Month: March 2024

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of First Chronicles
is unify God’s people, to trace
the Davidic line and to teach that
genuine worship ought to be the
center of individual & national life;
whilst that of 2nd Chron is to unify
the nation around true worship
of God, to highlight the religious revivals under the good kings and
to expose the sins of the evil kings.

On Monday, we learn fr 1 Chron 16
to Thank God for what He has done.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Chr 21
that God Is Holy Yet Also Gracious.
On Wed, we learn from 1Chron 28
that God With Us Boosts Courage.
On Thu, we learn from 2Chr 15/16
that God Strengthens t Committed.
On Friday, we learn from 2Chr 20
that God Fights Battle for us, and
On Sat, we learn from 2Chron 32
that God Is For us and Helps us.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are worthy of our Thanks
for all that You have done for us;
For You are worthy of our Praise
being Holy yet Gracious & With us;
For You are For us and Helps us,
strenghtening us & fighting for us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Is For Us & Helps Us

Inheriting a disorganised country
and a burden of tribute to Assyria,
Hezekiah puts first things first.
In the very first month of his reign
Hezekiah repairs the house of the
Lord, restores the long-neglected
Temple worship and declares war
on idol worship & pagan practices.
When the Assyrian King besieges
Jerusalem, Hezekiah prays for
deliverance. God answers his plea &
crowns his life with power & prestige

Lord, we Seek & Trust Your Help:
When Hezekiah saw Sennacherib
had come to make war, he consulted
with his leaders and commanders…
he strengthened himself, built up
all the wall… made weapons…Then
he gathered the people and gave
them encouragement (2C32:2-6)
Be Strong and Courageous. Do not
be afraid or discouraged because
of the king of Assyria and the vast
army with him, for there is a Greater
Power With us than with him.
With him is only the arm of flesh,
but with us is the Lord our God
to Help us and to fight our battles.
And the people gained confidence
from what Hezekiah the king of
Judah said (2 Chron 32:7-8).
Now because… King Hezekiah and
the prophet Isaiah… Prayed and
cried out to heaven. Then the LORD
sent an angel who cut down every
mighty man… of Assyria (v20-21).

Lord, we learnt from 2 Chron 32
when King Hezekiah faced a strong
enemy, he made preparations
and he told his people the truth
that You God is in fact Greater.
Help us when we sometimes feel
overwhelmed at how little strength
in the midst of the challenges.
Help us not to worry but instead
Pray, remembering that the one
who is in us is Greater than the
one who is in the world. Amen.

Lord, when we face overwhelming
circumstances, we seems small
and the enemy wants us to be
trapped in that perspective.
But LORD Your Word urges us to
Be Strong & Courageous and to
let our eyes come to rest on God.
Praise be to Lord God Almighty
for we’re never in the battle alone
for our battle is the Lord’s. Amen.

Lord, thank You that You are
with me in everything of my life.
No matter what comes against me,
You are with me in all that I face.
And in faith, I am leaving You to
take charge of all my situations.
I praise You and Your greatness
in the midst of all that seems large
and looming in my life. For the
Battle Belongs to the LORD. Amen.

God Fights Battle for us

Jehoshaphat institutes a national
scripture study program which God
blesses with peace and prosperity.
But he also institutes a peace
treaty with the king of Israel. And
it causes Judah being entangled
in a war between Israel and Syria.
But his reaction to divine rebuke,
his appointment of judges to rule
for the Lord and his Godward
response to crisis point to the
day-by-day reality of his faith.

Lord, we Seek Your Assistance:
Jehoshaphat set himself to seek
the Lord and proclaimed a fast…
Are You not our God, who drove
out the inhabitants of this land…
and gave it to the descendants of
Abraham… And here are the pple of
Ammon, Moab & Mt Seir…O our God,
won’t You stop them? For we’ve no
power against this great multitude
nor do we know what to do, but our
eyes are upon You (2Chr 20:3-12)
Then the Spirit of the Lord came
upon Jahaziel a Levite. And he said:
Do not be afraid nor dismayed…
for the battle is not yours but God’s.
Position yourselves. Stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord(14-17)
Jehoshaphat said: Believe in the
Lord…& you shall be established…
Now when they began to sing and
to praise, the LORD set ambushes
against the people of Ammon, Moab
& Mt Seir & defeated them (v20-22)

Lord, sometimes I feel so over-
whelmed & all I can say is “Help”.
When I don’t know what to do,
but I am looking to You for help.
Plse help me Lord to fully trust You
instead of focusing on the situation.
When trouble comes, help me
to keep my eyes solely on You;
for the battle belongs to the Lord.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Father God, when at our wits end,
we come seeking You for assistance.
We look to You for we don’t know
what to do but our eyes are on You.
We call on You for we know Your
almighty power & promises to us.
We Depend and Rest on You Lord;
we position ourselves, stand still,
trusting to see Your salvation; for
the battle belongs to the Lord. Amen

Lord, we believe in You our God
and that You shall establish us.
And when we express our trust
in praise, You will open the way.
In heavenly armour
we’ll enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord.
No weapon that’s fashioned
against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord.
We sing glory and honour
Power & strength to the Lord. Amen

God Strengthens the Committed

Following Judah King Abijah’s
military victory over Jeroboam,
king of Israel, King Asa attempts
to duplicate in the spiritual realm.
King Asa removes all traces of
foreign religion from the land and
commands the people to observe
God’s statutes. But toward the end
of his reign, Asa faces a threat from
Baasha (king of Israel) and seeks
an alliance with the king of Syria.
Even on his deathbed he puts his
trust in earthly physicians alone,
rather than in the Great Physician.

Lord, we purpose to Be Committed:
Then they entered into a covenant
to seek the Lord with all their heart…
And the Lord gave them rest
from their enemies on every side.
Although he did not remove
the high places from Israel,
Asa’s heart was Fully Committed
to the Lord (2 Chron 15:12-17).
Hanani the seer came to Asa
king of Judah, and said to him:
Because you have relied on the
king of Syria and have not relied
on the Lord your God, therefore
the army of the king of Syria has
escaped from your hand(2Chr 16:7)
For the Eyes of the Lord search
the whole earth to Strengthen
those whose hearts are fully
Committed to Him. In this you have
done foolishly; therefore from now
on you shall have wars (2Chr16:7-9)

Lord, we learnt that decisive
and whole-hearted Commitment
pleases You and results in peace.
Help us Lord to always remember
to pray to You in the good times
as we do in challenging times.
Enable us Lord to always keep
our hearts open to Your high
purpose; and to what You’re doing
in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, I earnestly thank You
for Your promises of blessing.
And I stand on Your promise to
strengthen those who are fully
committed to You for whatever
assignment You have for me.
And I purpose the weaker I feel,
the harder I will lean on You Lord.
And I trust the harder I lean on
You, the stronger I will be. Amen.

Lord, it is so comforting that You
God longs to support us thru the
struggles and challenges we face.
Although we may not yet be fully
committed to You but we want to be.
So Lord, grant us the grace to do
so while we are yielded and still.
Lord, I give You my heart, remold
it after Your will and Your way.
In Jesus’ precious nsme, Amen.

God With Us Boosts Courage

David ends his life the same way
he began it with humble confidence
in God. In spite of his numerous
accomplishments, David never
let greatness go to his head.
Rather, his final words to Solomon
reflect the same wholehearted
devotion to God that characterised
the young shepherd of Judea.

Lord, we’ll Be Strong & Courageous:
I made the necessary preparations
for building it; but God said to me:
You must not build a temple to honor
my name, for you are a warrior and
have shed much blood(1Chr 28:2-3)
My son Solomon, know God… and
serve Him with a loyal heart and
with a willing mind… Consider now,
for the Lord has chosen you to
build a house for the sanctuary;
be Strong and do it (v9-10).
Every part of this plan, David
told Solomon, was given to me in
writing from the hand of the Lord.
Then David continued: Be Strong
and Courageous, and do the work.
Don’t Be Afraid or discouraged
by the size of the task, for the
Lord God, my God, is With you.
He will not fail you nor forsake you.
He will see to it that all the work
related to the Temple of the Lord
is finished correctly (v19-20).

Lord, when You call us to serve,
enable us to hear clearly as David
when U gave him the Temple plans.
Help us to be willing to accept
God’s will when He does not allow
us to serve Him in the way desired.
When we’re disheartened or fearful
be our friend Lord to encourage us.
And when we think we have failed,
give us peace in our hearts. Amen.

Lord, when David was surrounded,
he slept well knowing he plus God
outnumbered an intimidating army.
Lord, while Your presence can turn
situation around, it isn’t automatic.
For it requires us not be discouraged
by the size of the task; it requires
us to be strong and courageous.
Help us be aware of Your Presence
so that we can face our situation
with confidence & trust in You.Amen

Lord, we trust You with the
mountains we face periodically.
They are often overwhelming
but You Lord are infinitely larger
Help us put more confidence
in You God than in the obstacles.
Lead us Lord into Your Presence,
for that is where we are strong.
And when we experience You are
with us, everything is possible; and
we become more than we can be.
Amen and amen.

God Is Holy Yet Also Gracious

David’s greatest dream is to build
a house for God. God makes it
clear through Nathan to David that
only in the lifetime of Solomon will
the dream actually come to fruition.
Though David is not permitted to
build a house for God, God will build
a house and a perpetual dynasty for
David. Through times of faithfulness
and faltering in David’s life, God
remains true to His promise
by preserving the line of David.

Lord, we Repent before You:
David gave orders to Joab…
Take a census: But Joab replied:
Why my lord do you want to do this?
Why must you cause Israel to sin?
But the king insisted (1 Chr 21:2-4)
David said to God: Was it not I
who ordered the fighting men
to be counted? I am the one
who has sinned… O Lord my God,
let Your hand fall upon me and
my family, but do not let this
plague remain in your people (v17).
O LORD… as You have promised
concerning me and my family may
it be a promise that will last forever…
And David built there an altar
unto the Lord, and offered burnt
offerings… and called upon the Lord;
and He answered from heaven
by fire upon the altar (v23-26).

Lord, we find ourselves so easily
justifying actions that are motivated
mainly by pride. And because
we live in a world filled with pride
over what we have accomplished,
it seems normal and not sinful.
Give us Lord eyes to see our pride,
lips willing to confess it, and hearts
that are changed and made clean
by the sacrifice of Your Son. Amen.

Lord, I see in Your word the
terrible consequences of pride.
I don’t want to experience those
consequences in my life, and not let
my family suffer because of my sin.
Reveal any pride in me so that
I can confess and repent of it.
And help me Lord to always have
a humble and contrite heart. Amen.

Lord, through David’s successes
and his failures, we learn the
importance of giving our whole
heart to You God and letting
You be the focus of our lives.
We entrust our dreams to You
Lord as You fulfil Your perfect plan.
We purpose to live by Your Word,
to walk in Your way; and to
repent when we fail You. Amen.

Thank God for What He Has Done

The ark of the covenant features
prominently in Chronicles being
mentioned more than 40 times.
And the events surrounding the
journey of the ark to Jerusalem
consumes 1Chr 13-15 & 3 months
elapse before the journey can be
completed. But when the ark is at
last installed in Jerusalem, David
leads the pple in national celebratn.

Lord, thanks for what You’ve done:
So they brought the ark of God
and set it in the midst of the
tabernacle that David had erected
for it. Then they offered burnt
offerings & peace offerings before
God. And David blessed the people
in the name of the Lord(1Chr 16:1-2)
On that day David first delivered
this psalm to thank the Lord:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name; make known
His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him!
Talk of all His wondrous works!…
Remember His marvellous works
which He has done (v8-12).
Remember His covenant forever…
the covenant which He made with
Abraham, and His oath to Isaac,
and confirmed to Jacob for a
statute, to Israel for an everlasting
covenant, saying: To you I will
give the land of Canaan (v15-18).

O Lord my God!
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the world
Thy hands have made,
I see the stars,
I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout
the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul
My Saviour God to Thee:
How great Thou art! (x2)
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God to Thee;
How great Thou art! (x2) Amen.

Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him,
for He is thy health & salvation!
All Ye who hear,
now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all
things so wondrously reigneth;
Shields thee under His wings,
yea so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how
thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth.Amen

To God be the glory
great things He Hath Done!
So loved He the world
that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life
an atonement for sin,
And open the life-gate
that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father
through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory
Great things He Hath Done! Amen

God Gives Wisdom & Understanding

In the final hours before his death,
David charges Solomon to walk
before the Lord in integrity and
truth – a request which Solomon
fulfills in the early days of his reign
by ruling with justice, humility
and honesty before God and man.
Presented with a “blank cheque”
by God, Solomon asks for wisdom
to rule skilfully rather than wealth.
In return, God Gives him both!

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to
Solomon: Ask! What shall I Give u?
And Solomon said: O Lord my God,
You have made Your servant king…
Therefore give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who
is able to judge this great people
of Yours? The speech pleased
the Lord that Solomon had asked
this thing. Then God said to him:
Because you have asked this thing
understanding to discern justice…
I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there
has not been anyone like you…
And I have also given you what
you have not asked: both riches
and honour, so that there shall
not be anyone like you among
kings all your days (1Kgs 3:5-13).

Lord, we are grateful that whenever
we are lost or unsure of what to do,
we can always seek You for wisdom.
Thank You Lord for divine wisdom,
which we can readily find in Your
Word as well as asking You for it.
Your word assures if I lack wisdom,
I can ask God who gives generously.
Thank You that the wisdom from
heaven is full of good fruit. Amen.

Lord, help us not only to hear
and meditate on Your Words
but also put them into practice
so that we can be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And help us take care how we live,
not as the unwise but as wise;
making most of every opportunity
to be a source of blessing and to
lead others to Your kingdom. Amen

Lord, help us seek Your wisdom;
open our ears to it and help us to
recognise wisdom when we hear it.
Give us Lord the wisdom to know
what to do, how to do and the
courage to follow through on it.
And we know even as we put
You God and Your agenda first
that You will satisfy all our needs.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The central purpose of First Kings
is contrast the lives of those who
live for God and those who refuse
to do so through the history of
the kings of Israel and Judah;
whilst that of Second Kings
is to demonstrate the fate
that awaits all who refuse
to make God their true leader.

On Monday, we learn fr 1 Kgs 3
that God Gives us Wisdom.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Kgs 8
that God Fulfills His Declared Word.
On Wed, we learn from 1Kgs 17
that God Provides for His Servants.
On Thursday, we learn from 2Kgs 4
that Mighty God Performs Miracles.
On Friday, we learn from 2Kgs 13
that God Rescues His People.
On Sat, we learn from 2Kgs 18-19
that God Answers our Prayers.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You Give Wisdom, Fulfil Your Word & Provide for Your Servants;
For You are worthy of our Praise
being our Mighty God who Performs
miracles and Rescue Your people;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Amswer our prayers.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Answers Prayers

The epitaph over the tomb of King
Hezekiah might well have read:
Hezekiah, “Best King of Judah.”
Taking the throne at a young age
of 25, he soon establishes himself
as a great reformer by destroying
all traces of heathen worship.
Choosing to put his trust in God
rather than in armies, Hezekiah
often found himself on his knees.
In response to the king’s prayers,
God strikes 185,000 Assyrian dead
& extends Hezekiah’s life by 15 yrs.

Lord, we Seek Your Deliverance:
The Assyrian king’s chief of staff…
gives this message to Hezekiah…
What are you trusting in that makes
you so confident?… What god…
has ever been able to save its pple
from my power? So what makes
you think that the Lord can rescue
Jerusalem from me (2Kgs 18:19,35).
When King Hezekiah heard their
report, he tore his clothes and
put on sackcloth and went into
the Temple of the Lord to pray. And
he sent the palace administrator,
the court secretary, and the leading
priests, all dressed in sackcloth, to
the prophet Isaiah… They told him:
This is what King Hezekiah says:
This is a day of trouble… Pray for
those of us who are left(2Kgs19:1-4)
Then Isaiah sent to Hezekiah saying:
Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
I have heard Your prayer about King
Sennacherib of Assyria. And the
Lord has spoken agst him (v20-21).

Lord, we learn from 2 Kings 18 the
character qualities of Hezekiah who
was likely the best king of Judah:
He did that which is right, trusted
and followed the Lord (v3-6).
And when challenges beset him,
he ran to the Lord who helped him.
Help us Lord to be like Hezekiah
who trusted and obeyed You.
Help us in the challenges we face;
we seek You for protection and
we seek You for deliverance. Amen.

Father God, help me to remember
to run to You when I need help.
Help me to swallow my pride and
ask others to pray for me when
circumstances seem overwhelming
or even before they get to that point.
For to wrongly think we are whole
and need no help is a great disorder.
Thank You God for the peace that
You give when we run to You. Amen.

Lord, grant us the experience
of king Hezekiah that as he cried
out to You God for deliverance
and poured out his pain, he felt
confident You answering his prayer.
Grant us dear Lord grace to cry
out to You when we face troubles.
Thank You that when we cry out to
You for help, You hear and answer
our prayers in Your timing. Amen.