Category: 2 Chronicles

Hear, Forgive, and Heal

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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 heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV) How do you return to God after you have disobeyed Him? What do you do when you miss the mark of God’s holiness and perfection? Is there hope for you after you have made a poor decision? The wonderful news is that God is good and His steadfast love endures forever. You don’t have to run from God, you can run to God. Even if you have blown it! Even if you have drifted from God! You can run from your sin and you can run to the Lord. Humble yourself before the Lord. Take pride for a ride and get real about your sin. Get real about your current condition. Embrace the reality of your humanity and the certainty of His divinity. Acknowledge your desperation for your gracious God. Don’t stay in your sin. Pray! Don’t accept the detour as your intended path. Don’t go numb and silent. Go verbal with God by engaging in meaningful communication with God. Pray and seek His face. You will seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Turn from your sin and turn to the Lord. Repent! Change your mind about your sin and see your sin as God sees it. Run to God and confess your sin! How will God respond? He will hear from heaven and forgive your sin. Be restored to a right relationship with God. Experience His healing. God loves you too much to leave you in your sin. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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2 Chronicles Josiah Purity

Contagious Conduct

“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images.” 2 Chron 34:3 (ESV) What caused Josiah, at the age of sixteen, to begin to seek God? When you look at his family tree, you find that both his father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is obvious that Josiah did not receive his spiritual heritage from them. When you look into the life of his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, you find a much different portrait. “Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.” 2 Chron 29:1-2 (NIV) I wonder if Josiah was influenced by the godly life that his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, lived. Another possibility is that Josiah began to seek God when he became a daddy, at the age of sixteen, to Jehoahaz. For me personally, when I became a dad my understanding of God’s love and my pursuit of God intensified. There’s something about seeing your own flesh and blood and embracing the awesome responsibility of parenthood that draws you to God. You recognize your dependency upon God. Regardless of your age or life stage, assess your level of thirst for God? Are you passionately seeking God daily and allowing Him to have full access to your mind, emotions, and will? Is there anything or anyone you desire more than you desire God? I have discovered in my walk with God, whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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2 Chronicles Humility Manasseh

God Answers Prayer

“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 (ESV) How long can a person run from God? Manasseh refused to heed the voice of God and to demonstrate obedience. Instead, Manasseh rebelled against God and led his people to do the same. The Lord delivered severe consequences by bringing Manasseh into Babylonian captivity. In humility, Manasseh chose to cry out to God in prayer. God was moved by Manasseh’s entreaty and chose to bring him back into his kingdom in Jerusalem. Manasseh came to know the Lord by experience as the Lord his God. Sometimes God will allow us to experience the consequences of our personal sin in order to forge brokenness and humility within us. As we turn from sin and turn to the Lord in brokenness and humility, God responds by restoring our love relationship. His abiding peace becomes our reality. Learn to pray before you are tempted to compromise your convictions. Seek God’s face perpetually and choose to practice God’s presence. Be conscious of His activity and surrender to His Lordship. Don’t allow anything to come between you and God. Keep a close eye on the priorities God as established in your life. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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2 Chronicles Consequences Pride

The Pride Slide

“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. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, 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.’” 2 Chronicles 26:16-18 (ESV) Uzziah did right in the eyes of the Lord and as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. Over a period of time, pride began to seep into Uzziah’s life resulting in a slide that had devastating consequences. “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Prov 16:5 (ESV) “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov 16:18 (ESV) Uncover the poison of pride. You will never reach your full redemptive potential while fertilizing pride in your life. Pride has no place in the Christian life fully yielded to the Lordship of Christ. The poison of pride will inhibit the fruit of the Spirit and stifle your effectiveness in the kingdom. Avoid the pride slide. Instead of an ego trip, we need to go on an integrity trip. Get honest about your destitution and your spiritual poverty before God. Identify and eliminate any fraction of pride in your life. Embrace the way of humility and recognize your dependency upon God and His abundant grace. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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2 Chronicles Drifting Mediocrity

Combat Mediocrity

“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. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.” 2 Chronicles 25:1-2 (ESV) Mediocrity is a symptom of hypocrisy. Whenever you coast in your Christianity, you drift from the posture of passionate devotion to being at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Casual Christianity is displayed when you forsake your first love and allow other things to dilute your devotion and pollute your passion for the Lord. Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord up to a certain level. His commitment was compromised and his character was corroded as he infiltrated his life with idols. “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. 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?’” 2 Chronicles 25:14-15 (ESV) Combat mediocrity by surrendering fully and completely to the Lordship of Christ. Live with a heightened sensitivity to God’s activity and with a keen awareness of the corrosive consequences of sin. Maintain a vertical orientation to the supremacy of your love relationship with the Lord. Guard your daily intimacy with the One who delivered you from the kingdom of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of light. Ask the Lord to search your heart (Psalm 139:23). Confess known sin instantly and receive God’s forgiveness completely. Remove idols and take paths that are firm. Make no room for mediocrity. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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2 Chronicles God's Provision Victory

Divine Intervention

“‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17 (ESV) Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah in order to seek the Lord and to seek help from the Lord. A great multitude was coming against them in battle and they needed to hear from God. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he communicated the will of God. He affirmed that the battle belonged to the Lord and that they were to stand firm and hold their position. Jahaziel exhorted the people to not be afraid and to not be dismayed because the Lord was with them. “When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.” 2 Chronicles 20:24-25 (ESV) What kind of battle are you facing? Seek the Lord and trust in Him to fight your battles. Don’t worry. Don’t fret. Entrust your life and your circumstances to the Lord’s care. Obey what God has shown you and stay close to His Word. Write down promises from God’s Word and claim them through prayer. Perhaps you are in need of divine intervention. Cry out to God in prayer and express your desperation. Acknowledge your dependency upon God and walk in the light God gives you. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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2 Chronicles Courage Jehoshaphat

Courageous Heart

“The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 17:3-6 (ESV) How many decisions do you anticipate making today? Life is filled with paths to take and decisions to make. Every decision determines a direction that leads to a destination. You can decide to walk with God or you can decide to stray from God. You can decide to bring honor to God or you can decide to bring dishonor to God. You can decide to live in the center of God’s will or you can decide to live contrary to God’s will. Jehoshaphat made deliberate decisions to seek God and to walk in His ways. Jehoshaphat intentionally did not seek the Baals and did not follow the practices of Israel. He boldly took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. God rewarded the faithfulness and obedience of Jehoshaphat by establishing the kingdom in his hand. Is your heart courageous in the ways of the Lord? Do you boldly and intentionally pursue God’s way? There is no better choice for you to make than aligning your life with God’s will. Don’t compromise your integrity. Don’t dilute your devotion to the Lord. Passionately pursue God and walk in His ways. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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2 Chronicles Repentance Solomon

Hear, Forgive, and Heal

Tags Devo

2 Chronicles Josiah Purity

Contagious Conduct

“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images.” 2 Chron 34:3 (ESV) What caused Josiah, at the age of sixteen, to begin to seek God? When you look at his family tree, you find that both his father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is obvious that Josiah did not receive his spiritual heritage from them. When you look into the life of his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, you find a much different portrait. “Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.” 2 Chron 29:1-2 (NIV) I wonder if Josiah was influenced by the godly life that his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, lived. Another possibility is that Josiah began to seek God when he became a daddy, at the age of sixteen, to Jehoahaz. For me personally, when I became a daddy my understanding of God’s love and my pursuit of God intensified. There’s something about seeing your own flesh and blood and embracing the awesome responsibility of parenthood that draws you to God. You recognize your dependency upon God. Regardless of your age or life stage, assess your level of thirst for God? Are you passionately seeking God daily and allowing Him to have full access to your mind, emotions, and will? Is there anything or anyone you desire more than you desire God? I have discovered in my walk with God, whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 217: 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

2 Chronicles Humility Manasseh

God Answers Prayer

“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 (ESV) How long can a person run from God? Manasseh refused to heed the voice of God and to demonstrate obedience. Instead, Manasseh rebelled against God and led his people to do the same. The Lord delivered severe consequences by bringing Manasseh into Babylonian captivity. In humility, Manasseh chose to cry out to God in prayer. God was moved by Manasseh’s entreaty and chose to bring him back into his kingdom in Jerusalem. Manasseh came to know the Lord by experience as the Lord his God. Sometimes God will allow us to experience the consequences of our personal sin in order to forge brokenness and humility within us. As we turn from sin and turn to the Lord in brokenness and humility, God responds by restoring our love relationship. His abiding peace becomes our reality. Learn to pray before you are tempted to compromise your convictions. Seek God’s face perpetually and choose to practice God’s presence. Be conscious of His activity and surrender to His Lordship. Don’t allow anything to come between you and God. Keep a close eye on the priorities God as established in your life. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 215: 2 Chronicles 32-33) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

2 Chronicles Consequences Pride

The Pride Slide

“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.’” 2 Chronicles 26:16-18 (ESV) Uzziah did right in the eyes of the Lord and as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. Over a period of time, pride began to seep into Uzziah’s life resulting in a slide that had devastating consequences. “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Prov 16:5 (ESV) “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov 16:18 (ESV) Uncover the poison of pride. You will never reach your full redemptive potential while fertilizing pride in your life. Pride has no place in the Christian life fully yielded to the Lordship of Christ. The poison of pride will inhibit the fruit of the Spirit and stifle your effectiveness in the kingdom. Avoid the pride slide. Instead of an ego trip, we need to go on an integrity trip. Get honest about your destitution and your spiritual poverty before God. Identify and eliminate any fraction of pride in your life. Embrace the way of humility and recognize your dependency upon God and His abundant grace. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 189: 2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

2 Chronicles Drifting Mediocrity

Combat Mediocrity

“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.” 2 Chronicles 25:1-2 (ESV) Mediocrity is a symptom of hypocrisy. Whenever you coast in your Christianity, you drift from the posture of passionate devotion to being at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Casual Christianity is displayed when you forsake your first love and allow other things to dilute your devotion and pollute your passion for the Lord. Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord up to a certain level. His commitment was compromised and his character was corroded as he infiltrated his life with idols. “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?’” 2 Chronicles 25:14-15 (ESV) Combat mediocrity by surrendering fully and completely to the Lordship of Christ. Live with a heightened sensitivity to God’s activity and with a keen awareness of the corrosive consequences of sin. Maintain a vertical orientation to the supremacy of your love relationship with the Lord. Guard your daily intimacy with the One who delivered you from the kingdom of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of light. Ask the Lord to search your heart (Psalm 139:23). Confess known sin instantly and receive God’s forgiveness completely. Remove idols and take paths that are firm. Make no room for mediocrity. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 187: 2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

2 Chronicles God's Provision Victory

Divine Intervention

“‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17 (ESV) Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah in order to seek the Lord and to seek help from the Lord. A great multitude was coming against them in battle and they needed to hear from God. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he communicated the will of God. He affirmed that the battle belonged to the Lord and that they were to stand firm and hold their position. Jahaziel exhorted the people to not be afraid and to not be dismayed because the Lord was with them. “When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.” 2 Chronicles 20:24-25 (ESV) What kind of battle are you facing? Seek the Lord and trust in Him to fight your battles. Don’t worry. Don’t fret. Entrust your life and your circumstances to the Lord’s care. Obey what God has shown you and stay close to His Word. Write down promises from God’s Word and claim them through prayer. Perhaps you are in need of divine intervention. Cry out to God in prayer and express your desperation. Acknowledge your dependency upon God and walk in the light God gives you. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 181: 2 Chronicles 19-23) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

2 Chronicles Courage Jehoshaphat

Courageous Heart

“The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 17:3-6 (ESV) How many decisions do you anticipate making today? Life is filled with paths to take and decisions to make. Every decision determines a direction that leads to a destination. You can decide to walk with God or you can decide to stray from God. You can decide to bring honor to God or you can decide to bring dishonor to God. You can decide to live in the center of God’s will or you can decide to live contrary to God’s will. Jehoshaphat made deliberate decisions to seek God and to walk in His ways. Jehoshaphat intentionally did not seek the Baals and did not follow the practices of Israel. He boldly took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. God rewarded the faithfulness and obedience of Jehoshaphat by establishing the kingdom in his hand. Is your heart courageous in the ways of the Lord? Do you boldly and intentionally pursue God’s way? There is no better choice for you to make than aligning your life with God’s will. Don’t compromise your integrity. Don’t dilute your devotion to the Lord. Passionately pursue God and walk in His ways. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 177: 1 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 17) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

2 Chronicles Repentance Solomon

Hear, Forgive, and Heal

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 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 heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV) How do you return to God after you have disobeyed Him? What do you do when you miss the mark of God’s holiness and perfection? Is there hope for you after you have made a poor decision? The wonderful news is that God is good and His steadfast love endures forever. You don’t have to run from God, you can run to God. Even if you have blown it! Even if you have drifted from God! You can run from your sin and you can run to the Lord. Humble yourself before the Lord. Take pride for a ride and get real about your sin. Get real about your current condition. Embrace the reality of your humanity and the certainty of His divinity. Acknowledge your desperation for your gracious God. Don’t stay in your sin. Pray! Don’t accept the detour as your intended path. Don’t go numb and silent. Go verbal with God by engaging in meaningful communication with God. Pray and seek His face. You will seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Turn from your sin and turn to the Lord. Repent! Change your mind about your sin and see your sin as God sees it. Run to God and confess your sin! How will God respond? He will hear from heaven and forgive your sin. Be restored to a right relationship with God. Experience His healing. God loves you too much to leave you in your sin. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 165: 2 Chronicles 6-7; Psalm 136) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell