The reading today in 2 Chronicles 33 and 34 makes me ask wonder how the faith that we hold to with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength can be instilled into the lives of our posterity. In chapter 35 Manasseh succeeds as king of Judah after Hezekiah’s death. How did Manasseh stray so far from God? Why did he choose to undo the good and true things of his father that glorified God? The Temple of the Lord was defiled by Manasseh of which God had said, “In this House and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses.” 2 Chronicles 33:7,8 The people of Judah were led by Manasseh to set their hearts towards Great evil. What can help in moments when we are so far from our first love of God? Continue Reading…
Hope rises as the heart transforms and renews: 2 Chronicles 33 and 34
True motivation sourced in a love of God: 2 Kings 23 and 24
Why do we seek to obey God? What is the reason for our faith? How often is a relationship with God reduced to a barter economy where we build up credit for our behavior to obtain something from God? After the book of the law was shown to Josiah he set about tearing down, burning, and defiling all the idols and places of worship that were shown to be wicked from the book of the law. What compelled Josiah to cast down the idols that had been built up with in Israel and Judah for generations? Was he hoping to win God’s favor? The actions of Josiah make me question why I do things ‘for God’ in my own life. Deep down what are the motives behind our faith and hope in Jesus Christ? Continue Reading…
May God raise up our children to fear Him: 2 Kings 21 and 22
Can there be any way to know with any certainty that your child will grow up to love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength? How is a God fearing legacy instilled in children? The scripture is consistently proclaiming that we need to love God and love people as we seek to cling to God. Can we really worry about our children’s faith when holding to our own faith is all consuming? Faith is the evidence of things unseen and the assurance of the hope we have in Jesus Christ for our future. Is the raising of children a great test of our faith? As we live out lives seeking to hold fast to our growing faith in God we will be an example for our children but in the end it is only by the grace of God that our children will grow to know and trust in Him. It feels like a great burden to know that we are powerless but in our weakness God’s faithfulness will be proclaimed. Continue Reading…
