2 CHRONICLES MOMENT – (14MAY19) Abijah became king after his
father Rehoboam. He only ruled Judah for three years, but during that time,
there was a war between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah rebuked Jeroboam and all
Israel for having opposed his father as king, and for driving out the Lord’s
priests and Levites for their own foreign gods and self-appointed priests. Abijah
and Judah prayed to God to give them victory over Israel and the Lord answered their
prayers.
There are a few important things to make mention of in this
story. The division between Israel and Judah was due to Solomon’s disobedience
when he fell into idolatry. God did not allow it to happen during his lifetime,
but He told him that his son would see the division. Therefore, God was the One
who appointed Jeroboam as king over Israel and allowed Rehoboam to be king over
Judah in fulfillment of that prophecy. Yet, Abijah was correct in rebuking
Jeroboam because he had totally turned away from the Lord, and had caused
Israel to do the same by setting up idols of worship, and by not allowing the
people to go to the temple to worship the Lord. Jeroboam went against
everything that the Lord had established and caused much sin and wickedness in
Israel. So, the Lord answered Judah’s prayer and allowed Israel to be defeated
because Judah sought His face.
When we are obedient to the Lord, we do not have to fear our
enemies. The Lord is there to fight our battles and even if it seems that we
may lose the earthly battle, the victory will ALWAYS be the Lord’s. He is a
Rewarder of those who obey Him, and He answers those who seek His face. There
are many things that are about to happen in the land of America and abroad. It
is going to be crucial that we stay connected to the Lord and walk in faith. If
we think that we can make it on our own accord, we are sadly mistaken. The drums
of war are getting louder by the day and things as we know it may soon change. Is
your cabinet stocked up with a fresh supply of faith? If not, you need to make
a purchase from the Lord. Although Abijah did not rule long, he did what was right
by relying not on his own strength but that of the Lord’s. We must do the same.
Something to ponder…
QUESTION OF
THE DAY – (14MAY19) King Asa found himself in need of serious help. The Cushites’
military were marching against Judah to prepare for war. They had thousands in
their army and three hundred chariots. Asa needed reinforcements to win this
battle and he knew that his help could only come from the Lord. He prayed to
God and the Lord came through and struck down the Cushites where they were not
able to recover. Not only did Asa win the battle with the Lord’s help, but
Judah was able to plunder all that they had including sheep and goats. Have you ever been faced with a situation that
you thought was impossible for you to win at first glance? Did fear fill your
heart initially because you did not know how you would make it through? The
devil comes with all his might to make us get discouraged and fear the unknown.
Yet, when we place our fears in God’s hands, He takes them away and replaces
our fears with courage so that we can have confidence in knowing that the
situation is already handled. We are not our own commanders, coaches and
chiefs. The Lord is the One who commands us on the battlefield, coaches us on
our plays, and leads us on the right path. We never have to question His devotion
to us as long as we stay close to Him. Something to ponder…
1 CHRONICLES
MOMENT – (14MAY19) King Baasha of Israel came against King Asa. He took hold of
Ramah to prevent them from being able to come in and go out. King Asa should
have prayed to the Lord for help because the Lord had helped him before, but he
relied on an alliance he made with the king of Aram after he paid him silver
and gold from the temple and his own palace. Hanani the seer gave a Word from
the Lord to Asa and told him that what he had done was foolish and that he
would constantly be at war. Instead of Asa humbling himself before the Lord, he
put the seer in prison. In his thirty-ninth year of ruling, he was afflicted
with a foot disease. Once again, instead of him inquiring of God for help, he
trusted in his physicians and died a couple of years later. What a sorry ending
to what had begun as so promising.
Pride entered
Asa’s heart and it often enters the heart of those who cannot see themselves
being repentant to God. Asa started out in full obedience to the Lord, but
somewhere, along the way, he allowed pride to overtake him just as Lucifer did.
Pride destroys the soul as termites destroy a home. Once it enters, it is hard
to leave. God would have come through for Asa as He had before, but pride took
over and caused him to rely on his own contract rather than turning to God.
Even at the end, pride did not allow him to ask for healing. Pride actually
makes the one who has it stupid. Many things can be avoided if pride is out of
the way. Most marriages crumble because of pride. Many people who find themselves
in trouble with the law is because of pride. Churches who refuse to teach truth
do so because of pride. All rebellion against the Lord leads back to PRIDE. When
we operate in pride, we grieve away the Holy Spirit. We must be careful to have
hearts of humility because pride leads to destruction. Something to ponder…
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