Bible Reading #181 - Beauty for God

Beauty for God

2 Chronicles 4

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 19-20) "Solomon made all the furnishings for God's temple: the gold altar, the gold tables on which the bread of the presence was placed, lamp stands and lamps of pure gold (to burn as directed in front of the inner room),"

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #124

Flattery

2 Chronicles 24

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 17-18) "After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem."

My Thoughts

Flattery is when someone does something nice for you in hopes that you will more likely pay them back what they want. That's rude and selfish, and whatever nice thing they did, it meant nothing because they only did it hoping you would give them what they wanted in return. Don't let people do that to you.

Some people are, unfortunately, more susceptible to flattery than others. Joash was. The officials came and paid homage to him for the loss of Jehoiada, the priest, and Joash gave in to what they wanted because of it. Look where that got him, and his kingdom and people to boot. God's anger came upon them because they turned to other gods.

If you give in and do what the person who flatters you wants, you may get yourself into trouble. Just because someone is nice to you, does not mean that you are required to be nice to them as well. Obviously that would be the right thing to do, right? Yes, but not if the person is only doing it for personal gain. If someone gives you a compliment and then wants you to do something, you don't have to do it. Even if they give you some kind of gift, or a hug or anything else.

I always feel bad not doing something nice to someone who was nice to me. I don't go crazy with it though. I will try to help them with something, encourage them, give them a compliment back, a smile or a hug. Something, but not necessarily what they want, depending on the specific situation. Sometimes what may seem to be flattery really isn't.

The thing you have to watch out for is when people rush to do something nice for you or go out of their way to do so, or if they are insincere. Use your judgement and as always, if you are unsure of anything, talk to God about it. Give it to God and ask Him what He wants you to do.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #68

God's Promise of Forgiveness

2 Chronicles 7

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 13 -14) " 'When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

My Thoughts

God has given us a lot of promises and He keeps every single one. This promise in particular is for those of us who are doing wicked evil things and disobeying God. See, no matter what anyone does, whether they worship idols or commit horrible acts, God will still forgive them, if they turn from those evil things and seek His face.

God always hears us when we speak to Him. Even when we aren't speaking to Him, he hears us. Even though He always hears us, He won't necessarily always step in when we want Him to. God has His ways and He won't help us if we don't truly care about Him. He is not some kind of genie, as I have said before, to grant our every wish.

If we only talk to God when we need something or want something, do you think He is actually going to respond? He might the first time or two to see if you get the hint that He is there and that He loves you, but if you continue to disobey and then ask Him for things, He won't respond.

However, if you pray and ask for forgiveness and you are committed to changing your ways, God will respond to you with open arms. God loves each and every one of His children, and His children are all of us.Even when we turn from Him or disobey Him, God loves us. Love does not mean that He won't punish us, in fact He will because He loves us. If and when those who have turned from Him decide to return, God will welcome them back.

Anything that you are doing that you know you need to stop doing, commit yourself to changing. Turn back to God and receive His love and forgiveness and joy and peace and eternal life.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading #2 - God Can Always Use You

God Can Always Use You

2 Chronicles 34

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 3) "For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images."