Good Morning, Siblings!
Today’s readings are 2 Chronicles 21-24

Click here to read these passages at BibleGateway

Rabbit Trails

Today made my heart sink a bit. Whenever we see people going against the Father, allowing themselves to have counselors who will lead them astray, or worse yet, being led astray by their own parents (Ahaziah’s mother 2 Chronicles 22:3) – and we know what will eventually come of all of this, it just hurts my heart.

I don’t rejoice when anyone falls or chooses a bad path, I hurt for them and for what might have been. And so, today hurts my heart to read on many levels.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, ~Proverbs 24:17

But these examples also cause me to look at my own life, to look at my own choices, my own inner circle, and ask the Father to to correct me in all the areas of my life that I am not within His will.

When I was little, I noticed two specific people in my life. One of them was the example of who I wanted to be. She was kind, loving, generous of spirit, hard working, and tried to do good wherever an opportunity presented itself.
The other was the example of who I didn’t want to be. She was always complaining, never showed up when help was asked of her, and never missed an opportunity to offer criticism and a cross word.

I’m here to tell you that I desperately needed both of those examples in my life: The kind of person I wanted to be and the kind of person I didn’t want to be. I do not believe I would be here today if not for both of those examples and so I bless the Father for allowing me to have them.

Much of these stories in the Bible are given to us for the same purpose. It isn’t enough to have the example of how to live, but seeing the example – and consequences – of leaning on our own wisdom and ignoring the wisdom of the Father – well, we need to see both to keep us on that blessed narrow path.
But I still hate to see folks veer off from it, and I mourn what might have been for them when they turn from the Father. And I pray, daily, for the wisdom and guidance to remain steadfast myself.

Sidenote: As always, y’all, because I haven’t said it lately, whenever I give you a verse, never settle just for that verse. Whenever someone gives you a verse, take a chapter. Follow it there, see it in context, see who it is speaking to, if it means what it meant when it was pulled out of that passage, and gather the fruit of the fullness of Scripture, rather than just a cherry or two. 

2 Chronicles 22:9 – precious and bitter sweet.
We leave a legacy for our children. In the case of Ahaziah, even though he lived a life of evil ways, he was buried when he passed away as a homage to his father, and they say in 2 Chronicles 22:9 “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought YHWH with all his heart.”
May we leave a legacy of loving obedience to YHWH for our children, so that even if they depart from the way of Wisdom, they will still be shown some measure of grace for our sake.

Jumping ahead to 2 Chronicles 24:15, we have a heartwarming verse again.
“But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel and toward YHWH and His house.”

Man. I just want to do good in this land and toward YHWH and His house!

Blessed be the name of our Father, who shows us such great mercy and loving guidance! My heart breaks in the best of ways when I think of how good He is to us!

Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!

Print This Post Print This Post

Christy Jordan
Latest posts by Christy Jordan (see all)