Please read 2 Kings 1, 2 Kings 3, 1 Kings 22:41-49, 2 Chronicles 20:31-37, 1 Kings 22:50, 2 Chronicles 21:1-4, 2 Kings 8:16-22, and 2 Chronicles 21:5-7. What stands out to you today?

Every time David’s name comes up, I’m amazed again at the strength of the covenant God made with him.  God never forgets.  Consider putting a mark or highlight next to the places where God mentions the covenant – it’s powerful, and you’ll see David’s covenant last well into the new testament!

“But despite that, because of his servant David, God was not ready to destroy Judah. He had, after all, promised to keep a lamp burning through David’s descendants” (2 Kings 8:19 MSG)

Even kings who seemed to do well, left out important parts – like not getting rid of the sex shrines and idols.  It seems a reflection on us (as leaders) if we allow evil to prosper and grow on our watch.

Today, we’ll read 1 Kings 22:10-28, 2 Chronicles 18:9-27, 1 Kings 22:29-35, 2 Chronicles 18:28-34, 1 Kings 22:36-40, 1 Kings 22:51-53, 2 Chronicles 19, and 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.  Come on back and let’s visit – what stands out to you today?

Macaiah continues to tell the truth, though the king is not pleased.

“I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills,
    sheep with no shepherd.
Then God spoke: ‘These poor people
    have no one to tell them what to do’ “ (1 Kings 22:17 MSG)

It’s sad when he prophesies that the people are like sheep without a shepherd – when God Himself is willing to be their Shepherd!

“As long as Jehoshophat reigned, peace reigned” (2 Chron 20:30 MSG)

What a powerful testimony. Also, when Jehoshophat called his fast, I noticed that everyone participated – it reminded of how Moses led the people by his example.

Today, we’ll read 1 Kings 20:23-43, 1 Kings 21, 1 Kings 22:1-9, and 2 Chronicles 18:1-8.  So much going on, it’s so hard to just “hit the highlights” or even pick out what the highlights are!  Something different stands out to you than stands out to me, I’m sure!

“Before you do anything, ask God for guidance” (2 Chron. 18:4 MSG)

That’s great advice, but Ahab has not been listening to God (and after yesterday!  Come on, Ahab!). He has prophets, but he’s hand picking the ones who only tell him what he wants to hear.  We should desire truth over comfort.

Please read 1 Kings 17:8-24, 1 Kings 18, 1 Kings 19, and 1 Kings 20:1-22.  Head on back when you’ve finished and let’s visit!

What a great day! Elijah continues to be obedient and has a great victory – isn’t that how it happens for us as well?  I’ve heard people criticize Elijah for going into hiding after the great show against Baal’s prophets, when Jezebel swears revenge against him – but I think he was just exhausted, and didn’t feel equal to an immediate follow-up battle. (I understand that God is faithful – I’m just also understanding that Elijah was human). We get 2 chapters, but when you really think about being left alone, the only prophet of God in the middle of all that evil…. It was ALOT and it took more than the 5 minutes it took us to read it! He wanted a rest – I get it!

Love the wisdom of Ahab when Ben-Hadad threatens:

“Think about it – it’s easier to start a fight than end one” (1 Kings 20:11 MSG).

Truth. What about God using Ahab to strike the first blow?  What a faith booster there!

Today, we are reading 1 Kings 15:16-22, 2 Chronicles 16:1-10, 1 Kings 16, 1 Kings 15:23-24, 2 Chronicles 16:11-14, 2 Chronicles 16:11-14, 2 Chronicles 17, and 1 Kings 17:1-7.   Seems like a lot, but hang in there!  Come on back, and let’s see together what the Word has to say to us today!

“you were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help” (2 Chron. 16:9 MSG)

Amen!  We make that same mistake today, don’t we?  Seek help from humans when GOd is our Source.

I am encouraged by Elijah’s obedience – God tells him something and he does it.  I notice that the means of provision changes and Elijah changes with it – the brook Cherith was good for a season, then it dried up and God moved Elijah on.  When God moves, we need to be ready to move with Him and not hang on to what worked yesterday.

It’s funny how the God who stays the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) seems to change all the time, LOL! It’s His character that stays the same and that’s a tremendous comfort ❤

WOW – big list today!   Don’t give up – 160 days in, we’ve come to far to turn back now, right?  How are getting through?  Are you using the YouVersion One Year Chronological Plan?  Do you have a chronological bible?  Are you looking up verses in your old faithful bible?  I do a little of all three – but days like this, I’m glad to have it laid out for me!  Please read: 1 Kings 13, 1 Kings 14:1-24, 2 Chronicles 12:13-14, 2 Chronicles 11:18-23, 2 Chronicles 12:1-12, 1 Kings 14:25-28, 2 Chronicles 12:13-16, 1 Kings 14:29-31, 1 Kings 15:1-5, 2 Chronicles 13, 1 Kings 15:9-15, 1 Kings 14:9-20, 1 Kings 15:25-34, 2 Chronicles 14:9-15, 2 Chronicles 15.  Here we go:

What horrible news of Israel and its kings.  I don’t guess anyone is left who remembers being told about when God Himself offered to be their king and Israel rejected Him. God is still thinking about His covenant with David, He never breaks it.  We’ll continue to see that covenant even into the new testament. When Jeroboam’s son comes into power, it is written,

“He was not truehearted to God as his great-grandfather David had been. But despite that, out of respect for David, his God graciously gave him a lamp, a son to follow him and keep Jerusalem secure. For David had lived an exemplary life before God all his days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of God’s clear directions, except for that time with Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:3-5 MSG)

I thought of the present day when I read about Jeroboam letting anyone become priests – it’s the same today, isn’t it?  When my husband was ordained, it was a little of a difficult process – now one can become a minister over the internet. Nothing seems sacred. Asa did better than the others, but still left a lot out – we have to be consistent in our walk or we won’t be effective.  God help us!

Today we are finishing up Ecclesiastes and pressing forward.  Please read Ecclesiastes 11:7-10, Ecclesiastes 12, 1 Kings 12:1-20, 2 Chronicles 10, 1 Kings 12:21-24, 2 Chronicles 11:1-4, 1 Kings 12:25-33, and 2 Chronicles 11:5-17.

Solomon ends on an important and valuable piece of advice:

“The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you.

And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14 MSG)

Now on to Rehoboam…. Even from the very beginning, you can easily see that there are rough days ahead for Israel.  Though David had united the two kingdoms, they split again here – and Israel remains divided even to the present time.

Today we are reading Ecclesiastes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11:1-6.  Leave a comment and share an insight if you like!  I’d love to hear from you!  After you finish today’s reading, come on back –

We have to take our nuggets of wisdom where we can! How about these:

“A good reputation is better than a fat bank account.
Your death date tells more than your birth date” (7:1 MSG)

“On a good day, enjoy yourself; on a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won’t take anything for granted” (7:14 MSG)

Solomon is discouraged, but he still demonstrates wisdom about faithfulness and hard work.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. I’m so sad about Solomon’s rebellion.

Like we did with Job’s friends, we’re going to have to search for the helpful advice among all of Solomon’s despair here – it is there if we look! How about this, almost sounding like a proverb again:

“Watch your step when you enter God’s house.
    Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,
        Doing more harm than good….
God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better” (Ecc. 5:1, 2 MSG)

With all his accomplishments, it’s so sad that Solomon feels his life has come to nothing.  However, without the Lord at the center, what could he expect?  We need to make the Lord the center of our lives if we are to truly find value.

Today, we’ve got a little list – we’re reading 1 Kings 11, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, and Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

“Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David’s footsteps. He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices. God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God’s orders” (1 Kings 11:6-10 MSG)

It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? It’s so hard to believe that someone as wise as Solomon would make the choice to rebel against God.  In the context of Solomon’s rebellion, Ecclesiastes seems even more mournful and hopeless than it had before.

“Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.
    And the things that will happen tomorrow?
Nobody’ll remember them either.
    Don’t count on being remembered” (Ecclesiastes 1:11 MSG)

What a sad end.  Let’s appreciate the good things we learned from Solomon and respectfully disagree with him here: what you do is valuable, what you do will create some kind of legacy.  Solomon writes “don’t count on being remembered” and here we are, thousands of years later.  Heartbreaking, huh?