2 Chronicles 17:1-19

The Word of God is a very powerful instrument in the hand of the Lord.  He uses the Word to instruct His children and to transform the hearts of men.  God’s Word is a source of great strength and blessing upon all who obey it.  Too often we desire to experience the blessings of God in our lives but we ignore the teachings of God’s Word and neglect to even read the Word.  Jehoshaphat was a king who shows a great respect for the Word of God and his reign in Judah was well established because of it.  The path to blessings from God can easily be found and followed through the Word of God.  We would do well to pay close attention to God’s Word.

JEHOSHAPHAT EXERCISED THE PRACTICE OF GOD’S WORD: Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of the Lord as he understood them from the Law of the Lord.  He did not worship the idols that many of the other kings before and after him.  He was faithful to remove the idols that his father had left behind and even went so far as to remove the high places.  He earned the respect of His people and they appreciated his godly example as well as his leadership in the nation.  He was courageous enough to confront the people of his nation with the sin in their lives and called them to obedience before the Lord.  We need to have this same dedication to obeying Scripture today even if it goes against the teachings that predominate our culture.  God is looking for men and women that are courageous enough to stand against the tide of our times and live in obedience to the Law of the Lord.   

JEHOSHAPHAT EXPLAINED THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD’S WORD: Besides setting an example of obedience, Jehoshaphat organized a group of leaders who traveled throughout his kingdom teaching the principles of God’s Word throughout the nation.  God’s Word is a blessing and it is a source of help to all who are exposed to it.  Unfortunately many people live in ignorance of God’s Word because they either do not have access to it or they simply neglect it.  Jehoshaphat had experience the blessings from obeying God’s Word and now he wanted all of the people in his kingdom to be able to experience these same blessings.  We who have God’s Word are responsible to spread the knowledge of God’s Word to the ends of the Earth.  It is wrong to keep it to ourselves.  We must be faithful to pass the Word of God on to others.


JEHOSHAPHAT EXPERIENCED THE PROTECTION OF GOD’S WORD: Since Jehoshaphat was faithful to practice the Word and preach the Word to others; he also experienced the protection of God in His kingdom.  The size of his army was more than twice the size of the army that his father had.  However, he was not required to use the army because the nations that were surrounding him were at peace with him.  It is a wonderful blessing to experience the protection of the Lord in our lives.  There are many who stand in opposition to the Word of God but if we are faithful to practice God’s Word and proclaim His Word to others; God is always faithful to protect us from those who oppose the Word.  We can rest in the provisions of the Lord.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and   dignified in every way.    This is good, and   it is pleasing in the sight of   God our Savior,   who desires   all people to be saved and   to come to   the knowledge of the truth.    For   there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is   the testimony given   at the proper time.    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),   a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges believers have and it should be one of our greatest priorities.  Too often our lives are more often marked by complaining about our circumstances and our political leaders than by prayers for them.  The government in Paul’s day
Read more