Daily Encouragement

April 25, 2010 - The King Who Followed After David

The Chronicles recorded these words about King Jehoshaphat, "Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel." (v. 3-4 NKJV)

Not only he loved the word of God, he, like King David, set up teachers to instruct his people the word of God. Thus, God was with him and also protected him and honored him. He became increasingly powerful. God granted him mighty soldiers who supported the king because they loved God also. (v. 16)

When you honored God and His word, God would honor you also. The Bible here took up several chapters to encourage us with the life of this king.

April 26, 2010 - The Great Power Of Praise

Meditation on 2 Chronicles 20

Once awhile God put our spiritual learning and faith to test. Jehoshaphat and his people finally had to face the greatest challenge in their security. A tremendous host of alliance of enemies came to attack them. They who had been taught God's way responded with the right attitude. They and the king first sought the Lord. They fast and prayed. (v. 3). In fact they and their families all stood before the LORD in the temple to pray with Jehoshaphat. God answered their prayer by the Spirit coming upon one of their prophets to instruct them not to be afraid for God was with them, so they praised the LORD.

They had decided to face their enemies with the great choir wearing holy robes. They praised the Lord and thank Him for His eternal love and kindness. They walked in front of their own army in the battle. The Bible said that as they were praising God, He sent set ambush against their enemies who were defeated. (v. 22) God was in the midst of praise. The enemies were totally destroyed. Not one of them was left for they killed one another among themselves.

That was the power of great praise! Let us thank God for His salvation and blessings in our daily life right now. We can even thank Him for the trials too. (James 1:2)

April 27, 2010 - The Negative Influence Of A Mother

Meditation on 2 Chronicles 22

Ahaziah, the youngest grandson of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah after his father, Jehoram died. His mother was the Athaliah was the granddaughter of Omri of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. She was related to King Ahap and Jezebel, the wicked couple. She and the house of Ahap counseled King Ahaziah to do evil and worshiped Baal and idols. Therefore he reigned for less than a year and was killed. The mother who had dominated her son then killed all the heirs in the royal household. She made herself the only ruling queen in the history of Judah for five years.

If it was not the bravery of the high priest and his wife to hide the remaining son of Ahaziah, Joash, there would be no seed for the Messiah.

The Bible carefully recorded all the mothers of the kings and where they came from. So we realize that the influence of the mother is so important in a person's life. Athaliah was herself influenced by Jezebel, her step mother. These women's false religion caused the ruin of their descendants. Let all of us only trust in the one and only true God whose only begotten Son Jesus died on the cross for our sins and erased all the negative influences. (Colossians 2:13-15)

April 28, 2010 - Recognizing One's Own Limitation

Meditation on 2 Chronicles 26

Once a while we may run into a person who thinks that he has multiple gifts and talents. So without training, this person put himself into the position of running the spiritual ministry of the church including overseeing the pastor. When there is no pastor around, he or she may even preach, baptize or giving communion without going through the proper dedication and ordination. I think this is an over-interpretation of 1 Peter 2:9. Not everyone is called to be a pastor though every Christian can serve God in some capacity as God gives him or her, the gift to do so.

King Uzziah was a good and powerful king of Judah. He followed the LORD and sought to do what was right in the eyes of God. He was very talented in many ways as a military man, an architect as well as an agriculturalist. He was a builder and an inventor. But he became proud and wanted to be a priest to burn incense in the temple too. When the High priest confronted him, he got angry and still insisted on his offense to God. Therefore, God struck him with heavy skin disease which was contagious. He could never be near people again.

How we need to recognize our own limitation. Overstepping our boundary would result in God's discipline.

April 29, 2010 - The Blessings Of Revival

Meditation on 2 Chronicles 30

Unlike the evil and idolatrous deed of his father, King Hezekiah reintroduced temple worship to the LORD. He cleansed out all the false images and foreign materials from the house of God. There was great reform in the whole country. People were very happy and generous to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings to God in the way of Moses. The priestly and Levitical system was reinstalled.

The people celebrated the feast of God and worshiped Him with great joy in Jerusalem. The Scriptures said that God heard their prayers in heaven! (v. 27) In the following chapter, it was recorded that the people came near and far to worship God and even children three years old and up joined in with their parents to serve the LORD. God had blessed the country in many ways. Even powerful enemies who came to attack them were later destroyed by God because of the prayers of God's people.

When God's people get right with Him and repent of their sins, God will pour upon them His bountiful blessings and grant them joy and prosperity.

April 30, 2010 - God's Prophecy Must Be Fulfilled

Meditation on 2 Chronicles 36

After King Hezekiah, the nation of Judah had turned against God again. The king and the people had practiced false religion in a manner even worst than before. So God had given the whole nation into the hand of Babylon. The royalty were either killed or captured and being brought to foreign land. Even the sacred utensils of the temple were brought to Babylon. Ezekiel had described that the glory of God gradually left the house of God. The land of Israel and Judah was devastated.

It is interesting to note that God had purposely allowed their land to rest for 70 years as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied. (v. 21) Since the people did not keep God's commandment to rest the land. God forced them to do so eventually. His word must be fulfilled.

However, God still had mercy upon his people. In the last verse of Chronicles, it was recorded that the king of Persia, Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return home to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Again, God's word was accomplished.

One way or another, God would accomplish His program as He wills.

May 1, 2010 - The Providence Of God

Meditation on Ezra 1

The book of Ezra recorded the return of the Jewish exile from Babylonia and the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem. The numbers of the articles brought back from the captures of Nebuchadnezzar were recorded. The personnel who returned was recorded in chapter two as well as their offerings for the building of the temple. Their return was the moving of God upon King Cyrus of Persia who made the decree and provided the treasures to do so. Their building was the result of God's touch upon the leaders to do so.

All these were the indication of God's providence and His timing according to His judgment. God was in charge and He moved upon anyone He wishes even a Gentile king. As God so moved upon Ezra, we all ought to carefully remember and give an account of al His blessings upon us in the journey of our lives. The high points and low points of our lives in detail should be remembered and documented in our mind and spiritual diary. Then our lives will be full of thanksgiving and praise.