Date:
Friday,
May 08, 2015
Chapters: 2 Chronicles 9-11
Message Title: How Did That Happen
Hello My Friend,
Quite often as Christians I image we all have times where we look back at things, and wonder, “How did I get out of that?” or even worse, “How did I get into that?” The truth is, God allows it all, the good, the bad, and even the ugly things in our lives. You think God did not know that we were going to go down that path and not show us how to get out of it? Of course, He does. Sometimes God takes things away from us to get us to realize when need to depend on Him. As long as you have faith in God He will see us through. Wallowing in our sorrows does nothing for us, but using it to motivate us to do something about it does. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” - James 2:17,18.
Solomon's success as king soon spread worldwide, kings and queens came from all over the world to meet this king to who knew the living God, and see if he was all they claimed him to be. We learn more about this when Solomon got a visit from the queen of Sheba, even she praised God for all that He had given to him. “And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard. Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.” - 2 Chronicles 9:5-8.
The queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and expense to find out if Solomon was as successful as she heard. She discovered that his success was greater than what she heard, and not by anything that he had done, but what God did in his life. Faith in God comes by others as we who live for God become a testimony and example of the wonderful life that can be lived with God in it. If not for our living for God many people would not know God themselves. “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” - James 1:21-25.
Solomon died, and his son Rehoboam became king, not long after, he made a foolish decision that would cause the division of the nation. The leaders of Israel met with Rehoboam asking that he ease up on the hard labor and punishments that his father had imposed upon them. Rehoboam sought advice from Solomon's advisers and his friends, he chose the advice of his friends, which was a harsher punishment. Of course, this did not go well with the people.
“And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.” - 2 Chronicles 10:13-17.
God knew that the majority of the tribes would turn from Him, He wanted to separate Judah from the rest of them. Christians may be living in the world, but they are not a part of the world, and believe me, people know it. “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.” - John 15:18-21.
Now, with the news that everyone scattered, Rehoboam is fuming, he wants to show Israel who is in charge, he gathers up an army to fight against them, but just as the battle began God orders them to stop the fight. “And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.” - 2 Chronicles 11:1-4.
Sometimes God allows a division of our families. Why? God knew where they were headed and did not want His faithful to head in the same direction. We all have to admit that we have family members that are not good for us, and God just does not want us being corrupted by them nor fighting with them so, He will separate us from them to protect us. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:17,18.
God has a reason for everything He allows in our lives, whether it is something of His will or our own, it's not to punish us or condemn us, it's to get us to be dependent only on Him. God knows what you are going through, He just wants you to trust Him and have some faith that while you do everything in your power, God is doing everything in His. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:4,13.
Today's Prayer: God, Your gift of free will allows me to choose whether to follow Your path or my own, both paths will have their challenges, but I know that regardless of which one I take, You allow it for my own good. Thank You, for always being there for me, even when I chose to follow my own path sometimes, while I may be out of Your will, I am never out of Your grace. But God, I don't want to be out of Your will, I want to follow Your path as it not only saves me some tears it helps others find You as well. Lead me and guide me, let me be a testimony of just how wonderful and merciful You are, let me not forget that You will always see me through. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Chapters: 2 Chronicles 9-11
Message Title: How Did That Happen
Hello My Friend,
Quite often as Christians I image we all have times where we look back at things, and wonder, “How did I get out of that?” or even worse, “How did I get into that?” The truth is, God allows it all, the good, the bad, and even the ugly things in our lives. You think God did not know that we were going to go down that path and not show us how to get out of it? Of course, He does. Sometimes God takes things away from us to get us to realize when need to depend on Him. As long as you have faith in God He will see us through. Wallowing in our sorrows does nothing for us, but using it to motivate us to do something about it does. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” - James 2:17,18.
Solomon's success as king soon spread worldwide, kings and queens came from all over the world to meet this king to who knew the living God, and see if he was all they claimed him to be. We learn more about this when Solomon got a visit from the queen of Sheba, even she praised God for all that He had given to him. “And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard. Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.” - 2 Chronicles 9:5-8.
The queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and expense to find out if Solomon was as successful as she heard. She discovered that his success was greater than what she heard, and not by anything that he had done, but what God did in his life. Faith in God comes by others as we who live for God become a testimony and example of the wonderful life that can be lived with God in it. If not for our living for God many people would not know God themselves. “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” - James 1:21-25.
Solomon died, and his son Rehoboam became king, not long after, he made a foolish decision that would cause the division of the nation. The leaders of Israel met with Rehoboam asking that he ease up on the hard labor and punishments that his father had imposed upon them. Rehoboam sought advice from Solomon's advisers and his friends, he chose the advice of his friends, which was a harsher punishment. Of course, this did not go well with the people.
“And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.” - 2 Chronicles 10:13-17.
God knew that the majority of the tribes would turn from Him, He wanted to separate Judah from the rest of them. Christians may be living in the world, but they are not a part of the world, and believe me, people know it. “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.” - John 15:18-21.
Now, with the news that everyone scattered, Rehoboam is fuming, he wants to show Israel who is in charge, he gathers up an army to fight against them, but just as the battle began God orders them to stop the fight. “And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.” - 2 Chronicles 11:1-4.
Sometimes God allows a division of our families. Why? God knew where they were headed and did not want His faithful to head in the same direction. We all have to admit that we have family members that are not good for us, and God just does not want us being corrupted by them nor fighting with them so, He will separate us from them to protect us. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:17,18.
God has a reason for everything He allows in our lives, whether it is something of His will or our own, it's not to punish us or condemn us, it's to get us to be dependent only on Him. God knows what you are going through, He just wants you to trust Him and have some faith that while you do everything in your power, God is doing everything in His. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:4,13.
Today's Prayer: God, Your gift of free will allows me to choose whether to follow Your path or my own, both paths will have their challenges, but I know that regardless of which one I take, You allow it for my own good. Thank You, for always being there for me, even when I chose to follow my own path sometimes, while I may be out of Your will, I am never out of Your grace. But God, I don't want to be out of Your will, I want to follow Your path as it not only saves me some tears it helps others find You as well. Lead me and guide me, let me be a testimony of just how wonderful and merciful You are, let me not forget that You will always see me through. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.