in Him instead. Paul longed for his fellow Jewish brothers to be saved. He explained the way to be saved was by openly declaring the Jesus is Lord and to believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead. Then they would be saved. Lord, thank you for the wonderful plan of salvation.

Sun.’s Devo - Chosen

Read: 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14; Romans 9:1-24; Psalm 19:1-14; Proverbs 20:1 When Abijah died, his son Asa became king and remained a good king for 36 years. He tore down all the occultist worship and commanded the people of Judah to follow the Lord’s commands. There was peace from his enemies for 10 years while he built up his army and fortified his cities. When his army was attacked by the Cushites whose army was twice their size, he cried out to the Lord. God defeated the Cushites for him and they took the plunder. God moved Azariah, a prophet to come and give the people His word. He told them that as long as they worshipped the Lord, he would cause them to triumph but if they abandoned the Lord, he would abandon them. He reminded them that whenever Israel was in trouble and cried out to Him, he saved them. During the dark times when it was not safe to travel and there was every kind of problem and unrest, it was God who was troubling them. But for them, they were to be strong and of courage because their work would be rewarded. This encouraged Asa to do more housecleaning and he removed idols from his land and the lands he had conquered. Many of the people from Simeon, Ephraim and Manasseh had come to live in Judah because they saw that God was with them. On that day, they sacrificed 7,700 animals and made a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. Anyone who did not agree would be put to death. God gave them rest from every side. King Asa deposed his grandmother Maacah. She was Absalom’s grand daughter that Rehoboam had married. She was also Abijah’s mother. She had built an Asherah pole which Asa cut down and burned in the Kidron Valley. In Asa’s 36th year King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and began fortifying Ramah so that people could not move freely between Israel and Judah. Ramah was a gateway between the two nations. Instead of seeking the Lord’s help, Asa sent gold and silver from the Temple treasury to Aram to bribe them to be on their side against Israel. It worked and they broke their covenant with Israel and made one with Judah instead. When Israel found out, they abandoned their project in Ramah and Judah used the lumber and materials to fortify other towns. But God was not pleased with Asa for asking Aram for help instead of him. He sent the prophet Hanani to tells him that because Asa did this, he would constantly be at war. He missed his chance to conquer Aram and now they would be a constant thorn in their side. Asa became so angry with Hanani that he put him in prison. He then began oppressing his people also. Three years later he got a foot disease and sought physicians. He refused to ask the Lord for help. He died two years later and was buried in the bed he made for himself…literally and spiritually. So sad that he ended that way. His walk with the Lord had became diseased like his feet. In Romans Paul explains that it is not the literal children of Israel that are his people, but the children of promise, the chosen ones. Isaac was the chosen one though Abraham had many other children. It is the same for us. But being a descendant of Isaac didn’t mean you were chosen. Jacob and Esau were Isaac’s sons but only one of them was chosen. He was chosen before he was born to be favored and loved. Our lives have been predestined and all we have to do is to agree with the choice. Esau and Pharaoh were examples of those who God chose to harden their hearts so that the ones he chose might choose to follow the Lord. God displayed his deliverance and favor on his chosen. Is this fair? God is the maker of all and has the right to show his anger and his power on whom he chooses. He is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined to destruction. He does this to make his glory shine even brighter through us who he chose to show mercy. Lord, how grateful we are that you chose us. It is beyond our comprehension but thank you. We humbly worship You as our Lord and Savour. Our lives are Yours.

Sat.’s Devo - Abijah’s Reign

Read: 2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22; Romans 8:26-39; Psalm 18:37-50; Proverbs 19:27-29 Rehoboam mobilized his troops to fight Jeroboam but the Lord told his prophet, Shemaiah not to fight his brothers because this was all God’s doing. Rehoboam obeyed and didn’t go to fight them. Instead, Rehoboam fortified his own cities of the land he had authority over. He strengthened his army and supplied provision and weapons to the towns in his realm. Levites living in the northern kingdom abandoned their land and houses to come and live in Judah and Jerusalem so they could worship the Lord and serve as his priests. Jeroboam would not let them worship the Lord in his kingdom. For three years, Rehoboam’s kingdom followed the Lord and were faithful. It seems to me that when Rehoboam married Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom that things went downhill for him. He appointed Maacah’s first born, Abijah to be the next king and loved her more than any of his other wives and concubines. He fathered 88 sons. He wisely gave his sons provisions and places of authority all over the kingdom. But, when Rehoboam had established his power over his kingdom, he turned away from the Lord and followed Israel into worshipping other gods. God sent King Shishak of Egypt to attack Jerusalem in his fifth year of being king. He conquered Judha’s fortified towns and then came for Jerusalem. The leaders of Israel humbled themselves before God and realized their sin had gotten them into this predicament. God saw their hearts and repented of destroying them completely but instead chose to make them subjects of Egypt. He wanted them to know the difference between serving Him and serving earthly rulers. King Shishak came to Jerusalem and took everything of value even the gold shields Solomon had made. They were later replaced with bronze ones. Rehoboam reestablished his kingdom and reigned 17 years but was considered an evil king because he did not seek the Lord with all his heart. When he died, he was buried in the City of David and his son Abijah became the next king. He only reigned three years. There was war between him and Jeroboam in Israel. They came head to head and when Jeroboam surrounded Abijah and the army of Judah, they cried out to the Lord and he saved them. Israel ended up fleeing from Abijah’s army when the priest blew the trumpets and the men of Judah shouted. God gave Judah the victory and they killed 500,000 Israelites. Jeroboam never regained power during Abijah’s lifetime and the Lord struck him down and he died. Abijah grew more and more powerful and had 38 children. In Romans, Paul instructs us in how we participate with the Lord in our prayers. We pray through the Holy Spirit what God wants to do on the earth and then he is free to do it. He wants only good for us and does everything through his love. No matter what we face, nothing can come between or separate us from his love. We can stand with the same assurance that Jesus did when he prayed to his father because that spirit of Christ is in us. Lord, thank you for your wonderful plan of redemption and love for your children. Help us to walk always in your presence.

Fri.’s Devo - Solomon’s End and The Split of the Kingdom

Read: 2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19; Romans 8:9-25; Psalm 18:16-36; Proverbs 19:26 Solomon built a special house for his wife from Egypt and brought her to live in it. Solomon followed the law in observing the feasts and holy days and worshiped the Lord. Gold poured into Jerusalem by the tons. The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame and came to see if what she had heard was true. She brought gold and spices galore. He showed her everything about his palace and how it was run. She was amazed and greatly impressed. Solomon gave her anything she wanted and she returned home with more than she had brought. Solomon had his craftsmen make 200 large gold hammered shields and 300 smaller ones to hang in the Place of the Forest of Lebanon. He made a huge throne out of ivory and had it overlaid in gold. It had two lions on either side. All of his drinking cups were made of gold. He had a fleet of ships which brought him silver, gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. Solomon ruled for 40 years and then died and was buried in the City of David. His son Rehoboam became the next king. Jeroboam was an Israelite who had been prophesied to rule over 10 of the tribes by the prophet Ahijah. He had fled from Solomon to Egypt but now returned to speak for the people to Rehoboam. They met with him to see what kind of king he would be. The people were tired of the hard labor Solomon had subjected them to and wanted to know if Rehoboam was going to follow in his footsteps. Rehoboam told them he would meet back with them in three days with an answer. Rehoboam consulted his father’s counselors who told him that if he would lighten the load of the people, they would follow him forever and be faithful. Rehoboam asked the young men his age and they told him to tell the people that he would be worse than his father. When he met with the people, he chose the advise of his friends and told them that he would be much harder than his father. The people rebelled and chose to follow Jeroboam instead. Rehoboam sent Adoniram who was in charge of forced labor to get control of the people but they stoned him. Ten of the tribes went with Jeroboam and two (Judah and Benjamin stayed with Rehoboam. Jeroboam’s kingdom would be called the Northern Kingdom - Israel, and Rehoboam’s kingdom would be called the Southern Kingdom - Judah. In Romans, Paul tells us that we are NOT controlled by our sinful nature but by the Spirit of God in us. We have no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do. In other words, we do not have to sin! We can be led by the Spirit of God. His spirit does not make us fearful slaves but he has adopted us as his own children making us heirs to all of his glory. To share in his glory means that we also have to share in his sufferings but his sufferings are nothing in comparison to his glory. All creation is waiting for that future day when God will reveal who his children are. Creation was suject to the curse but one day it will be set free like us and will never decay or die. We patiently wait for our new bodies and our full rights as his adopted children. Lord, thank you for the wonderful promises you have given us. It is a privilege to suffer with you and be given so much that can’t be taken away. Thank you for such a wonderful future.

Thurs.’s Devo - Solomon’s Days

Read: 2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10; Romans 7:14-8:8; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 19:24-25 Solomon stood before the people with uplifted hands in prayer to the Lord. Then he knelt in front of the people and lifted his hands toward heaven and prayed for God to watch over this Temple, the place where God said he would put his name. Solomon prayed that God would hear the prayers of those made toward this place and forgive their sins. He prayed for God to be their judge over the righteous and the unrighteous. He prayed that if the nation turned its back on the Lord and then repented, God would hear and forgive them and heal them. He prayed that in times of drought and famine and war for God to forgive them and heal them. He prayed for God to hear the prayer of the foreigner . Then Solomon invited the Lord to enter the Temple and make it his resting place on the earth. Fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices and the presence of the Lord filled the Temple. The people fell on their faces and worshiped and praised the Lord saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” One hundred and forty-two sacrifices were made to the Lord while the Levites sang about God’s faithful love. Solomon consecrated the rental area of the courtyard in front of the Lord’s Temple with burnt offerings because the bronze altar couldn’t contain all the sacrifices offered. The celebration went on for seven days. They had a closing ceremony on the eighth day and everyone went home. They had come as far as Egypt. Solomon completed the Temple and his royal palace and one night God came to talk to him. God told Solomon that he had heard his prayers. The nation would see times when he would not bring rain and there would be famine and war because of their sins, but if they repented and turned back to him, he would forgive and heal them. If the people rejected him as their God, they would be uprooted from the land and the Temple would be destroyed and be an embarrassment to them. When people looked at it and wondered what happened to make their God destroy it, the answer will be that they abandoned the Lord and worshiped other gods instead. It took Solomon 20 years to build the Temple and his royal palace. Then Solomon built up other towns and supply centers. The aliens living with them were made to do the hard labor. These were the people that God had told them to destroy when they entered the land and they couldn’t. In Romans, Paul explains the power of sin in our body. But then he gives us the answer which is Jesus Christ. He has power over sin. Because we belong to him, his life-going Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death. God did what the law could not do. He sent his Son in a body like ours and in him God declared an end to sins’ control over us. Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins. So now, we no longer have to follow our sinful nature but can follow the Spirit. It is our choice. The sinful nature is in opposition to God and cannot obey God’s law but by the Spirit, we can live righteously and please God.

Wed.’s Devo - Completing the Temple

Read: 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Romans 7:1-13; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 19:22-23 Solomon had a bronze altar made that was 30 feet by 30 feet and 15 feet high. Just imagine how many animals could be burnt on it at a time! The aroma of the cooked meat had to fill the whole city. He had a bronze basin made for the priests to bathe in after the sacrifices. It was called the Sea. It was round with a diameter of 15 feet and was 7 1/2 feet deep. There were two rows of carved oxen all the way around the lip of the basin and it sat on twelve bronze oxen all facing outward - three in each direction. Ten smaller basins were made to wash the utensils in. Five menorahs were placed on the north wall and five on the south. Can you imagine the light reflecting off of the silver and gold walls. It was built to resemble the garden of Eden and show the glory of God. Ten tables were placed - five on the south wall and five on the north for the shewbread. At the Feast of Shelters or Tabernacles, they brought up the Ark to place in the Temple. They offered up so many sacrifices they couldn’t count them. They placed the Ark beneath the wings of the cherubim. The only thing in the Ark was the two tablets that Moses had gotten from God on Mt. Sinai. The sanctified priests played their music and sang songs in worship and praise. They proclaimed that the Lord was good and his love endures forever. A thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord and the priests could not continue the service because of he glorious presence of the Lord that filled the Temple. Solomon presented the Temple to the Lord, then turned to the people and blessed them. He told the story of his father’s dream to build the Lord a Temple and how he was the one to get to see it come to fruition. In Romans, Paul compares our relationship with the law to the relationship of marriage. They are both covenants that are binding until a death occurs. When we become dead to our sins it is like the death of a spouse that frees us to be married to another. When we die to our first covenant, the law, we are free to be married to Christ, our second husband. It wasn’t the law that was bad; it was our sin. The law just pointed out or sin and held us accountable. The law is good and is still God’s standard for us to follow, but when we give our lives to Jesus, the law cannot condemn us when we fall short of what it says. God wrote his laws on our hearts and we now have the Spirit to lead us in righteousness. Lord, thank you for all that has happened before and all you have prepared for the future. We are grateful for those who went before us to prepare the way for us to walk in. May we carry on the work of the gospel and fulfill our destiny on the earth.

Tues.’s Devo - The Lord Reigns

Read: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30; Romans 5:6-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 19:18-19 Solomon led all his officers and judges and clan leaders to Gibeon, the place where God’s Tabernacle was and offered 1,000 sacrifices on the bronze altar. They consulted the Lord’s wisdom and plan. That night God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he wanted. Solomon asked for discernment and wisdom to lead the people he had been put over. God was pleased with Solomon’s request and told him that since he hadn’t asked for wealth, riches or fame, he would give him these also. He would grant him the wisdom and knowledge to properly govern his people. Solomon returned to Jerusalem where he reigned over Israel. He built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He made silver, gold, and cedar plentiful in Jerusalem and imported horses from Egypt and Cilicia. He exported them to the Hittites and Aram. Solomon enlisted 153,600 men to build the Temple and his royal palace. He sent a message to King Hiram of Tyre to send him cedar, cypress and red sandalwood logs and a master craftsman to work with gold, silver, bronze and iron as well as seamstresses. In payment for his woodcutters, Solomon would send him bushels of wheat, barley, wine and olive oil. King Hiram was pleased with the trade. Solomon began to build in the fourth year of his reign in the midspring around Passover. Everything in the Temple was built of wood and overlaid with gold. Angels were carved in the walls and jewels were everywhere. Two cherubim’s were placed on the top of the Ark with a wingspan of 7 and a half feet. The angels faced each other with their wings touching. A curtain was hung on the door of the Holy of Holies made of fine line, decorated with blue, purple and scarlet thread and embroidered with figures of cherubim. Two pillars were placed in front of the Temple. The one on the south was named Jakin and the one on the north Boaz. Jakin means “he will set up.” Boaz means “in him is strength.” In Romans we are taught that when we were baptized we demonstrated that we are dead to the power of sin and no longer are held in its power. We no longer have to obey its entices or desires. We can now give ourselves completely to God and live righteously. Now we do the things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. Lord, thank you that we can live righteously before you with a clean conscience. Empower us to rule over the earth declaring you as Lord and maker of all.

Mon.’s Devo - Freedom to Reign

Read: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30; Romans 5:6-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 19:18-19 David called all his officers to come to Jerusalem where he addressed them with his plans. He had wanted to build a Temple for the Lord to do sacrifices but was stopped because he had shed so much blood. God wanted Solomon to build the temple. David charged Solomon with this task and appointed him as his successor. He admonished Solomon to obey all of the Lord’s commands, to worship Him and serve him with his whole heart. David made it clear that God sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, he will be found of you but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. God had chosen Solomon to built a Temple for him, so it was to be taken very seriously. God has chosen to place his temple inside of us so the same warning is given to us. If we seek him, we will find him if we search for him with all of our hearts but if we choose to reject his great love, it will cost us eternity with Him. David gave Solomon detailed instructions about everything he would need to know in building the Temple and its furniture. David encouraged him to be strong and not afraid because God was with him and would help him. David then addressed the people and presented Solomon as his chosen leader. David told the people how much he would be donating to the Lord to build this great Temple and allowed them to give also. In total, 300 tons of gold was given and 637 tons of silver. Tons of bronze and iron was also given and precious stone. The people gave freely with joy. David gave a praise to the Lord and the next day they sacrificed 3,000 animals on the altar. David crowned Solomon king and they feasted and drank in the Lord’s presence with joy. David died, having reigned forty years over Israel. In Romans, our friendship with God was restored by the death of Jesus while we were enemies with God. Jesus didn’t die for us because we deserved it, but because we needed it. It was our only hope. Adam’s sin brought death, but Jesus’ death brought life. The law pointed out what sin was, making us accountable. Jesus made a way for us to be free from our sins once and for all. Life is more powerful than death. Praise the Lord! Thank you for saving us through your death.

Sun.’s Devo -David’s Kingdom

Read: 1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34; Romans 4:13-5:5; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 19:17 There were four gates that needed to be guarded by the gatekeepers. They were called by their directions: east, north, south and west. Six Levites were assigned each day to the east gate, four to the north, four to the south and six to the west gate. Four were needed to guard the gateway leading to the Temple, and two were assigned to the courtyard. Others were in charge of guarding the treasured and gifts to the Lord. There were also storehouses of the plunders of war. Men were designated for the business of officers and judges over Israel. One thousand and seven hundred men of valor were set as officers on the west side of the Jordan. Two thousand and seven hundred men were to handle the business on the eastern side of the Jordan. The chief fathers and captains of officers served set times of one month at a time. A man was set to guard the king’s treasures and over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, the villages, and castles. There were men that tilled the ground, oversaw the vineyards and wine cellars, the olive trees and sycamore trees and over the cellars of oil. Herdsmen kept the herds, camels, donkeys, and flocks. David’s uncle was his counsellor, wise man and scribe. He had another counsellor and Hushai as his friend. Joab was the general of his army. In Romans, the heirs of the world are the believers in God. Abraham believed in a God who would bring life out of death and called those things that were not as though they were. He was speaking of Sarah’s womb. Abraham believed God could do what he said he would do against the laws of nature (the law). We who believe that Jesus was raised from the dead are the same as Abraham. Our faith justifies us before God. This hope makes us believe in our tribulations that God is working all things for our good. Lord, thank you for your love and the gift of the Holy Spirit you gave us.

Sat.’s Devo - The Leaders

Read: 1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11; Romans 4:1-12; Psalm 13:1-6; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 19:17 Aaron had four sons but two of them had offered strange fire on the altar of incense so God struck them down. Aaron’s two living sons were Eleazar and Ithamar. The three of them were the priests, along with Eleazar’s son, Zadok and Ithamar’s son, Ahimelech. Eleazar had more descendants which were divided into 16 groups. Ithamar’s family was divided into 8. Their tasks were decided by lots so that no partiality could be shown. The 24 groups each served for a month. The Levites were the people who descended from Levi but not from Aaron. They also had duties by lot without regard to age or rank. They drew these lots in the presence of the king. The army commanders who proclaimed God’s messages to the music of lyres, harps and cymbal were from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. There were 288 of them and were appointed by lot without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student. The greatest means of weaponry that we possess is our worship and praise. The descendants of Korah were the gatekeepers. There were 62 of them. The family of Merari were also gatekeepers which numbered 13. In Romans, Paul explained that Abraham discovered that being right with God was not anything he could boast about. His belief in God made him righteous in God’s eyes. Paul went on to say that when you work, your wages are not a gift but what you earn. God’s forgiveness is not like that. It cannot be earned, it is free. Abraham was circumcised after he was declared righteous so circumcision had nothing to do with making him right before God. It was a sign that he was. Lord, thank you for your free gift to us of salvation. We believe that you are who you said you were and that you are Lord over all.

Fri.’s Devo - The Law of Grace

Read: 1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14 David declared the place for the house of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering to Him to be built on the mount that David bought from Ornan the Jebusite. David used the strangers in the land that were not of the tribes of Israel to build it. Masons hewed and smoothed the stones and made nails from iron. Iron, brass, cedar, gold and silver was theirs in abundance. David put Solomon in charge of building the house since David had shed so much blood on the earth. Solomon would be a king of peace because God would give him peace from his enemies. David prayed that Solomon would be given God’s wisdom and understanding about God so that he would keep God’s law and prosper. He charged him with what God charged Mosese with concerning Israel: be strong and courageous and do not be afraid or dismayed. David commanded all the princes to help Solomon. When David was old, he made Solomon king over Israel. He gathered the 38,000 Levites and gave them the jobs of the porters, singers, officers and judges. He divided them according to the three priestly families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari and gave them their tasks as they had with the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The priests were to sanctify the mostly things and burn incense before the Lord to minister to Him for the people. The Levites were to wait on the sons of Aaron as the serving in the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers. They purified the holy things, prepared the shewbread, and unleavened cakes which were to be baked and fried. They stood every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They offered all burnt sacrifice unto the Lord on the sabbath, the new moons, and the set feast days. In Romans, Paul is explaining that the Jew is no better than the Gentile. The law was written to spell out what sin is and what displeased the Lord. It made us aware of our own sin. In that way, the Jew and Gentile are alike. We have all sinned and fallen short of the law and need a Saviour. Jesus brought us salvation and redemption from our sin. He erased our sin by our faith in him. The last question Paul answered is whether faith in Jesus did away with the law and the answer was, No, it established the law. Lord, may we walk as priests and daily praise you and proclaim you’re goodness in our land. Thank you for the law of grace.

Thurs.’s Devo - We Are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus

Read: 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30; Romans 2:25-3:8; Psalm 11:1-7 Proverbs 19:10-12 King Nahash of Ammon died. He had been a friend of David’s so David sent some men to pay respects to Nahash’s son, Hanun. When they arrived in Ammon, their commanders convinced Hanun that they were there to spy out the land. Hanun seized the ambassadors of David and shaved them, cut off their robes at their buttocks and sent them back to David. The men were so shamed because of their hair that David had them stay in Jericho until their hair could grow. This meant war! The Ammonites realized how much this offended Israel so they hired the Arameans to fight with them against Israel. Israel easily won the first attack so the Arameans sent for additional troops. They attacked again and Israel won making them slaves. After that, they were no longer willing to help the Ammonites. In the spring when kings went out to war, David decided to stay home. Joab went to war in his place and took the city of Rabbah which was the capital of Ammon. Joab had David come and take the crown of the king so he would get the victory and not Joab. David returned home but his army went on to fight the Philistines and kill a few giants. Satan rose up against Israel and put in David’s mind to count the people. This would bring a curse on Israel and Joab knew it. He tried to convince David not to do it but was unsuccessful. Joab didn’t complete the census because it distressed him so much. He left out Benjamin and Levi. The rest of the tribes were cursed. The law said that if you are counted you must give a price for your soul. David didn’t require this so they started dropping like flies as God sent his death angel with a plague like his law stated. Seventy thousand were killed in the plague. When the death angel was approaching Jerusalem, God stopped it by the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. David saw the angel and fell on his face to the ground asking for mercy. God stopped the plague and sent Gad to tell David to build an altar to the Lord on that threshing floor. David insisted on paying Araunah for his land and built the altar and offered burnt offerings to the Lord. God told the angel to put away his sword and the people were saved. In Romans, Paul was answering their questions about salvation. Salvation was not a Jewish birthright anymore assured by circumcision. It was a change of heart produced by the Spirit. It was available to the Jew and the Gentile. The advantage of being a Jew as that they were the people who God spoke to audibly his laws. The Jews had argued that their sins were a contrast to show God’s righteousness but Paul told them they were thinking carnally. Our sin does not show the glory of God, his righteousness in us does. Lord, may we not look for excuses but repent of our sins and trust the Spirit of God to give us grace to walk righteously. Jesus was our example who was sinless as a man. He did it with the power of the Spirit of God to show us that when we become believers, we can too.

Wed.’s Devo - Judging Ourselves

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; Romans 2:1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9 David left the Ark in Gibeon in the tent he had set up. He appointed gate keepers to watch over it, priests to do regular burnt offerings each morning and evening and musicians to praise and worship the Lord. Then David went back to his palace. David decided he wanted to build the Lord a house of wood since he lived in a beautiful house of cedar. He told Nathan his plans and Nathan blessed them. As Nathan was leaving his meeting with David, the Lord spoke to Nathan and gave him a word for David. He said that He had never lived in a house of wood or asked to have one built. God said that he would defeat all of David’s enemies for him but one of his sons would build a temple for Him. This son would be the king over God’s house and kingdom for all time and his throne would be secure forever. (We know this to be Solomon, but Solomon’s kingdom was a type of the kingdom that Jesus would reign over in the last millennium.) David responded to the Lord in worship. He praised the Lord for taking him from nothing and making him king. He accepted everything the Lord said and didn’t attempt to build a Temple himself. David spent the rest of his life defeating all of his enemies with the Lord’s help. Those he didn’t kill, he made them subject to him. Everyone gave him tribute and he put the gifts in the treasury for the Lord. He spent his life accumulating the wealth it would take to build the Temple. He defeated Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. He reigned our all Israel doing what was just and right for all the people. In Romans, Paul starts and ends with the same thought: you cannot judge others without first judging yourself. It is God that is going to judge everyone’s secret sins and open sins in the end. That should keep us from wanting to sin. Everyone will be judged because even those who have not heard God’s law have his law written in their hearts. God has given us a conscience that knows what is right and what is wrong. This puts the Jews and Gentiles on the same level. Our actions reveal our hearts. Lord, help us to walk in love and kindness. Thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Tues.’s Devo - Bringing up the Ark

Read: 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 19:6-7 David had built several buildings for himself in his city and a tent to house the Ark. He read in the law that the Levites were suppose to carry the Ark and use the poles so David was ready to bring it from Obed-edom’s house to the City of David. He called all Israel to Jerusalem to witness the Ark being brought to the City of David. He summoned the priests and they purified themselves. A choir was formed with singers, harps, lyres, and cymbals. They all went to Obed-edom’s house to get the ark. Seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. david dressed in a robe of fine linen like the priests. The Ark was brought up with the blowing of ram’s horns and trumpets, cymbals, and our playing on harps and lyres. It was a great celebration. David danced in the streets and his wife, Michal saw him from her window and was angry with David. When they had put the Ark in the special tent David had made, the people were given gifts and were led in worship. They blessed the Lord and thanked him for all he had done for them. David had written a song of thanksgiving to the Lord which was sung. All the people responded with the shouts of “Amen!” and praised the Lord. In Romans, Paul said that people’s wickedness suppresses the truth. God has to respond to their actions. They have no excuse when they stand before God because everything God has made clearly shows his eternal power and divine nature. Because they refused to worship God for who he was, they made up who they wanted God to be and worshiped their idols they made with their own hands. God gave them over to their own imaginations and they did terrible things to each other and traded the truth about God for a lie. They worshiped the things God made instead of the Creator himself. This caused them to pervert everything God had planned for mankind. Men became lovers of men and suffered in their own bodies the penalty for their sins. The sin of those who refused to worship God caused them to become heartless and merciless. They not only did these sinful things themselves but encouraged others to do them even though they knew that the things they did caused them to deserve to die. They need to read the Psalm for today. Lord, we see the people described in Romans today and it grieves us. I can’t imagine how much it grieves You. Forgive us and heal us, Lord. We need You; You are our only hope.

Mon.’s Devo - David Sets Up His Kingdom

Read: 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 913-20; Proverbs 19:4-5 When David was running from Saul, he joined with the Philistine army to fight their enemies. It came time for the Philistines to fight Israel, but many on the Philistine side did not want David and his men to fight in the battle because they were afraid David would defect to Israel’s side. Many from Saul’s army from the tribe of Manasseh came over to David’s army and it grew to look like the army of God. After Saul died, the tribes met at Hebron eager to make David their king. Warriors from Judah, Simeon, Levi, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, Asher, Rueben, and Gad met and there were 120,000 in all. They brought food and feasted for three days. David met with the generals and officers of the tribes and agreed it was time to bring back the Ark of the Lord that had been neglected in Saul’s reign. They didn’t consult the law to read about how to transport the ark so they brought it on a cart like the Philistines had carried it. The oxen stumbled and the ark almost fell off, so one of the men reached out his hand to stead the Ark. He was instantly killed. This scared the people so much they stopped right there and left the Ark at Obed-edom’s house. It was there for three months and Obed-edom’s household was blessed. King Hiram of Tyre sent his carpenters to help David to build his kingdom. David married more wives and had 13 sons in Jerusalem. When the Philistines found that David had become the king of Israel, they mobilized their army to come to Jerusalem and capture David. David inquired of the Lord if he should go out and fight them. God said to go and he would defeat them. David went out and drove them away. They left their idols behind which David burned. After a while the Philistines came back and God told David to set up an ambush and get them from behind. David defeated them once again and news of David’s fame spread to other nations causing them to fear David. Romans was written by Paul before he ever went to Rome. He had heard from other Christians about the church at Rome. He wrote his letter to the Romans to introduce himself to them. Paul, who had been used to having slaves and being in charge, introduced himself as a slave to Jesus Christ by choice. He explained that the Old Testament foretold of the Messiah through the prophets years before he came. His coming was the Good News that the son of God came to earth to show them how to go to heaven. Paul commended them for their faith. He told them that he prayed for them and longed to see them and share stories. He made it clear to them that the Good News was for both the Jew and the Gentile. It is by faith that a person is saved, not lineage. Lord, thank you that the Good News is free to anyone who will hear it and believe. We choose to be a slave and friend to Jesus.

Sun.’s Devo - David Crowned King

Read: 1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18; Acts 28:1-31; Psalm 9:1-12; Proverbs 19:1-3 After Saul was killed, the people met with David at Hebron and crowned him their king. David made a covenant with the Lord to served him as a nation. David took Jerusalem from the Jebusites. He also captured the fortress of Zion which they changed it to the City of David. David had three mighty warriors who were the most famous and were part of David’s Thirty mighty warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite. He killed 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. The second one was Eleazar son of Dodai. He was famous because when Israel met the Philistines in a field full of barley, all of Israel fled, but he and David stayed and held their ground in the middle of the field. The third man of The Three is not mentioned by name. The Three overheard David commend that he would love some of the good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem. The Philistines controlled Bethlehem at the time. The Three risked their lives to get David some water from that well and brought it to him. He refused to drink it because it was the cost of their blood. The leader of The Thirty was Abisai, who killed 300 in a single battle. Benaiah killed two campaigns of Moab and also chased a lion into a pit and killed him also. He killed an Egyptian warrior who was seven and a half feet tall. The giant had a thick spear which Benaiah wrenched from his hand and killed him with. David made him his personal bodyguard. The men who had been with David while he ran from Saul were mentioned. All of them were archers who could shoot arrows and sling stone expertly with both hands. Some of the men of Gad came to the stronghold where David was. David came out and met them to see if they were on his side. They joined him and he made them officers over his men. In Acts, Paul and his men were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. They made a fire and a poisonous snake came out of the fire and attached himself to Paul’s arm. Paul shook the snake off into the fire and nothing happened to him. The islanders went from thinking he was a murderer to thinking he was a god. The chief of the island welcomed them into his house where they healed the chief’s father who had dissentry. Many on the island were healed also. They stayed their for months then left on another ship. They finally came to Rome. Paul was put on house arrest with many freedoms. Paul had all the Jews come to his house and listen to his testimony and why he was there. He caused a stir as some believed what he said about Jesus and others didn’t. Paul stayed in Rome for two years teaching the truth to both Jews and Gentiles without anyone trying to stop him. Lord, may we be as determined as Paul to tell the truth whether we are accepted or not. May everything we do be for your glory.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Salvation

Read: 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14: Acts 27:21-44; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 18:23-24 Israel was exiled to foreign lands because it was what God had promised would happen if they were unfaithful to Him and worshipped other gods. The exiles of Judah had gone to Babylon and when the 70 years was over, they were allowed to come back to their land. The first to return were the priests, Levites, Temple servants and other Israelites. They were from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. They came to settle in Jerusalem. Of all the people who returned, these were noted: 1,760 priests 956 families from Judah 212 gatekeepers Since they knew how to do their tasks, it makes me think that they had continued their duties as much as they could in the lands they had been taken to. The gatekeepers guarded the treasury rooms that were in on the four sides of the temple. They did this when the temple was a tent in the wilderness and when it was a Temple in Jerusalem. They would spend the night guarding the rooms and open the gates every morning. They were also in charge of keeping up all the supplies of flour, wine, oil and spices that the priests would need. King Saul’s family tree was given and how he died. King Saul was killed on the battlefield fighting the Philistines. He was struck by one of the Philistine archers and wounded. He told his armor bearer to kill him but when he wouldn’t, Saul killed himself. His armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, so he killed himself. The Philistines stripped Saul’s body of its armor and took off his head. They fastened his head to the temple of Dagon. This all happened to Saul because he disobeyed the Lord. Three of Saul’s sons died in the same battle but his last son, Esh-baal lived. His name means “fire of Baal.” In Acts, Paul was in the ship sailing for Rome. The commander hadn’t listened to Paul’s advice to not sail so they had met storm and disaster after disaster. They hadn’t eaten for some time because they were so busy fighting the storm. When it looked like they were coming to a shore, they put down anchors but some of the men were planning to abandon the ship and escape in a lifeboat. Paul warned them that an angel had appeared to him that night and told him that they would all make it if they all stayed in the boat. This time the listened to Paul, cut the lifeboat free and waited out the storm. At dawn, Paul urged everyone to eat and prayed a blessing to thank God for their safety. Soon they saw the shore and realized they could make it by running the boat in the sand. They cut the anchors and let the waves take the boat to shore. The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners but since they wanted to spare Paul, they decided not to kill the other prisoners because he would be able to testify to what they had done. They all swam to shore and everyone was safe. Lord, thank you for your plan that prevails against all the power of Satan.

Fri.’s Devo - Issachar Through Benjamin

Read: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40; Acts 27:1-20; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 18:22 Today we read the descendants of Issachar, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Asher and Benjamin. From Issachar’s four sons came 87,000 mighty warriors. From Naphtali came four sons and no other descendants were spoken of. In reading about Manasseh’s tribe many women were mentioned: wives, concubines, sisters, and daughters. In Ephraim, two of his sons were killed stealing livestock from the local farmers. Ephraim mourned the loss of his two sons so much that when his wife had another son he named him a name that means “tragedy.” Another fact worth mentioning was that his daughter built two towns. Asher produced men for the military that numbered 26,000. Much was said about Benjamin’s family line. He began with five sons and we read about divorce for the first time. Shaharaim divorced two wives. One of them had two sons. Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin. In Acts, Paul and his fellow prisoners were being taken to Rome by boat. Paul had seen in the spirit that if they kept going there would be shipwreck, loss of cargo and danger to their lives. But, the officer in charge of them listened to the ship’s captain instead of the word of God. He kept going and it got worse and worse. They faced storm after storm and everything Paul had seen manifested. It got so bad they lost hope. They should have listened to Paul. Lord, help us to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. May our descendants bring blessing to You and others.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Levites

Read: 1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81; Acts 26:1-32; Psalm 6:1-10; Proverbs 18:20-21 The tribes that wanted land east of the Jordan were Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. They were great warriors that had defeated Og, King of Bashan and Sidon, King of the Ammorites. But they were unfaithful to God and worshiped the gods of the nations that they had destroyed. So God caused King Pul of Assyria (Tiglath-pileser) to invade their land and take their people captives. They were exiled to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gaza River. The tribe of Levi were the priests and were divided into three main families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The Kohath tribe included Moses and Aaron and Miriam and were the ones who had access to the presence of the Lord. The high priests came from their family. Jehozadak was the last high priest before they went into exile under the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar. Gershon’s line included the famous judge and prophet Samuel. The musicians also came from Kohath’s line. Heman was a musician who was highlighted. His name means faithful. He was the grandson of Samuel and is believed to have written the 88th Psalm. He was one of the seers named and was over many others that he trained. Aaron and his descendants were the only priests that could present offerings on the brazen altar and the altar of incense. The tribe of Levi were not given land like the other tribes but they were given cities within every tribe so that every tribe would have priests who could teach them and remind them about the law and what God says about it. Some of these Levitical cities were assigned as cities of refuge. These were cities that would try murder cases and judge the people. In Acts, Paul gave his defense to King Agrippa. He began by giving his religious background and his training. He had served as a Pharisee and was high in the Jewish religious order. He had condemned Christians, ruled against them and had many killed for what they believed. Then the Lord appeared to him in a light and spoke to him out of the light. The voice was the voice of Jesus and it told him that he would be his witness to the Jew and the Gentiles. He was sent to bring light to the Gentiles which was what he was doing when he got arrested. After Paul gave his defense, the king, the governor and all the leaders trying the case met to discuss his case. They found no cause of death or imprisonment and if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar, he would have been released. Lord, your patience with man is beyond my comprehension. Thank you for your long suffering and love for mankind. Thank you for grace and for Jesus who died that we might have eternal life and forgiveness of our sins.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Battle is the Lord’s

Read: 2 Kings 18:13-19:37; Acts 21:1-17; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8 King Hezekiah had rebelled against Sennacherib, the king of Assyria and refused to pay tribute. Sennacherib came to attack Lachish and the fortified towns. King Hezekiah repented of not paying him and offered to give him anything he wanted. He asked for eleven tons of silver and a ton of gold. King Hezekiah had to take all the silver and gold in the treasury and strip the gold from the Temple doors. He gave it all to the king of Assyria but the king still sent a huge army to Lachish. Hezekiah went to meet him. The king of Assyria sent him a message which he shouted to his army. It was very intimidating and told him that trusting in Egypt or God was not going to save them. He went so far as to say that God had told them to destroy Israel. The messenger shouted it in Hebrew so that all of Hezekiah’s army could hear and be afraid. He also offered the people land and provisions once they came to Assyria. He told them not to believe Hezekiah’s promise that God would help them. Other nations had thought that their gods would save them and they couldn’t. When Hezekiah heard what they said, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple to pray. He sent two of his top men dressed in burlap to Isaiah to ask him what they should do. Isaiah sent back the Lord’s reply. They were not to worry about their blasphemous speech because God was going to move against him and the king would hear that he was needed at home. He would return and be killed with the sword. Soon, Sennacherib got news that Ethiopia was leading an army to attack his land so he had to leave. Before he left he sent a message to Hezekiah saying that he was not to think that his God had come through for them because they had destroyed everyone who got in their way. They would be back to finish the job. Hezekiah took his letter and spread it out before the Lord. The Lord replied that truly Sennacherib had conquered all those nations because the Lord had ordained to use him to do that. It was the Lord who fought those battles and won - not Sennacherib. Sennacherib had blasphemed the Lord and his arrogance had determined his demise. As for Israel, the ones who lived through the siege would put down roots in their own soil and grow and flourish as God’s remnant. They would spread out from Jerusalem. Sennecherib’s army would not even shoot an arrow at them. God would defend and protect his city. That night the angel of the Lord went out and killed 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers. When the survivors woke up the next morning their were corpses everywhere. King Sennacherib returned home to his capital in Nineveh. One day as he was worshipping in his temple to Nisroch, his two sons killed him with their swords and escaped to the land of Ararat and his son, Esarhaddon became the next king of Assyria. In Acts, Paul and his companions sailed to Tyre where the ship docked to unload its cargo. Paul and his friends found the local believers and fellowshipped with them. There were many with the spirit of prophesy. One told them that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem but Paul continued. They stopped at Ptolemais and on to Caesarea and stayed with Philip in his home. Philip had four unmarried daughters who operated in the gift of prophesy. A man named Agabus prophesied that Paul would be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles. The believers begged Paul not to go but Paul was ready and willing to suffer for the Lord’s sake. They left and finally made it to Jerusalem where the believers met them with open arms. Lord, help us to be willing to suffer for your sake. This life is a breath in eternity and we want to spend it living for you.

Wed.’s Devo - The Descendants of Judah, Simeon and Gad

Read: 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17; Acts 25:1-27; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 18:19 Today we begin by reading the other descendants of Judah. One of them was Jabez. His mother brought him to the earth in pain. Historians record that Jabez became a famous and just lawyer who wrote many patriotic works. He was so famous and loved that they named their town in honor of him. He prayed the prayer that has become famous in our day known was the Prayer of Jabez. His prayer is that God would bless him and make his reputation spread. Next we have the sons of Simeon who were wealthy farmers. They had wanted the land from the descendants of Ham when they came from Egypt because the land was so fertile. The Ruebenites were next. Rueben was first-born but lost his first-born status when he went into his father’s concubines dishonoring his father. The birthright went to Joseph who was Rachel’s first-born. The tribe of Gad settled next to Rueben. They lived in the land they had taken from the king of Basin. Joel was their leader. In Acts, Festus has become the new governor of Caesarea. He immediately took a trip to Jerusalem where the Jewish leaders who wanted Paul dead met with him about Paul. They saw this as their opportunity to end his life once again. They tried to persuade Festus to send Paul to Jerusalem. They planned to kill him on the way. Festus told them that he would listen to Paul’s defense when he got back to Caesarea and decide what to do. When he came home, he had Paul brought before him for questioning. He asked Paul if he was willing to go and stand trial in Jerusalem. Paul told him he wasn’t. He was innocent and he knew that Fetus knew it too. He appealed to Caesar. Days later King Agrippa came to visit Caesarea and discussed Paul’s case. King Agrippa was curious to meet Paul himself. Festus had arranged it for the next day. Festus knew Paul was innocent but wanted King Agrippa to help him word the letter he would send to Rome. Lord, thank you for your steadfast love. Thank you that you defend our innocence before the world.

Wed.’s Devo - The Descendants of Judah, Simeon and Gad

Read: 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17; Acts 25:1-27; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 18:19 Today we begin by reading the other descendants of Judah. One of them was Jabez. His mother brought him to the earth in pain. Historians record that Jabez became a famous and just lawyer who wrote many patriotic works. He was so famous and loved that they named their town in honor of him. He prayed the prayer that has become famous in our day known was the Prayer of Jabez. His prayer is that God would bless him and make his reputation spread. Next we have the sons of Simeon who were wealthy farmers. They had wanted the land from the descendants of Ham when they came from Egypt because the land was so fertile. The Ruebenites were next. Rueben was first-born but lost his first-born status when he went into his father’s concubines dishonoring his father. The birthright went to Joseph who was Rachel’s first-born. The tribe of Gad settled next to Rueben. They lived in the land they had taken from the king of Basin. Joel was their leader. In Acts, Festus has become the new governor of Caesarea. He immediately took a trip to Jerusalem where the Jewish leaders who wanted Paul dead met with him about Paul. They saw this as their opportunity to end his life once again. They tried to persuade Festus to send Paul to Jerusalem. They planned to kill him on the way. Festus told them that he would listen to Paul’s defense when he got back to Caesarea and decide what to do. When he came home, he had Paul brought before him for questioning. He asked Paul if he was willing to go and stand trial in Jerusalem. Paul told him he wasn’t. He was innocent and he knew that Fetus knew it too. He appealed to Caesar. Days later King Agrippa came to visit Caesarea and discussed Paul’s case. King Agrippa was curious to meet Paul himself. Festus had arranged it for the next day. Festus knew Paul was innocent but wanted King Agrippa to help him word the letter he would send to Rome. Lord, thank you for your steadfast love. Thank you that you defend our innocence before the world.

Tues.’s Devo - Our Posterity

Read: 1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4; Acts 24:1-27; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 18:16-18 Judah’s grandson was Hezron who had three sons. Caleb was the third son. There are so many names but what stuck out to me in his line was that Hebron and Bethlehem were established in his family. Hebron means “communion” and Bethlehem means “house of bread.” David’s line was mentioned next. David had six sons born in Hebron where he reigned seven and a half years. He reigned 33 years in Jerusalem. So much about David represents Jesus. Jesus lived 33 years on the earth. The six sons David had in Hebron represent his communion with the Lord at that time. The meanings of their names describe his reign in Hebron. They read: He was a faithful judge who lived in peace with God. His Lord was Jehovah and he blessed the people. David had eleven sons in Jerusalem although only nine are mentioned. The other two could have died early in life. Solomon’s line was given down to the last king, Zedekiah. Jehoiachin was the king that was taken captive to Babylon. He and his sons were mentioned. They were taken to Babylon also. The sons were killed but the other kings had sons that perpetuated. In Acts, Paul’s accusers made it to Caesarea to testify against him. Felix is the governor listening to his case. Everything the Jews said about Paul was exaggerated and a lie. Paul gave his defense and his was the truth. He defends the law and Jesus the fulfillment of the law. Felix wanted to wait until Lysias, the army commander got to town to decide Paul’s fate. Paul was kept in custody until he returned. Paul was on house arrest which gave freedom to meet with his friends. Felix returned with his wife, Drusilla who was Jewish. They had many conversations with Paul about the law and his faith in Jesus. Felix hoped that Paul would bribe him to release him but when he didn’t, he kept Paul in prison. Two years passed and Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Felix wanted to be able to show his face in public so he kept Paul in prison. Lord, may we realize the weight of our lives and how we carry on our line in the history of time. What we do is so important to our posterity.

Mon.’s Devo - The Lineage of Christ

Read: 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:17; Acts 23:11-35; Psalm 3:1-8; Provers 18:14-15 The Chronicles were written by the priests and highlight the kings of Judah since the priests lived in Judah under the authority of the kings of Judah. The Chronicles of the Kings were probably written by Ezra after the exile was over and they were under Persian rule. It starts with Judah’s spiritual heritage beginning with Adam. Notice that Cain is not mentioned since he was not from the seed of Adam but from Lucifer. Seth was the replacement of Abel who gave the perfect sacrifice just like the Body of Christ replaced Christ (became his presence on the earth…Christ in us). A better way of saying that is that we took up where Christ left off just as Seth took up where Abel left off. If you take the names Adam to Noah and look up their meanings you will get this: Jesus set man as the praise of God on the earth. A deceiver shot the dart (lie) that initiated death - where they would rest. His sons began a name of tumult that would expand on the earth thus perpetuating the cycle of sin. We see that Ham which means “tumult” had a son named Cush which means “black”. His son was Nimrod which means “we will rebel”. He became a champion of evil and hunted men for sport. From this line came the Philistines who were enemies of the Israelites. Man was once again on a collision course to hell until God chose Abram and built up a family line through him. He redeemed them through circumcision. Even Abraham missed God’s perfect will and had Ishmael but he was not the promised son. Abraham repented and God blessed he and Sarah with Isaac. Isaac had Jacob, who had the twelve tribes of Israel and through Abraham’s seed, the whole earth is blessed. Ishmael’s line is important because he carries the seed of Abraham. After the sons of Israel were named the account begins with the line of Judah since that line will be the line of salvation. It started out pretty shakily with God killing Judah’s first two sons because they were so evil. Tamar had to trick her father-in-law into doing the right thing and had Perez and Zerah. Perez’s line carried the seed of Christ. His twin brother, Zerah, produced Achan who was killed when he took plunder from the battle of Jericho. From Perez’s line came Salmon, who had Boaz who with Ruth would have Obed. Obed had Jesse who had David. Jessie had other sons and daughters and one of his daughters named Abigail married an Ishmaelite and had a son named Amasa. Amasa would become David’s commander of his army instead of Joab. Joab would kill Amasa out of jealousy. In Acts, God appeared to Paul and told him that he was to be his witness to Rome like he was to Jerusalem. That had to be not so good news since there were men in Jerusalem who had bound themselves with an oath not to drink or eat until they had killed Paul. Paul’s nephew heard of the plan and told the Roman officers. The Roman commander ordered 470 trained soldiers to sneak Paul out of the city at night and take him safely to Governor Felix. He sent a letter with the soldiers who took Paul. It explained Paul’s dilemma and defended Paul’s innocence. They got Paul safely to Caesarea where his case would be heard when his accusers arrived. Don’t you know they were surprised to see that Paul had made it safely there! Lord, I love how you outsmart your enemies. We have nothing to fear against Satan because he has no power over you. Thank you for giving us salvation through Abraham.

Sun.’s Devo - Changing Kings

Read: 2 Kings 23:31-25:30; Acts 22:17-23:10; Psalm 2:1-12; Proverbs 18:13 God had promised to destroy Jerusalem after Josiah’s death and now we read how this came true. Josiah had died in battle against King Neco of Egypt. Jehoahaz his son reigned only 3 months when Neco put him in prison in Hamath (which is in Syria). Neco demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold. Neco put Eliakim (one of Josiah’s sons) as the ruler of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim had to impose an income tax on the people in order to pay Neco. Jehoiakim ruled for 11 years. He was evil like his brother. During his 11 year reign, King Neuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Judah and Jehoiakim surrendered to him and had to pay him tribute also. He refused to pay it after three years so the Lord sent the Babylonians, Arameans, Moabites and the Ammonites against Judah to destroy it. This all happened because of the sins of Manasseh and all his murders (mainly innocent children). Jehoiakim died at the early age of 36 and his son Jehoiachin became the king. Jehoiachin was only 18. He did evil also. Nebuchadnezzar had captured most of Egypt so Neco didn’t venture out of his country after that. Nebuchadnezzar then came for Jerusalem and besieged it. Nebuchadnezzar stripped and pillaged everything that was of any worth from the Temple. He even took the pillars down and carried them to Babylon. Jehoiachin and his leaders surrendered and were taken prisoner to Babylon. He exiled 7,000 of the best troops and 1,000 craftsmen. Nebuchadnezzar only left the weak and poor to stay in Jerusalem. He assigned Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle as the next king but changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah ruled 11 years but did evil and rebelled against eh king of Babylon. So Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem to beseige it for 2 years. When all the food was gone Zedekiah and a group of soldiers devised a plan to escape through a broken down section of the wall at night. They were chased by the Babylonian troops and captured. Zedekiah was taken to Babylon where he was judged, had to watch his sons killed and then had his eyes gouged out. Nebuchadnezzar had the Temple, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem destroyed then he had the wall torn down. I read that there was gold in the mortar of the wall so he had them take every stone apart to get the gold out of the mortar. They took all the other bronze, gold and silver that was left to Babylon. The high priest, his assistant and the three chief gatekeepers were taken prisoner to Babylon where they were tried and put to death. The people of Judah were sent tinto exile from their land. Gedaliah was appointed governor of the people left in Judah. All of Judah met Gedaliah in Mizpeh to hear his leadership plan. He told them that as long as they did what the king of Babylon wanted, they could live their lives in peace. But one of the royal family, Ishmael, formed a coup and went to Mizpeh and killed Gediliah and all the Babylonian soldiers. The people ran in panic of Babylon’s response. In Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was replaced by Evil-merodach. Jehoiachin, who was in prison there, found favor with Evil-merodach and was promoted to eat with the king. He was given new clothes and didn’t have to wear the clothes of the prison. Well, that was enough to make your head spin! The kings changed like diapers on newborn all because of their sins of idolatry. In Acts, Paul was giving his testimony to the mob of people. They listened in silence until he got to the part about God sending him to the Gentiles. When he said the word, ‘Gentile’ the place erupted. The commander brought Paul in and strapped him down to whip him. He ordered him to confess to why the crowd had become so furious. Paul asked him if it was legal to whip a Roman citizen before he was tried. When the commander found out he was a Roman citizen by birth he quickly released him to prison to await his trial. The next day the leading priests were brought before the Jewish high council to find out what was going on with Paul and the crowd. Paul began that he had lived before God his whole life with a clear conscience. Ananias ordered Paul slapped. Paul was incensed and called him a corrupt hypocrite. He apologized when they told him he was the high priest. Paul saw that half the council was Pharisees and half was Sadducees, so he brought up the matter of resurrection since he knew that was their main dissension. It caused such a division that the soldiers had to rescue Paul and have him taken back to prison. Paul had to be laughing on the inside. Lord, help us to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. Give us strategy during these days we are living in and an answer to every person. May your Kingdom come.

Sat.’s Devo - Cleansing the Land of Idolatry

Josiah became king when he was 8 so 18 years later he started restoring the Temple. He would have been 26 years old. He took the money that the gatekeepers collected every Sabbath and gave it to the construction supervisors and trusted them to do their job without any accountability. He said that they were honest and trustworthy men. In the restoration, the high priest found a copy of the law and gave it to Josiah’s court secretary to read. He read what it said, and took it to Josiah. When Josiah read it he tore his clothes in despair as he realized all the things that had been done for years in Judah were blasphemous to God and he would have to punish them. He was probably reading Dueteronomy 28-30 about the curses and the blessings. They were definitely doing what would give them the curses. They went to the prophet Huldah to ask her what God would say to them. She sent back word that God was indeed very angry because they had rebelled against him and he would destroy Jerusalem but it would not happen in Josiah’s time because he had repented. Josiah called all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to the Temple where he read to them the entire Book of the Covenant. He pledged to obey the Lord and keep His commands with his whole heart and soul. The people agreed also. Then they started a huge campaign to cleanse the land of idolatry. They got rid of the prophets of Baal and all worship of Baal and Asherah and the powers of the heavens taking everything used in these practices down to the Kidron Valley and burning them. Josiah also tore down the pagan shrines throughout his land. He defiled the altar of Topheth in the valley of Ben-Hinnon so no one could offer their children in the fire to Molech. He destroyed the horse statutes and the chariots that former kings had used in worshipping the sun. They tore down the altars Manasseh had built in the courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. He desecrated the shrine east of Jerusalem and south of the Mount of Corruption where King Solomon had built shrines for Ashtoreth and Chemosh and Molech. He tore down the altar at Bethel, the golden calf that Jeroboam had built then Josiah ordered that the bones of the tombs by this altar to be brought out and burned on the altar at Bethel to desecrate it. There was a monument that caught Josiah’s attention and when he asked about it, he found that it was the grave of the prophet that had prophesied this very day 326 years before (I Kings 13:2). The had even called Josiah by name. Josiah told his men to leave his tomb and not take his bones. Josiah cleaned out the idolatry out of Samaria also and executed the priest of the pagan shrines on their own altars. He then ordered the nation to celebrate the Passover like God had set it up to be celebrated. Josiah even got rid of all the psychics and household gods and every evil practice in his nation. Never before had a king turned to the Lord with all his heart like Josiah and there has never been one since. Even so, God did not repent of his curse on Jerusalem and the Temple because of the evil things Manasseh had done. The king of Egypt and the king of Assyria joined together to fight against Israel. They met at Megiddo where Josiah was killed. His son, Jehoahaz was made king. In Acts, Paul asked the commander who had rescued him from the mob if he could talk to the people. He talked to the commander in Greek, then addressed the people in Aramaic. He also knew Hebrew. Paul was a very smart man. The commander let him speak. The people were hushed and quietly listened while he told his testimony. He told them of his education and devout study of the Law of God. He told them of his zeal to kill Christians, but then how God revealed himself in a bright light that kept him blind for three days. He told of how Ananias came and prayed for him to see and told him that he was to preach the Good News to everyone. Then he told them to get up and be baptized and have their sins washed away in Jesus name. Lord, thank you for people like Josiah who was such an example of a godly leader. Raise up godly leaders to lead our nations who need no accountability because they are honest and trust in you. May we rid our lives of all ungodliness like Josiah rid his nation of sin.

Fri.’s Devo - God is Our God

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2; Acts 21:18-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10 Hezekiah, the king of Judah became fatally ill so God sent Isaiah to tell him to set his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah had no heir at that time. He cried out to the Lord for mercy and reminded God how loyal he had been. God sent Isaiah back to tell him that He had heard his prayer and was granting him 15 more years. Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a sign that what he was saying was true. Isaiah told him to pick whether he wanted the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward. Hezekiah chose backward, so time went back 10 hours. The king of Babylon, Merodach-baladan sent a gift to celebrate Hezekiah’s recovery. Merodach-baladan means “I am not a lord; Baal is lord.” Hezekiah showed them everything in his treasury and palace. When they left, Isaiah came to visit to ask what he showed them. Hezekiah told him everything and Isaiah’s response was that they would one day come and take it all. Even his sons would be taken and make into eunuchs in Babylon’s palace. Then we see Hezekiah’s real heart. He said it was good became at least it wouldn’t happen in his life time. How sad. We live our lives for eternity and what we will pass on to the next generation, not just for our lifespan. Hezekiah hadn’t prepared for his future. In the next fifteen years that the Lord gave him, he had an heir named Manasseh. Manasseh was 13 when he died and he did evil. He reintroduced pagan worship and the worship of Baal and Asherah. He sacrificed his own son in the fire and practiced sorcery and divination and consulted mediums and psychics. He profaned the Temple with his idolatry. He murdered innocent people and caused the people of Judah to commit sin and evil. When Manasseh died, his son Amon ruled. His own officials killed him in his palace and his son Josiah became king. Josiah was only eight when he became king and did what was pleasing to the Lord. He is one of the only kings who was likened to David. In Acts. Paul met with the elders in the Jerusalem church and told them all the news of their mission trip. They told Paul how the people had been told that he was teaching Jews to turn from following the laws of Moses. So to clear things up, they suggested that Paul come with them to the Temple to participate in a Jewish ceremony of purification where some men were completing their Nazarite vow. The last thing they had to do was to shave their heads. If everyone saw Paul shave their heads they would know that Paul believed in following the law. Paul agreed to do this but when he got to the Temple the next day there was an angry mob waiting for him. It grew into a riot and Paul was thrown out of the Temple. They were about to kill him when the Roman officers showed up. They arrested Paul and asked the crowd what he was guilty of. The crowd were so out of control, the soldiers couldn’t get an answer out of them they could understand. The soldiers had to lift Paul above their heads to rescue him from the crowd. Lord, confusion seems to be the order of the day when you are doing something new. Help us to navigate the transition of our day with grace and wisdom.