2 Chronicles 19 - 32: Clasp that outstretched hand

- Secret strength:  King Jotham had a secret source of strength--it "was rooted in his steady and determined life of obedience to God" (2 Chronicles 27:6). I want that for my life!

- Hang on:  When King Hezekiah called the people of Israel back to repentance, he exhorted them wtih this: "Clasp God's outstretched hand....Your God is gracious and kind and won't snub you--come back and he'll welcome you with open arms" (2 Chron 30:6-9). This reminds me of a scene in my favorite movie, Man From Snowy River, when a woman falls over the edge of a cliff in a storm. She ends up stranded on a ledge. The next day, she is found and her rescuer holds his whip over the edge. All she has to do is clasp it.
- God listened:  Hezekiah was a godly man and repaired the decrepit temple. They had a big festival of dedication including sacrifice and worship. The result? "And God listened, listened as the ascending sound of their prayers entered his holy heaven" (2 Chron 30:27). I picture the prayers as birds, gliding, climbing on a spiraling column of warm air into the heavens where God opens the window to his throne room and lets them in, embracing them with open arms.


Elena's verse of the day:  "The priests and Levites asked God to bless the people, and from his home in heaven, he did" (2 Chron 20:27).