Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+029

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 29 (ESV)

1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east 5 and said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. 6 For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs. 7 They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord came on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes…

 

27 Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30 And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to the Lord. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

 

REFLECTION:

Hezekiah led the people to offer burnt offering on the altar in order to receive full acceptance by God. Other than that, burnt offering also has a redemptive function for the person making the sacrifice not to leave any sin to be punished by God (29:27-28). Thank offering is a kind of peace offering signifying people’s thanksgiving to God (29:31). As a peace offering, it also signifies reconciliation with God and restoration of interaction. Reflect how you can learn from the example of Hezekiah on offering sacrifice and present your body as a living sacrifice, that you can live a holy life acceptable to God for His use.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to refine your life and remove the filthiness from your heart; ask God to give you bigger faith that you are willing to present your body as a living sacrifice, that you can live a holy life acceptable to God for His use and be a good witness for God.

 

HYMN:

“Take My Life and Let It Be” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Byp7aK2DA

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+028

 

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 28 (ESV)

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done, 2 but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, 3 and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 Therefore the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force…

 

22 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz…

 

27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Ahaz did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, not only did he make offerings to idols but he committed the horrendous sin of burning infants as an offering. Therefore, God gave Ahaz into the hand of his enemies and allowed Judah to be conquered by them. Up to now, there is no reduction in the evil customs of idol worship but they become even more popular with different faces. Reflect what you can learn from the example of Ahaz’s failure, that your dedication to follow God is not shaken by any visible or invisible idols.
2. Difficulty and hardship could destroy a person but they could also encourage a person to grow towards maturity. As for Ahaz, difficulties made him offend God even more. When we face difficulties, be alert not to fall like Ahaz but remember that adversity could be an opportunity for growth. Reflect that every difficulty in life could be an opportunity to stay close to God. How will you grasp these opportunities to build an intimate relationship with God and become more mature?

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to keep you alert so that you could examine if there are any visible or invisible idols in your heart. If you are worshipping these idols, repent to God and ask for His forgiveness. Remove the idols and make Christ king of your life. Ask God to give you faith that you will grasp the opportunity to grow in adversities and build a more intimate relationship with God.

 

HYMN:

“As the Deer” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF27EczT_pU

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+027

 

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 27 (ESV)

1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 3 He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord and did much building on the wall of Ophel. 4 Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers on the wooded hills. 5 He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. And the Ammonites gave him that year 100 talents of silver, and 10,000 cors of wheat and 10,000 of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

 

REFLECTION:

Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. Roughly speaking, Jotham could be regarded as a good king and God made him more powerful (27:6). But the people still followed corrupt practices (27:2). As faithful disciples of the Lord, sometimes we are lonely in the circumstance we are in. It could be because you cannot find anyone who shares your faith, or those you lead may not follow your godliness. However, this should not affect your dedication to live for God. Reflect how you could do better than Jotham that surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life when you dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

PRAYER:

Come before God in quietness and tell Him all the frustrations and difficulties. Ask God to comfort your heart, give you peace and joy, give you more faith, make you stand firm and not be influenced by the circumstance, so that you are willing to stay close to God, walk with Him, and serve Him faithfully.

 

HYMN:

“Give Me Faith” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjFIhTNDyz0

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+026

 

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 26 (ESV)

4 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper…

 

16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and God gave him great treasure and power but he became arrogant and corrupted. As Proverbs says, “Pride goes before destruction.” If God gives you treasure, influence, fame and power, you should keep a thankful heart and be careful as God hates arrogance. You have to examine your attitude that everything you do should glorify God and utilize your gifts in ways pleasing to God.
2. Although Uzziah often did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, God punished him with leprosy until death when he deviated from God. People did not remember much about Uzziah’s great achievements but rather the punishment due to his arrogance. God demands obedience in our whole life. Impulsive obedience is not enough but the one who endures to the end will be rewarded. You have to trust God consistently so that people will remember your faithfulness rather than your mistakes. Reflect that it is not easy to maintain a godly and holy life but God requires people with these qualities to serve Him. Will you dedicate yourself to live a godly and holy life?

 

PRAYER:

Humbly come before God and examine your attitude in serving God. Did you give glory to God for all the gifts you have and all the things you have done? Ask God to give you humility and perseverance that you are willing to serve Him and please Him throughout your life.

 

HYMN:

“All I Once Held Dear” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxpPIa-BskY

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+025

 

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 25 (ESV)

1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart…

 

5 Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers’ houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that they were 300,000 choice men, fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. 6 He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver. 7 But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. 8 But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” 9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 10 Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger…

 

14 After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. 15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?”

 

REFLECTION:

1. Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. His obedience was out of reluctance (25:2). The priest told Amaziah, God will save Judah, but he complained about the money he lost for recruiting the army of Israel (25:14). He regarded military victory to be more important than obeying God’s will. Being halfhearted is a common weakness in many Christians, reflect if this is often your problem in serving God?
2. After Amaziah had victory, he worshipped the gods he seized and made offerings to them (25:14). It is easy for us to sin when we are successful; it is easy for us to lose alertness when we are complacent and self-satisfied, allowing Satan to attack us with various temptations. Reflect if you are currently in such moments. We have to be alert and humble in times of victory, be careful not to fall into a deep valley on reaching the summit.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to examine your heart and remove all element of disobedience because obeying reluctantly is not true obedience. No matter if you are in times of success, ask God to give you alertness and humility, and keep your feet from slipping.

 

HYMN:

“You Are My All in All” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU