2 Chronicles 36:13 Zedekiah, one more evil king, never gave God a thought; repentance never entered his mind. What do I do on days like today when repentance doesn't enter my mind? When was the last time I repented?
I LOVE how today's reading ends in 2 Chronicles 36:23 - "All who belong to God's people are urged to return—and may your God be with you! Move forward!"
35:21 reminds me that God can and will use any means to communicate and/or do His will and that I have to look to Him for confirmation and not judge the messenger.
ReplyDelete36:23 "All who belong to God's people are urged to return and may God be with you. Move forward!"
I took some time to read about Cyrus mentioned in the last verse of this day's reading.
ReplyDeleteHe ruled over the largest empire ever. His daughter married Darius the Great and their son was Xerxes 1.
Cyrus and his method of governing even has an imprint on ours. Thomas Jefferson studied the governing of the empire by Cyrus and these people were allowed to have religious freedom.
That matters to me.
Back to Josiah, God may take a generation to bring down His judgement on a nation...but if He promises it, it is coming.
I cringe when I think of America today and the effect of turning our backs on Israel.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and America. And that we would not turn our backs of God's chosen people.
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ReplyDeleteIt is eye-opening to read a long history of kings and see how quickly it is that they turn their backs on God. It doesn't seem to matter who their parents were. It all comes down to what's in their hearts.
ReplyDeleteAnd the impact they have on others! Of Zedekiah, it says, "the evil mindset spread to the leaders and priests and filtered down to the people - it kicked off an epidemic of evil."
See what happens when we don't repent?? It makes me think about what my lack of repentance can and will do to my daughters, my husband, and my friends because I know that I influence them.
Liked the St. John quote, Bev. I seem to constantly be coming back home.
The adoption details have been weighing on me, and while I was in the shower yesterday, a thought popped into my head that hasn't come to mind in YEARS. I literally thought, "God, have I done something wrong? Are you punishing me? Is that why something so simple as my birth certificate is the hold-up?" And in the next second, I thought, "WHAT AM I SAYING?? That's not the God that I know. He doesn't punish me like that. He loves me and knows what's best for me."
Always having to come back home to what is true and right. It's startling how easy it is to be tempted to think wrongly of God in moments of weakness.
Just trying to move forward and depend on my Lord in the midst of things I don't understand.
I'm so glad to hear that Britt is done. What a year it's been for the entire Brandon family! Praying for your son as he begins a new and exciting chapter in his life.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was Britt's last day of school. Today the seniors came for a special chapel. Bittersweet for me. My son went early to school (7am) to try to catch a live duck in the lake on the school campus. So proud! Ha. He didn't get the duck but he did get kind of sick from the lake. He said it was good water polo practice wrestling the ducks in the lake. Having a "boy" is so much fun I am going to miss. And some heartache I won't miss like worrying about him out there catching ducks in the dark morning in a lake. Every year the seniors give a rubber duck to one of the principals. Of course, this was going to be the year of the live duck. Oh my! Don't even have a clue why they give the principal a duck! This child has left his mom with a ton of memories...and it's not over yet! Thanks so much for all of your comments---they mean something to me! I've had kids at home for the past 25 years in a row...
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