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).

1 Chronicles 16 - 2 Chronicles 1: Silver & gold as common as rocks

"He's on His way to set things right! Give thanks to God--He is good and His love never quits" (1 Chronicles 16:33-34).

- Facts and figures:  Much of this passage is a roster of names and administrative details for the running of a country and the building of a temple.

- Before he died, David stockpiled construction materials for the temple his son Solomon would be building. He set Solomon up for success. He also gave Solmon detailed blueprints and specs. In addition, the people donated large quantities of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and precious jewels (1 Chron 28:10). The result? "The people were full of a sense of celebration--all that giving!" (1 Chron 29:9).
- Now that's a worship band:  There were 4,000 Levitical priests assigned to the orchestra alone to carry out "the work of worship" (1 Chron 25:6).
- Level playing field:  The Levitical priests were directed to draw names out of a hat for their particular work assignment. "Nobody, whether young or old, teacher or student, was given preference or advantage over another" (1 Chron 25:8). This must be a very important point, as it's repeated. I do know this principle goes so against human nature--we're always looking for the advantage, the short cut, or the fast pass so we don't have to stand in line like everyone else.
- Organized to a tee:  This passage spells out a highly organized administrative system including orders for a vast security force, army, government of tribes, storage and supply, farming, wine growing, ranching and herding, and childcare (of the king's sons).
- God never judges a book by its cover:  "God examines every heart and sees through every motive" (1 Chron 28:9).
- David prays:  "Everything comes from You--all we're doing is giving back what we've been given from your generous hand" (1 Chron 29:14).
- A parent's prayer:  David prayed this about Solomon:  Give Solomon "an uncluttered and focused heart so he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel," and carry out your plan (1 Chron 29:19). Lord, I pray this for my children today.

- This is how rich Solomon was:  "The king made silver and gold as common as rocks" (2 Chron 1:15).

Elena's verse of the day:  "Be confident, and never be afraid of anything or get discouraged. The Lord my God will help you" (1 Chronicles 28:20)

Numbers 14 - 25: A talking donkey, ripe almonds, & the gathering

This morning I set out to do my reading and I was distracted by the newspapers lying on the table. For some reason, the newspapers beckoned and I had a hard time concentrating. This was my first day of being really tempted to break my vow of reading my Bible first and leaving the papers until the end of the day, if I have time. I did not give in to temptation! But it was a struggle.

The reading today was extremely intense. Lots of death and disobedience. I got a real sense of the struggle against sin and the difficulty of living a holy life in those times.

- Back to slavery?  The Israelites were in an uproar when the scouting party returned with their report after surveying the Promised Land. Rumors abounded regarding the power of the land's occupants. The Israelites lost their nerve and wanted a new leader. "Let's head back to Egypt," they said (Numbers 14:4). This shocked me. Head back into their oppressive slavery under a brutal pharoah?
- Voices of courage:  But Joshua and Caleb, two of the scouts, spoke up and vouched for God's plan. They believed the Israelites could take the land from the occupants: "They have no protection and God is on our side," they said. "Don't be afraid of them!" (Num 14:6-9).

- Cycles of disobedience:  I could not believe how, time after time, the Israelites forgot God's supremacy and decided to go their own way. Each time, God's anger flared and Moses had to intercede for them. Some of the results of their disobedience: the current generation of adults would not get to enter the land, they were sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, and at one point the earth opened up and swallowed a group of insurgents, along with their families. God also used lightning to destroy 250 men who were part of a conspiracy to get rid of Moses. (Numbers 16).
- Almonds from a staff:  God caused Aaron's staff to sprout buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds as a demonstration that he was God's chosen priest. A beautiful story of life coming from something quite dead (Numbers 17).
- The gathering:  When the time came for Aaron's death, God directed him to ascend Mount Hor, explaining that "Aaron will be gathered there." What a great way to describe a godly person's death (Numbers 20:26).
- Talking donkey:  Love, love, love the story of Balaam and the talking donkey (Numbers 22). It also appeared that Balaam was a godly man chosen and used as a prophet, even though he was not an Israelite (Num 23:26). Balaam blessed Israel and said this about God: "Only what he speaks, I speak."
- Wow:  I don't know what else to say about the story of Phinehas. It's in chapter 25, and I don't remember ever reading it before. Suffice it to say that you could not make this story up. It really came alive in the Message version.

Elena's Verse of the day:  "Show us your great power, Lord. You promised that you love to show mercy and kindness" (Numbers 14:17-8 CEV)

Exodus 8-20: Frog invasion, God the healer, & a kingdom of priests

Sharing a few thoughts from each day's reading. Feel free to jump in and share your own!

- Frog invasion: The plagues God sent on the Egyptians--I had forgotten there were so many, and how horrible they were. Frogs in the beds, pots and pans, and on the people? Yuck! On a trip to Cuba we had a frog in the shower. Just one frog. That was enough.
- God on guard:  I was struck by how present God was in the exodus from Egypt. I love this verse: as the Israelites left Egypt, "God kept watch all night." I love that. God keeps watch over us.
- Celebrate good times:  I was amazed by the detailed instructions on how to celebrate the Passover. I also was reminded of how much God likes celebrations. Do you celebrate often? It's a godly thing to do and commemorates important events. God instructs the people to tell their children "This is what God did for me."
- Enshrouded in darkness:  God took on the form of a pillar of clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night. He told his people that he would fight the battle for them. Then, when he was ready to part the Red Sea, the pillar of clouds moved and blocked the Egyptians from seeing what was happening. He enshrouded them in darkness, while the Israelite camp was bathed in light. I want my camp to be bathed in light. How about you?
- The Healer:  "I am God your healer." (Ex 15:26)
- God hears our complaints (Ex 16:9)
- Teambuilding:  Moses was burned out from administrating and judging, so he took some advice from his father-in-law Jethro, and built a team of people to help share the load. Jethro told him this was so "you have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you." Do you have a team of people to help you? Do you help others carry out God's will?
- You are a priest:  Israel was a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:3-6). They were special and set apart. Love this. We are grafted in to the nation of Israel through Jesus, so this description applies to us, as well. Did you know you are holy, set apart, and a priest?