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Judging in the Fear of the Lord
Day 208
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37; Romans 10:14-11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; Proverbs 20:4-6Judging in the Fear of the Lord
The Chronicler tells us that King Jehoshaphat of Judah, having been warned by a prophet not to “…help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord…”, set his heart to seek God and went on to rule wisely. As he sought to bring his people back to the Lord, Jehoshaphat appointed judges in all the fortified cities of Judah. His charge to the judges contains a message of wisdom that echoes down to the present time:
“Consider what you are doing, for you judge not on behalf of human beings but on the Lord’s behalf; he is with you in giving judgment. Now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking of bribes.” – 2 Chr. 19:6 & 7
Let it be our goal, insofar as we are able, to encourage and establish this perspective of judgment in our courts and as we carry on the process of making judgments in the course of our daily lives. May God help us to avoid corruption and the perversion of justice.
The Rev. Janice Miller – Deacon
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Listening to the Other Voice
Day 207
2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:22-10:13; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 20:2-3Listening to the Other Voice
One of the benefits of our technology-enabled “information society” is that we have so many choices about where we will get information. But that doesn’t mean that all sources of information are equally valuable – usually because, despite their insistence that they are “balanced,” they are actually biased in one way or another. So it is our responsibility to provide that balance for ourselves by intentionally listening to a variety of voices – including those with which we disagree.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah perceives that the court prophets of Israel’s King Ahab are simply telling their “boss” what he wants to hear and asks if there isn’t another view which should be considered. Ahab is quick to point out that Micaiah is biased against him. And sure enough, when the “other” prophet is consulted, he prophesies not only that the battle is ill-advised, but that Ahab will do whatever he wants anyway and will suffer disastrous consequences – which is exactly what happens.
But was Micaiah biased? If he had been determined to say the opposite of whatever the king’s prophets said no matter what, that would be one thing. But his attitude was, “Whatever my God says, that I will speak.”
When those around us seem to be all of one mind on a course of action, we should listen carefully for that “other voice” – it just may be the voice of the one speaking God’s truth, the voice which draws us closer to the Lord and to each other in compassion, justice, and peace.
Rev. Dr. Steve Clifton
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Get Your Heart Right
Day 206
2 Chronicles 14:1‐16:14; Romans 9:1‐21; Psalm 19:1‐14; Proverbs 20:1Get Your Heart Right
As I read and pray through today’s scriptures, I find myself fascinated and filled with awe as I see how God works through His people. In the reading from Chronicles, we see the great and wise King Asa as he worked to restore Judah. First he got rid of all of the altars, poles, and all manner of things that were set up to worship false gods. Then he looked to rebuilding all of the places in his kingdom that would honor God. He fortified every city and town to make them clean of idols and safe for his people. His priorities were right, and this honored God. Asa then had a time of peace and rest. When war did come to them again, they fought bravely knowing (never doubting) that the Lord their God was with them. It all looks so simple from where we sit so many years later. However, while the people of Judah were going through the threat to their land, it must have seemed anything but simple.
In Romans, we can see St. Paul’s anguish over the descendants of Judah; he feared judgment for them and longed to even suffer for them himself in order to save them from condemnation if only he could. I wonder how many people each of us know, love, and long for them to know Jesus.
While praying Psalm 19, my heart is lifted by this magnificent prayer, especially verse 14:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.“Imagine how the world would change if we all memorized this verse!
Rev. Patricia Acker Deacon
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Judging in the Fear of the Lord
Day 208 2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37; Romans 10:14-11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; Proverbs 20:4-6 Judging in the Fear of the Lord The Chronicler tells us that King Jehoshaphat of Judah, having been warned by a prophet not to “…help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord…”, set his heart to seek God and went on to…
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Listening to the Other Voice
Day 207 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:22-10:13; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 20:2-3 Listening to the Other Voice One of the benefits of our technology-enabled “information society” is that we have so many choices about where we will get information. But that doesn’t mean that all sources of information are equally valuable – usually because, despite their…
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Get Your Heart Right
Day 206 2 Chronicles 14:1‐16:14; Romans 9:1‐21; Psalm 19:1‐14; Proverbs 20:1 Get Your Heart Right As I read and pray through today’s scriptures, I find myself fascinated and filled with awe as I see how God works through His people. In the reading from Chronicles, we see the great and wise King Asa as he…
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Idolatry of Self-Reliance
Day 205 2 Chronicles 11:1‐13:22; Romans 8:22‐39; Psalm 18:37‐50; Proverbs 19:27‐29 Idolatry of Self-Reliance A few years back, I heard a well-respected preacher and teacher exclaim, “The two biggest sins of the Old Testament are idolatry and self-reliance!” His off-the-cuff remark sums up our reading from 2 Chronicles. In chapter 12, verse 2 we are…
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Our Identity in Christ
Day 204 2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19; Romans 8:9-21; Psalm 18:16-36; Proverbs 19:26 Our Identity in Christ “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with…
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If My People Who Are Called by My Name
Day 203 2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10; Romans 7:14-8:8; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 19:24-25 If My People Who Are Called by My Name “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and…