Sun.’s Devo - Hezekiah’s Reform

Read: 2 Chronicles 29:1-36; Romans 14:1-23; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 20:12 Hezekiah summoned the people to the Temple and explained that because Ahaz had led the nation into idolatry and abandoned the Lord, they had become on object of dread and ridicule. They had lost many men in war and their women and children had been taken captive. He led the people in a covenant to the Lord. He called the priests and Levites back to service. The Levites responded immediately. They began cleansing and repairing the Temple and had it back in working order in 16 days. They had it ready for sacrificing two days after the Passover. Hezekiah offered seven bull, seven rams, and seven male lambs. Satan’s number is 666. God’s number is 777. Singers were stationed at the Temple with their instruments just like it was in David’s day. Everyone sang songs of praise were sang and they bowed down in worship as the priests ordered their sacrifices. Then the Levites sang and the people offered their sacrifices to the Lord. Almost 4,000 animals were sacrificed that day. They had so few priests that they had to let relatives of the Levites help. Everyone rejoiced that the restoration could happen so quickly. Turning from the Lord usually takes a process of time but repentance is immediate and God restores quickly. In Romans, Paul was speaking to the mature believer. He told him to not judge or condemn a weaker Christian because of their beliefs about what it right and wrong. We have all been given a conscience and we must obey it. All consciences are not alike. Arguing over what to eat and not eat is a waste of time and effort. Everyone will answer to God for their own lives. We have enough to worry about ourselves to worry about what others think. God is so much more interested in our hearts and the way we worship him than what we eat or don’t eat. Lord, help us to prioritize things in our lives according to your standards. May we hold up the mirror to our own faces and not play God for others. We thank you for your great mercy and grace.

Sat.’s Devo - Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz

Read: 2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 20:11 Uzziah became king when he was only 16 years old. He was a good king until he got full of pride. When he was good, he followed the Lord and conquered his enemy, the Philistines and brought safety and confidence to his land. Other nations gave him gifts and were afraid to attack him and there was peace in the land and prosperity. As he got older, he got filled with pride and decided he wanted to offer incense on the incessant altar. He went into the Temple before the priests could stop him. When they tried, his forehead was already breaking out in leprosy. They rushed him out of the Temple but he remained a leper the rest of his life and had to live outside the palace. His son, Jotham became the next king at 25. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok, the priest. Jotham did what was pleasing to the Lord like his father Uzziah but he did’t offer up incense. But the people continued living in sin. Jotham rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple and restored the wall that had been torn down in Amaziah’s day. He fortified cities against attacks from the enemy. He went to war against he Ammonites and conquered them. He received much tribute from neighboring nations and was very powerful because he continued to obey the Lord. He reigned 16 years and when he died, his son Ahaz became king. Ahaz ws 21 when he came to the throne. He reigned 16 years also. He did not do what was pleasing to the Lord. He was a king like the kings of Israel. He made images to worship Baal and sacrificed his own sons to Baal. He sacrificed in pagan shrines and groves. So, God allowed the king of Aram to defeat him and exiled large numbers of his people to Damascus. Israel attacked them and killed 120,000 of their army all because they had abandoned the Lord. One of the soldiers from Israel’s army killed Ahah’s son, the palace commander and the king’s second-in-command and captured 200,000 women and children and took them back to Samaria. When they entered Samaria, Obed the prophet was there to meet them. He told them that God and all heaven was disturbed by the way they had barbarically killed their brothers and taken these people captive. God had let them do this to punish Judah for their sins but Israel’s sins were much worse. They needed to return these people or God would punish Israel even greater. Four of the leaders in Israel agreed and they had the captives clothed, tended to their wounds and sent them back to Jericho. King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help against he Edomites. They had invaded Judah and taken captives. The Philistines were also attacking and gaining territory. Instead of helping Ahaz, the king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He took valuable items from the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace and all the wealthy homes. Even then, Ahaz did not ask the Lord for help. He asked for help from the gods who had defeated him thinking it would help but it only hurt him worse. He took things from the Temple and busted them then closed the doors so no one could worship God. He set up altars to foreign gods on every corner of the street in Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah and made God even angrier. He died and wasn’t not buried in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. His son, Hezekiah became king, thank God. In Romans, God explains that he puts men in position of authority for his own purposes and we much honor them. In the story we read in the Old Testament we read that even though Jotham was a good king who honored the Lord, the people didn’t, so God gave them a king next who led them in every sin he could imagine. All this brought really bad consequences to the people. But God was trying to get their attention and show them that things do not go well for them when they choose any god but him. Paul explained that you honor the one in charge but you also keep a clear conscience. If they do evil things, you do not follow them. Always honor God’s laws first. We are to clothe ourselves in righteousness and be children of the day. Lord, help us to desire righteousness and not to fulfill the desires of our flesh. Thank you for cleansing our land of idolatry and returning us back to you.

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.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Plan Always Succeeds

Read: 2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21; Romans 11:13-36; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 20:7 Jehoshaphat died and Jehoram his son became the next king. He had six other sons but Jehoram was the oldest. Once he secured his kingdom, he killed all his six brothers. He married Athaliah who was one of Ahab’s daughters who was a Baal worshipper. She led him and all Judah to worship other gods. Because Jehoram abandoned Him, God led the Edomites in a revolt. They won their independence from Judah. Elijah sent Jehoram a letter rebuking him for his deeds and telling him the Lord was about to strike him, his people, his children, wives and all that was his with a heavy blow. He would suffer a severe intestinal disease which would end in a painful death. The Arabs attacked him and took all these things Elijah warned about away from him and only his youngest son was spared. His name was Ahaziah. He was the son of Athaliah. When he came to the throne, his mother, Athaliah encouraged him to worship Baal and follow after the sins of Israel. He joined King Joram of Israel in a war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. Joram was wounded in the battle. When he returned to Jezreel to recover, King Ahaziah went to visit him. God appointed Jehu to bring down the dynasty of Ahab so he happened to meet a group of Ahaziah’s men going to Jezreel. He killed them all then found Ahaziah hiding in Samaria and killed him also. When Athaliah found out about this she began to destroy the rest of Judah’s royal family so she would reign. Her sister-in-law took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash and hid him in the Temple. The priests raised him till he was seven. Then they formed a plan to crown him the king. Five army commanders went from town to town throughout Judah gaining support of the Levites for Joash. They all came to the Temple to execute the plan. They divided into three groups. One surrounded Joash, the other third stood at the gates and the last third went to the royal palace. They were to kill anyone who tried to enter the Temple. They brought Joash out and crowned him king and presented him with a copy of God’s laws. They anointed and proclaimed him king and everyone shouted, “Long live the king!” Athaliah heard the noise and saw the people running to the Temple so she went to see what was happening. When she saw Josah with the crown on his head and saw all the Levites with weapons standing around him, she shouted, “Treason!” The high priest, Jehoiada had her brought out of the Temple and killed. Jehoiada had the people enter into a covenant with the Lord to follow Him alone. They went over to the Temple of Baal and tore it down and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of his altars. The priests offered sacrifices to the Lord and worshipped him. They then led Joash to his palace where he became king. The people rejoiced that Athaliah was dead and the city was at peace. In Romans, Paul explains that the Jews rejected Jesus making them a wild branch on God’s tree. They were cut off and the Gentiles grafted on in their place but it doesn’t mean they can’t be grafted back on one day. Jew and Gentile were welcome to come to Jesus but as a whole the Israel nation rejected Jesus. Even so, there were many Jews who believed. Paul warned the Gentiles that if they didn’t stay true to the Lord, the same thing could happen to them. It all came back to believing in their hearts. The Gentiles were to so honor God and have a relationship with him in a way that the Jews would be jealous and want it too. A time will come when the Jewish nation will be grafted back on to their roots. Lord, thank you that you always have a plan. Thank you for the plan you have for our nation and thank you that we can see your plan emerging out of the dust.

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

Read: 2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37; Romans 10:14-11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; Proverbs 20:4-6 The battle was over. King Ahab was killed and King Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem. The prophet, Jehu met him on the way and asked him why he would leave his nation and go and help the wicked who hate the Lord. God was very angry with him for fighting with Ahab, but he was glad that he had removed the Asherah poles and that he had committed himself to seek God. Jehoshaphat traveled throughout his kingdom encouraging the people to return to the Lord. He appointed judges to judge the people fairly. In Jerusalem he appointed some of the Levites to serve as judges. Amariah the high priest would have the final say in all cases involving the Lord. The armies of the Ammonites and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. When he was told this, he was terrified and begged the Lord to help him. He proclaimed a fast in Jerusalem and people from all around came to meet in Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help. Jehoshaphat stood and prayed for the nation. He humbly told the Lord that they were powerless without him. One of the men in the crowd was filled with God’s spirit and gave a response from the Lord. He told them not to be afraid because this battle was not theirs but the Lord’s. They were to march against them tomorrow, but they would not fight. All they would have to do was to stand and watch as the Lord and his army would get the victory for them. Then the people bowed in reverence and the Levites stood and praised the Lord with a very loud shout. The next morning as the army was leaving to stand where the Lord had instructed them, Jehoshaphat encouraged them to believe in God’s prophets and they would succeed. He appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord, “Give thanks to the Lord, his faithful love endures forever!” The moment they began to sing, God caused the enemy to start killing themselves. By the time Judah’s army reached them they were all dead on the ground. Not a single one escaped. King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder and took away great amounts - so much they couldn’t carry it all. They marched back home singing songs to the Lord. Jehoshaphat had been a very good king who honored God. There are times in our lives when we have to fight our battles and times when the Lord literally fights them for us and we just stand. Our job is to listen to the Holy Spirit and to respond to what he tells us to do. At the end of his reign he made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel who was very wicked. They joint together to build a fleet of trading ships. Eliezer the prophet prophesied against Jehoshaphat and told him that his alliance with Israel was wrong and the ships would never sail. They met disaster and were never put to sea. In Romans Paul gave God’s plan to spread his message. He would send his messengers to tell the people about Jesus. They can’t have faith in something they have never heard about. God had told Moses about the time when the message would go to the Gentiles. He confirmed it through Isaiah. God did not reject his people to take in the Gentiles. Paul was a Jew so he was proof that God still loved his chosen people; he was just expanding his kingdom to all people. That had been the plan all along. God has always had his people throughout history that were faithful to him. When Elijah thought he was the only one left who really trusted in Him, God told him he had 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal. But, because Israel rejected Jesus when he came, God did put them to sleep spiritually so they could not see and shared his grace with the Gentiles who were eager to believe. Lord, thank you for your love endures forever. Thank you for salvation! May we share your gospel with those we meet today.

Tues.’s Devo - The Prophets Were Right

Read: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:25-10-13; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 20:2-3 Jehoshaphat became he king of Judah when his father Asa died. Jehoshaphat was a good king who honored God and rid his nation of the pagan shrines and Asherah poles. He sent leaders and Levites to teach the people in the towns the law of the Lord and how to worship Him. The other nations feared Judah and brought Jehoshaphat gifts. He made an alliance with Israel by letting his son marry Ahab’s daughter. King Ahab wanted to get Ramoth-gilead back under his control and asked Jehoshaphat if he would help him. Jehoshaphat gladly agreed to go with him in battle. First, he wanted to ask the Lord if they would succeed. King Ahab brought all his false prophets and they all told the king to go to battle because he would succeed. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God they could ask. Ahab told him about Michaiah but he told him he despised him because he never prophesied anything good for him. Jehoshaphat rebuked Ahab for talking about God’s prophets with such little respect. Ahab sent for Michaiah. On the way back the officers instructed Michaiah to agree with their prophets. Michaiah sarcastically told Ahab to go to war. King Ahab angrily told him to tell him the truth. Michaiah told him that he saw all Israel scattered on the battle field and King Ahab was dead. He went on to tell him that there was a meeting in heaven and they were trying to decide how they could convince Ahab to go to battle so he could be killed. One of the angels came up with the idea of lying through his prophets which they all agreed it would work. Ahab was so angry he had Michaiah taken back to Samaria and put in prison and fed only bread and water until he returned. Micahiah reminded him he would not return. So, they went out to face the army of Aram. The army of Aram had been given the order to find the king of Israel and kill him. Ahab decided to not dress in his royal clothes but to dress as a regular soldier. When the battle began they chased Jehoshaphat because he was dressed in his royal robes. He called out and they realized he wasn’t Ahab so they quit chasing him. A soldier shot a random arrow toward the Israelite troops and it hit the chink in Ahab’s armor. He told his officers he was wounded so they sat him up in his chariot so all his men would think he was alive and they would fight. He sat and bled out the whole day and was dead as the sun was setting. In Romans, Paul quoted a prophecy of Hosea’s. He had prophesied that a people who had not been God’s people would become his people. He was speaking of the Gentile and of that day that Paul was living in. Isaiah had prophesied the same thing. He had said that a remnant of the Jews would be saved. Paul explained that even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s laws, they were made right with God through their belief. The Jews were so bent on following the law that they missed the rock that came to save them. The whole law and prophets had spoken of that day when Jesus would come and fulfill every bit of the law. The Jews missed it and killed Jesus but the Gentile accepted him and believed in him. This counted as righteousness for them. Anyone who calls on the ahem of Jesus will be saved. Thank you, Lord for this great covenant of faith. Thank you for making a way for all to come to you.

Mon.’s Devo - King Asa’s Reign

Read: 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14; Romans 9:1-24; Psalm 19:1-14; Provers 20:1 Abijah died and his son Asa became the king of Judah. He was a good king who trusted in the Lord. He removed the pagan shrines and the incense altars from all of Judah’s towns so they enjoyed peace and rest from their enemies. During the time of peace, Asa did what we should do when we have times of refreshing and rest from battles. He fortified the towns God had given him. We should take the times of rest as a time to build up our faith and strengthen ourselves for the next battle. He made sure his army was well trained. Asa’s next battle came from an Ethiopian named Zerah who attacked with one million warriors. Asa had half the army he had but he relied totally on the Lord, and God’s army fought with him to defeat them. On his way home God sent his prophet, Obed to commend him for turning to the Lord and to promise him that as long as he trusted in the Lord, he would be with him and help him. In the rest of the world things were very dark and unsafe but God promised that their work would be rewarded and for them to be strong and courageous. Asa took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and repaired the altar of the Lord. The people in Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon along with the people from Judah and Benjamin met at Jerusalem and Asa sacrificed 7,700 animals on the altar to the Lord. Asa deposed his grandmother, Maacah because she made an obscene Asherah pole. They enjoyed peace until Asah’s 35th year of his reign. King Baasha of Israel invaded and fortified the city of Ramah to prevent the people of Judah from coming to Israel and vice versa. Ramah was a gateway between the two countries. Asa responded by taking silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple and sending them to King Ben-hadad of Aram to help him fight Israel. God sent his prophet Hananiah to rebuke him for hiring another country to help them instead of asking him to fight for them. Did he forget what God had done for them with Zerah? From now on they would be in constant war. Asa became so mad at Hananiah for rebuking him that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. He also began to oppress some of his people. Four years later, Asa developed a serious foot disease and didn’t seek the Lord so he died a year later. In Romans, Paul tries to explain predestination. God destined some people for his glory and others for their destruction. He used Jacob and Esau as the example. They were twins born to Jacob, God’s patriarch but God chose to have favor on Jacob and reject Esau. God who is the maker of everything decides everyone’s fate no matter if they are Jew or Gentile. Our job is to respond to his will for our lives. Lord, some things are too high for us to understand with our carnal minds so we have to trust your Spirit as our loving Father. Thank you for choosing us to respond to You.