July 24
2 Chron 11:1-13:22 | PS 18:37-50 | Prov 19:27-29 | Rom 8:26-39
Jesus opened our eyes that the position to take to be in a relationship with God is to be humbled before Him, not lifted up in pride, as we read in Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". Yet, how often this is forgotten. We erect leaders and forget the seriousness of pride. Often we desire positions of strength rather than positions of submission and humility. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, when God spoke to King Solomon, we read of the importance of humility, "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." King Rehoboam had a choice to humble himself or erect himself in pride, and when he chose pride it resulted in his nation being divided. He was then further brought down by the King of Egypt, but then we read of a change in heart in 12:6-7, "Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!” When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem." We next read of a confrontation on the battlefield between Jeroboam who was the one who defeated Rehoboam and Rehoboam's son Abijah. Though outnumbered greatly, Abijah humbled himself before God and exalted Him, while Jeroboam trusted in his strength by numbers, God led Abijah to victory.
The same holds true for us personally. Our strength comes from the Lord. He has promised to bring all things together for our good in Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." He has promised to level any playing field and fight for us as we read in 8:31, "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" He promises us both victory and importantly, though we might seem to lose everything and everyone, He will never leave us, as we read in 8:35-39, "Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
So, you choose for yourself. You like the new political situation and now trust in the new leaders, our new direction and feel we are moving to a power of strength and independence? You have finished school, and are now in a great job, and climbing the corporate ladder? Your relationships are great and you feel that all is going as planned? There is nothing wrong with a strong marriage, doing well at work, seeing your country moving in the right direction, but it can be so subtle that you miss where your trust is being placed. It can be so hidden at first when you move from a position of submission before God to a position of personal strength. God's Word never changes nor does His promises. Check yourself daily. Spend time in His Word and in prayer. Align yourself, and if necessary realign yourself, recognizing His Lordship. Assume or re-assume your position of submission before Him. Allow yourself to be led by Him, rather than taking charge of your life. This is another reason for the One Year Bible Challenge, as we need to read the entirety of God's Word, especially areas like 2 Chronicles which you may otherwise never bother to pick up. These are real events with real people whose stories play out on a real stage with results resting on how they chose to position themselves before Almighty God. Please never think that your history will somehow play out differently.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: