And at once an angel of the Lord smote him (Herod)…because he did not give God the glory… – Acts 12:23, AMP We all struggle with pride, but some people are consumed by it. Those who are consumed by pride and arrogance are, to put it bluntly, delusional. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “delusion” as: A persistent… Continue reading If you are proud, you are delusional.
Category: Chastening
If God can forgive Manasseh, He can forgive you.
So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. – 2 Chronicles 33:9, KJV It is so easy to forget just how full of grace our God is. But when we look at Bible characters like… Continue reading If God can forgive Manasseh, He can forgive you.
Be mindful of who you join forces with.
Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. – 2 Chronicles 19:2, AMP In 2 Chronicles 18 we find Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the righteous king of Judah, fighting together against the people of Ramoth-gilead. By the end of chapter 18, Ramoth-gilead was victorious, and Ahab was… Continue reading Be mindful of who you join forces with.
Relying on man isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Because you relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord your God… – 2 Chronicles 16:7, Amplified Bible The book of 2 Chronicles records that King Asa of Judah fought only one war in the first thirty-five years of his forty-one year reign. In that war, Asa faced an army of Ethiopians… Continue reading Relying on man isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
It is not wise to invite unholiness into your life.
My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy… – 2 Chronicles 8:11, Amplified Bible In 2 Chronicles 6:13-42, Solomon prayed a powerful and humble prayer unto God at the dedication of the temple. In his supplication, he outlined clearly God’s “Big Three Formulas” for life:… Continue reading It is not wise to invite unholiness into your life.
God’s not terribly excited when you rely on yourself.
And God was displeased with this [reliance on human resources], and He smote Israel. – 1 Chronicles 21:7, Amplified Bible Most Christians don’t have a clue how irritated God gets when we rely on ourselves rather than on Him. Consider 1 Chronicles 21. In this passage, King David instructed his captain, Joab, to take a… Continue reading God’s not terribly excited when you rely on yourself.
Joy is a choice.
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24, KJV When trouble comes, it is never welcome. Trouble comes to us all, and it usually comes upon us as a thief in the night – unexpectedly, suddenly, and without mercy. No matter how hard… Continue reading Joy is a choice.
God would rather you not rebuild Jericho.
In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho… – 1 Kings 16:34, Amplified Bible Merriam-Webster.com defines the word “stronghold” as a “a fortified place” or “a place of security or survival.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold) The word “fortification” is derived from the Latin words fortis, or “strong,” and facere, or “to make.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stronghold) So, the intent of a… Continue reading God would rather you not rebuild Jericho.
Be sure to listen to God, not another Christian.
And the man of God said to the king…For I was commanded by the word of the Lord… – 1 Kings 13:8-9, Amplified Bible In 1 Kings 13 an unnamed prophet of God met Jeroboam, King of Israel, at Bethel to chastise him for turning his back on The Lord. As part of the chastisement,… Continue reading Be sure to listen to God, not another Christian.
You are a source of great joy — and great pain.
…you have utterly scorned The Lord… – 2 Samuel 12:14, Amplified Bible We can be such a great source of joy to our God. And, we can be such a great source of pain to Him. God Himself described David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22), and it’s not hard to see… Continue reading You are a source of great joy — and great pain.