Author: David Short

1 Chronicles 28:9

“And now, my son Solomon, know the God of your fathers, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you forever.”

Personal Challenge

We always make things more difficult in our Christian walk than it needs to be. We complain that we do not clearly know what God’s will is for us. We get anxious because we say that we do not know what He wants us to do. However, the scriptures make it clear to us the answers to these quandaries. We need to get to know the God of our fathers and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul. It is that which is in our hearts that God watches, not the things that we say or do. It is what is behind what we say and do that reveals our true nature. God wants us to seek Him at all times, for we will find Him every time. Jesus made all of this so much clearer when He gave the two commandments that sum up the entire law of the old Testament. We are to love our God and to love our neighbor. If we could pursue these two commandments from our heart, we will be seeking God and will know Him, the God of our fathers. Glory be to God!

2 Chronicles 30:18-20

Most of the people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves, but they ate the Passover contrary to what was written.

But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, even though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

Encouraging Words

The people of Israel had many laws that they were expected to follow. They kept straying from their God and therefore kept abandoning these laws. The laws were put in place because of their stubborn ways and their blatant refusal to follow their God, the God that brought them out of captivity in Egypt. And yet, at this point in time, they have returned to God and are desiring to practice their Pascha in repentance of their sins. They had not cleansed themselves as their laws demanded. Hezekiah prayed on their behalf asking that God look at their hearts and not their outward appearances, which is what He always does. By this supplication, they were healed and purified by the Lord. We too have a Hezekiah praying to God on our behalf, the Lord Jesus Christ, praying that we’ll be cleansed before our God. Glory be to God!

1 Chronicles 16:34

And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
And deliver us from the Gentiles
To praise Your holy name,
And boast in Your praises.”

Personal Challenge

We are no different than our predecessors in Israel. We call upon the Lord God of our fathers to save us and protect us. He is the God of our salvation and He delivers us from the enemy and the world. But do we remember to praise Him for what He has done in our lives or do we forget Him and continue to go on with our lives? Do we boast in Him or do we boast in ourselves? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Kings 6:16

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are greater in number than those who are with them.”

Encouraging Words

We are not alone in this life. We need to stop living our lives as if the temporal world around us is everything that there is. We also live in a spiritual world that is ever-present around us. Elisha pointed this out so clearly to his servant in this passage. They were surrounded by the immense Syrian army and the servant was convinced that they were doomed. When Elisha asked that his eyes be opened to the spiritual reality around them, the servant could see that the army of God vastly outnumbered and outpowered the Syrians. These two worlds still exist today and it is upon us to open our eyes to the reality of God’s presence in our lives. Glory be to God!

1 Kings 22:5

Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Ask the Lord today.”

Personal Challenge

We all have the impression that a king can do whatever they want, whenever they want. It used to be that way in Old Testament times. However, for the kings that trusted and followed their Jehovah, it was not up to them to make decisions. Before they would make their decisions they would seek God’s advice and direction first. Maybe we should start doing this with our Lord. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Kings 18:17-18

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Are you the one who is troubling Israel?” Elijah answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father, in that you forsook the Lord your God and followed after the Baals.”

Personal Challenge

Isn’t this how things often play out in our personal lives? We do something that we know is wrong. Then someone points it out to us and we blame them or everyone else for the wrong that we have done. In this story, we find that King Ahab has abandoned God and chosen to follow the false gods of the people around them. God sent Elijah to the people of Israel to remind them of their true God, the God of Israel. He was a prophet and his actions and prophecies were making Ahab pretty uncomfortable. Rather than accept the responsibility for his behaviors, Ahab blamed Elijah for the consequences that were being manifested from the choice to follow false gods. Elijah reminded Ahab that it was he who abandoned God and because of that choice was bringing the consequences upon himself and his people. So who really is causing the trouble in our lives when we choose to do wrong? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Kings 8:22-24

You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth, and fulfilled it with Your hand, as today. Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, so long as your people guard and keep their ways to walk before Me, as you walked before Me.’ So now, O Lord God of Israel, let the word be confirmed You spoke to Your servant David my father.

Encouraging Words

One of the encouraging things that come from reading the Old Testament scriptures is how much God keeps His promises to His people. He never breaks an agreement or forgets a promise. We also see how often we, the recipients of His promises, stay away from Him, not keeping our part of the deal, and yet He remains faithful until we come back to Him. He loves us and desires the best for us. He remains constant and stead­fast in His relationship with us, even when we don’t. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

2 Samuel 24:24

Then the king said to Orna, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with something that costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Personal Challenge

When it came time for King David to build an altar to God, Orna offered David a place to build it for free. David refused the offer and purchased the threshing-floor. Why would he do that? He knew that giving of ourselves and our resources costs us something. If there is no cost, then there is really no appreciation. God wants us to give of ourselves, what we own, and who we are to Him with a sacrificial mindset. If there is no cost, there is no commitment. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!