July 14

“And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.” 2 Chronicles 25:2

This verse paints the picture of typical human imperfection. It is true to say that even at our best, we are flawed and incomplete. This should not be a cause for discouragement however, but a reason for rejoicing in the love and mercy of God toward us. Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king and in the 29 years of reign that followed, he demonstrated that he could do the right thing. He also left no doubt that he could just as easily violate against God. In the same chapter which informs us that he did righteousness by fulfilling the law of God, we also read that after a victorious battle against the Edomites, he took their idols and bowed down in worship to them! Perhaps in not quite as obvious and blatant manner as in the life of Amaziah, but if scrutinised, we would find In every person, even in those who strive to live an upright and yielded life, that there is a negative human factor, which detracts in one way or another, and can mar that which is good. We often hear expressions of frustrated resignation such as: ‘he is a good man, but he lacks common sense’, or ‘he is a strong leader, but can be very impatient with others’, or ‘she is a good mother, but has little self-control’. These and many other such sentiments, highlight the deficiency in character and conduct, which abound in the human family. The ‘but’ of our lives, is the area or areas of life, where we mess up, don’t do so well and fail. Ultimately we all admit and agree that ‘no one is perfect’, but we all still admire that elusive quality to some degree. The truth is that only God is absolute in perfection and that we as humans we are overall flawed, but (and this is a good ‘but’) God nevertheless loves us, works with us, and helps us to grow when we stay close to Him. It is wrong to use our ‘imperfection’ as an excuse in life. The ‘I’m only human’ excuse for not making efforts or doing wrong and sinning against the Lord, is weak and should not be tolerated. Conversely we must all admit our shortfalls, and know that in spite of them, we can be empowered by the Lord to imitate Jesus, the only example of perfect humanity. Our task in life then, is to continue faithfully in obedience to God and do our level best to fulfil all that He has purposed for us, offering God our pure and genuine hearts, not our human excuses. For our inevitable lacks and shortcomings, we can all fall on His mercy and love, and know with the assurance He has already given us in His word, that through Him and by His strength we can overcome and be counted among the righteous.

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July 5

“…thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:” 2Chronicles 6:8

In these verses Solomon reiterates the direction God gave his father David, regarding the building of the temple. It had been David’s desire to build the house of God that Israel might have a place in which to worship Yahwah. God had recognised, acknowledged and praised this heartfelt sentiment, but had also forbidden David to be the one to erect the sanctuary. David had been a man of war, and though a man after God’s own heart, the Lord had determined that his son would be the one to construct the place of worship. Many times we find this same principle in God’s word. God’s will, must be fulfilled God’s way. The will of God includes the timing of God and the way in which God wants it to be done. When we violate any of those parameters, we cannot say we have done God’s will. The costliest mistakes made by God’s servants in doing His will, often involved forsaking, omitting or adding some detail to that which God had commanded. Our heart’s motivation may be appropriate and commendable, but our obedience to God must remain complete and of the highest order. Our heart’s yearnings must not surpass our desire to obey the Lord, or supersede our complete submission to His will. Presenting the sacrifice of obedience to God, must therefore be done in clear reflection of His holiness, and in a manner acceptable unto the Lord, in order to be correct and righteous. David loved God, and did not allow his desire, however pure, noble and laudable, to overtake his absolute compliance to Yahwah’s instructions. Let us be like David, showing God the intensity and depth of our love for Him, by our complete, willing and humble obedience of His will! 

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June25

“Now I have prepared with all my might…” 1 Chronicles 29:2

David had not been allowed by the Lord to build the house for God that he so desired to erect. His son Solomon would do that when came into the reign as the new king. David contented himself nevertheless to do all he could towards the construction, by supplying all the materials necessary for it, which he had accumulated, including much gold and silver from his own personal wealth. This example of desire and passion to see the house of God built, stirred other leaders and the people to also give as they could towards this great and worthwhile cause. In due course Solomon did build the renowned and awe inspiriting temple in Jerusalem which became the centre of Israel’s worship. A simple and yet powerful lesson we can draw from David’s contribution toward this great event, is found in his manner and attitude. Lesser men, when turned down on their desire to do something, also turn away with disdain and pride, feeling that is if they are not ‘good enough’ to do what they wanted or offered to do, then they will have no part at all with the situation or project. They then often look down on whatever ensues from there, with distant aloofness and unfeeling disregard. Clearly David was made of better stuff! With the same purity and humility that characterised his entire life, rather than turn away and shut down the idea, he pursued it in any way he could! His desire to build God’s house, was not motivated by personal pride or a desire to be recognised, his motivation was his love for his God! If he couldn’t build the temple per se, then he would facilitate the building of it by whatever means and ways he could! What is particularly of note is his manner and spirit in even doing that! He didn’t go about it with a half-hearted, ‘I’ll see what I can do’, type of attitude! He was pro-active about the project and did all he could with all his power, might and with all due zeal and diligence! In a time when kings were often remembered for the structures which were erected and the cities built during their reign, David sought no such recognition or accolade, yet is remembered to this day as a man after God’s own heart! This is not a title he assigned to himself, but attributed to him because of the life he lived for the Lord, and is probably the greatest praise that any king could ever be given, and the greatest achievement that he could be remembered for! What attitude and manner do we take when we do service unto the Lord? Does it matter to us what aspect of His work we are called to or allowed to do? Do we do it with all our might?

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June 16

“…for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.” 1 Chronicles 13:3

As the new leader of the people of Israel, David begins to make positive improvements to the way he and his people will behave. Among the early changes, he makes a clear difference between how he wants to lead and the way his predecessor Saul led. He includes himself with the people, and points out that the Ark of God’s Covenant with Israel has been ignored during the days of Saul, that it should be returned to Jerusalem and to its place of worship and prayer. The Ark was recognised as being the vehicle of God’s presence among the people, and a channel through which God gave them blessing, power, protection and direction. Saul had been so taken up with the constant battles against his enemies and the inner struggles of his own pride and insecurity that he had bypassed the need to enquire of the Lord, a practice which resulted in losses and costly mistakes. Such reformation as David instituted, is the kind of revival we all need in our hearts and souls. It is of the greatest importance that in all we perform, we do not forsake to enquire from the Lord. Life can become so busy with all sorts of important responsibilities, urgent tasks and unending distractions, that we can easily forget to do the most important thing of all – communicate with God! It seems unlikely that we could forget to breathe air into our lungs, drink the fluids we need or eat the food necessary for our physical strength, and yet prayer which is spiritually comparable to eating, drinking or breathing, is something we can so often put aside and not participate in. Like Saul we can be guilty of treating hearing from God, as an unnecessary or unimportant exercise and relegating it to the ‘bottom of the list’. We must instead like David, restore the place and position of prominence, God should hold in our lives. He should be at the centre of all our thoughts, desires and activities. Enquiring from the Lord, praising Him for His love, pleading for His guidance, listening for His direction and interceding for needs, should form the core around which we live every day of our lives. Having our hearts attuned to God and His Spirit, and feeding from His word every day, provides us with the necessary spiritual strength we all need to walk the Christian path and help someone else also along the way. Many of our troubles, mistakes and problems can be avoided or alleviated, if we faithfully remain conscious of God and His will for our lives, by enquiring diligently at His hand!

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June 15

“Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD…” 2 Chronicles 8:12

Solomon, in the first half of his dominion as king of Israel had reigned well. He trusted God, built the most magnificent temple to God’s honour and worship, conquered and set up cities in the strength of the Lord. He dealt wisely and properly with the people of his nation, not enslaving or taking tribute from them, but only from the remnants of the surrounding heathen nations who were in his kingdom. Most of all he continued in His personal obedience and worship of Yahwah. He did not cease his offerings unto God, at the sumptuous sacrifices he made in the beginning, on the occasion of the opening of the temple. He continued faithfully to worship the Lord and giving Him place in his life, with due deference and regard. He maintained all the prescribed feasts and sacrifices associated with them, along with the sacerdotal orders, his father David had set up. At this time in his life Solomon was true to God and served Him according to His will. There are many lessons we can draw from the life of this man and His prolific, God-inspired writings. The simple lesson here for us, is that of consistency and steadfastness. Doing righteousness is not a once only or once every so often requirement. It should be our goal, choice and desire to not only begin well, with joy and passion to serve and worship God, but also to continue well, and if anything, perfect the way and manner in which we serve and honour our Lord. All aspect of our lives can become opportunities for worship unto God. The way we conduct ourselves, how we deal members of our family, the attitude and manner we have towards others, the way we use our finances, or take care of needs and much more, all present us with occasions for bringing glory, honour and worship to God. Remaining humbly faithful and consistent in all aspects of our relationship with Jesus is at the core of the Christian walk and experience. There are some enemies to this beautiful and appropriate connection we can have with God. Among them are some, which are more subtle and that can creep in without us realising it. For instance feeling like close family with God is great and comforting, but familiarity if unchecked, can rob us of a sense of awe and respect for God, undermining the quality of our relationship with Him. A sense of doing God’s righteousness is wholesome and strengthening, but pride can make us forget we need the Lord in all things, and make us feel like we know what to do, have done it before and therefore need not enquire from the Lord. Becoming proud and self-sufficient even in righteousness, destroys the dependence we have on God and divides us from Him. Discipline is necessary to maintaining a consistent and continuous flow of service unto God, but we should never become so formal and accustomed to our organised schedule of ‘doing’, that we forget the Object of our service, His leading and that our main motive in service must be to love the Lord wholeheartedly! Let us not merely begin well, but by aligning with God’s Word and Spirit every day, continue throughout our lives to bring God glory and honour through holy and humble service and worship!

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June 7

“For he built again the high places…” 2 Chronicles 33:3

The epitaph, by which Manasseh’s life is remembered, is that ‘he did evil in the sight of the LORD’! How tragic that men choose to do evil, when they have the power to do good! He was a king, the son of a godly king. He had the power to influence Israel positively, but instead chose to turn against the God of Heaven, in offensive, purposeful and abominable idolatry. Manasseh didn’t just ‘slip’ into a sin after yielding to its temptation, he actively rebelled against Yahwah and rebuilt the idolatrous places of worship which his father had torn down and destroyed! He turned his worship and service to Baal, Ashtoreth, the sun, moon and stars. He fulfilled the foolishness of worshipping the created nature, whilst denying, offending and rejecting the Creator! Idolatry, occult practices, blasphemies and witchcraft, all became common place with Manasseh, and symptomatic of his disregard, disobedience and rebellion against God. It may be hard to comprehend that someone who grew up with a godly father, was no doubt exposed to the truth of God from a young age, and would have seen the blessing, healing and power of the One True God in his dad’s life, could turn so thoroughly and completely against the Almighty! Sadly this is not all that uncommon, highlighting the fact that each man must ultimately make his own personal choice in regards to the Lord. Whatever personal experience and relationship with God, his father had, this was not the case with Manasseh. It should strengthen the determination of all Christian parents to ensure that from a young age and as they are growing up, their children develop a personal and intimate knowledge and relationship with Jesus. It is clearly not enough to assume that just ‘taking them to church’ or having them saying prayers, is enough to help them become true believers in God. As parents we can encourage our children to know God personally, developing for themselves strong personal convictions, and experiencing God’s love and presence in their own lives. Doing this throughout their growing years, gives them the best opportunity to continue in a true faith and bond with God when they grow older. Ultimately we have to accept that it does come down to personal choice. There is evidence of children who grew to live godly lives, obedient to God and His ways, even though their parents were ungodly and without respect for the Holy One, or as we see in the life of Manasseh, the direct opposite of those circumstances. The best possible scenario and outcome is for us to imitate the example of those men and women of God who lived consistently righteous and godly lives, were influential in helping their children develop a personal relationship with the Lord and continued to pray and uphold them and their grandchildren, strengthening the testimony of God through their lives, to the second generation! May the Lord help every Christian parent to be so minded and consistent in their walk!

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May 19

“And when he had broken down the altars and the groves…” 2 Chronicles 34:7

Josiah was but a young boy eight years of age, when he began his reign as king over Israel. In spite of his youth, he did righteousness in the sight of God and walked according to the precepts of God’s law, in imitation of his forefather, the great king David. Josiah brought reform to Israel by thoroughly destroying all the places where idols were being worshipped. He journeyed throughout the land and wherever he found altars or groves dedicated to any heathen idol, he not only tore them down, but eradicated them, destroying them so completely that they could not be rebuilt again from the same materials! Revival broke out in Israel as a result of this ‘boy king’ and his actions of faithfulness to God. Josiah is a bright star shining in the dark sky of Israel’s history of backsliding. He reminds us to be faithful and to take a stand for God and His Word. We learn that when we stand for the Lord we must do so, totally and without compromise. God’s people must be faithful people and cannot stray from the truth of His ways. They cannot espouse means of worship and religion which are not acceptable to God. It is a mistake to think that we can imitate and adopt the ways of unconverted people around us, as suitable means or expressions for the worship of Yahwah, the true God. The message of Josiah’s life, is that there is no room for compromise in the life of the believer; that we must stand for God, His ways and His righteousness at all times and in all places; and that we must do so thoroughly and completely without giving place, not for a moment, to the enemy of our souls. Removing any contamination of the world from our lives, should be thorough. The systematic, methodical and comprehensive analysis of our minds, hearts and lives in the sight of God, and the removal of anything that may be offensive to God and contravening His Word, is a good practice for retaining a healthy spiritual life in Christ.

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May 5

“…the fire came down from heaven…and the glory of the LORD filled the house.” 2 Chronicles 7:1

God demonstrates His commendation of His people’s actions and faithfulness, in many different ways. The common denominator in all of them is the blessings He gives by His presence and glory, as the reality and power of His Spirit and holiness becomes manifest in their lives. The instance in our text is a sublime example of God’s pleasure being expressed and visited on Solomon as in faith and obedience, he established the temple for the worship of Yahwah, in Jerusalem. A similar manifestation of God, took place when the tabernacle was dedicated by Moses in the wilderness. In both cases, God marked His approbation, by sending a fire from heaven, which consumed the sacrifices. The response from the people in both cases, was to fall on their faces in honour and worship to the Lord, as they saw the might power of His glory, and experienced the touch of His presence and the perfection of His holiness! It is an occasion for great rejoicing among God’s people when such blessing and visitation from God takes place. We are so privileged to live in a time when God’s Spirit indwells us as believers, making us, our beings, the very temple of God and His abode! What an honour to know and feel God so intimately and personally! We may not see the fire fall down from heaven and burn up the offering physically, but we can experience the fire from heaven just the same, spiritually. The effect is alike and the glory of the Lord is identical. He still wants to show His approval of those who faithfully consecrated their temple to Him and for His use; those who regularly offer themselves on the altar of prayer and worship; those who treasure the presence of the Lord and desire His holiness so much that they go about as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God! God is still the same, loving, caring, blessing and enriching God, willing to show and give more of His strength, wisdom and provision, to any faithful servant who will serve Him and by faith please Him. God is faithful, He wants to bless, He desires to commend and longs to reward. He has not changed in His desire, but have we changed in ours? When was the last time, fire from heaven purified your soul, and God’s glory filled your temple?

Apr 6

“…David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD…” 1 Chronicles 16:7

God had blessed Israel, and David was not going to let any opportunity pass, without giving thanks to the Lord his God! The occasion was the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and it was met with great rejoicing by king David and the people. The celebration included all the people receiving food and drink from the king, and the instigation of a worship service, in which talented musicians would play the instruments, and singers would sing praises to Yahwah. To be sung for the first time at this special event, David wrote and handed to Asaph the chief musician, a psalm of praise and thanks to the Lord. How good it is to be thankful to God! We do not find it difficult to call and cry to God, in our distressing times and times of sorrow and trial. It is just as necessary for us to find the motivation and heart to give thanks to God, for all the manifold blessings He endows us with. On special occasions, we might more easily remember what He does, Who He is and what He means to us, and may even express some special praise, and voice a heartfelt prayer. I am sure the occasion before us was not the only time David’s psalm was sung! Every day and in so many ways, God does wonderful things in our lives, and it is appropriate and desirable to be ready with praise and appreciation from a thankful heart. Looking for daily opportunities to be grateful to the Lord, is a good an wholesome practice, for it helps us to see the Divine blessing in the usual daily things of life, which we may be tempted to take for granted! Someone said it is easy to appreciate something when you don’t have it anymore! If we stop for a moment and think how frustrating when the ‘usual’ doesn’t happen or work as it usually does! It is then we become aware of it, and realise what place it fills in our daily life. Being thankful to the Lord, is a strength for the child of God, and a godly testimony to those who, lacking of relationship with the Lord, are discontent and find it difficult to be grateful for anything much at all in life!

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Apr 5

“So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD…” 1 Chronicles 10:13

The Bible directs us to live our lives for God in His strength. Without His Spirit, our own efforts will result in weakness and failure. Saul ceased early to lean on God. His pride played on his emotions, and he became churlish towards life, foolish in his behaviour and careless in his obedience to God. We may not place a great deal of importance on our transgressions, and dismiss or trivialise our sins against God, but if they remain un-repented of, they will cause the demise of our moral being, and eventually result in spiritual and eternal death. The scripture is clear, Saul died for his transgression against Yahwah. Saul was guilty of a number of gross sins, for which the Bible does not tell us, he ever repented. He usurped the command of God, in the matter of the battle against the Amalekites; unjustly pursued David, an innocent man, determined to kill him; commanded the senseless slaughter of an innocent priest of God, and sought help from a woman practicing the occult to find direction in life! He flew in God’s face with his transgression, and remained at variance with God. Even if at times he was emotionally stirred, it was but a temporary reprieve to his habit of disregarding God’s law. All sin is worthy of death, and there is in essence, no sin greater than another when it comes to its final result, but it is sin for which we remain un-repented that will cause us to die the second death. Saul’s departure from this world, was a dishonourable death, not such as was worthy of a king and a man belonging to the people of God! While death is not of itself anything to be necessarily wanted or desired, it can nevertheless take place with honour, when it is the result of selfless sacrifice or service to the King of Kings! Unless the Lord returns beforehand, we will all die physically at some stage, but what will be the unwritten epitaph describing the real reason for our decease? Let us live for God in such a way, that when we die, even in death we may bring glory to the Lord and be a memory of the sweet savour of His grace and of godly faithful service unto Jesus.

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Feb 28

“And let us bring again the ark of our God to us…” 1 Chronicles 13:3

No sooner was David made king over Israel, that he renewed the nation’s consciousness for the presence of God. Revival comes to God’s people, when we determine to return to a close relationship with God, and enquire from Him how to direct our lives! Israel had not sought God’s directives during the reign of Saul. They had contented themselves to worship elsewhere, or not to worship at all. They had all but forgotten the importance and place of the ark of God. This remarkable piece of furniture, which had travelled with Israel through the wilderness journey to the Promised Land, had been the earthly ‘seat’ of the presence and glory of God and the centre of worship for the Israelites. Without a temple for it to be housed in, it had become neglected and with that neglect, had come also the negligence and failure of enquiring at the face of the Lord. David fully intended to change all of that! His zeal and enthusiasm to restore the ark to its rightful place, as the soul and centre of Israelite worship, was contagious, appreciated and agreed to by the people over whom he now reigned. The whole instance speaks to us of the importance of keeping God in the centre of our lives and focus. How easy it is to get so busy with life, work, family and a host of other mind occupying things, and pay little attention, or forget altogether, the One to whom we owe all else we have! How typically human is the trait of feeling capable to captain our own lives, and fail to ask God and enquire from Him what He wants us to do and how He wants us to do it. This shifting of the patterns established by God, from spirituality to carnality, sets us back in our relationship with the Lord, and costs us and our families very dearly! Like David, we must be champions for the consciousness and worship of Yahwah. Like him, we must always work to restore and maintain Jesus as the centre and focus of our lives; as the priority and prime purpose of our existence.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion