Fri.’s Devo - Parts of the Body

Read: 2 Chronicles 24:1-25-28; Romans 12:1-21; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 20:8-10 Joash was seven when he became the king and was a very good king as long as Jehoiada was alive. Jehoiada, the high priest had raised him and picked his two wives for him. He was Joash’s greatest advisor. Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple and took up money from the people. He was able to restore the Temple and provide all the articles for worship needed. The daily sacrifices were made to the Lord as long as Jehoiada lived. When he died at 30, things started going down hill. Leaders came to Joash and convinced him to abandon the Temple of the Lord and start worshipping Asherah poles and idols instead. This made God very angry. God sent prophets to turn his heart back to God but Joash refused to listen. One of them was Zechariah, Jehoida’s son. King Josah ordered his men to stone Zechariah. Zechariah died praying for revenge from God. God did send his revenge through the Aramean army. They attacked Judah with a small army but God helped them kill all of Judah’s leaders and took much plunder. Joash was wounded in the battle but his own officials assassinated him in his own bed. Amaziah, Joash’s son became the next king. He was 25 when he came to the throne. He reigned 29 years and did mostly what was pleasing to the Lord. He executed the men who assassinated his father but let their children live. Amaziah took inventory of his army and found he had 300,000 soldiers. He also hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel to join him. God sent a prophet to tell him not to hire the men from Israel because God would fight against him since God was not with Israel right now. Amaziah had spent 7,500 pieces of silver to hire them. He asked God about that and he said that he could give him so much more than that. So Amaziah let the army from Israel go home. They were so insulted when they heard they would not to be able to fight that they raided towns in Judah all the way back to Israel. Amaziah sent his army against Edom and killed 20,000 of them in the Valley of Salt. Amaziah brought plunder of the Edomites which included some of their idols. They began to worship them. God sent a prophet to ask them why they would worship the gods of a nation who they couldn’t save. Amaziah cut him off and asked him who made him his counselor. He refused to listen to the prophet. Next, Amaziah wanted to challenge the king of Israel to a battle. The king of Israel was King Jehoash. Jehoash tried to convince Amaziah not to go to war with him but he couldn’t change his mind. They drew up battle lines in Beth-shemesh. Judah was crushed by Israel’s army and 600 feet of Jerusalem’s wall was taken down. They took away gold and silver from the Temple and many of the sacred objects including what sounds like… the Ark. Because Amaziah turned away from the Lord, conspirators killed him in Lachish where he had fled. In Romans, Paul explains that when we become a Christian we give our bodies to God like Jesus gave his for us. We allow God to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. We don’t need to think higher of ourselves but humbly judge ourselves in light of Jesus’ life. We are all different parts of Christ’s body so we all function together helping each other. Some can prophesy, some serve. Some are teachers and others encourage. Some are leaders and and others have the gift to show kindness. God’s kingdom works when we all do our part truly loving one another. Bless those who persecute you. Do everything you can do to live peacefully with one another. Let God take revenge for you. Don’t let evil conquer you but conquer it by doing good. Lord help us to do these things - to love everyone and let you take care of those who hurt us. May we do our part in your Body and may we do it in a way that is pleasing to You.