Chapter 1
And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 2 Chronicles 1:15 – All that was possible because of the blessing of God on King Solomon. This is the type of life we see being promised to the follower of God. I’m not saying that if you follow Jesus you’ll be blessed with mountains of gold and wealth, but what I do see here is that God is able to bless His people in ways the world can’t comprehend. Maybe it’s not gold, but what if peace was in our lives as common as anxiety is within the world? What if acceptance and love was as plentiful as rejection and hate is within the world? Wouldn’t things like that be a wonderful blessing? That’s what our God brings to our story. Sure He can bless us with wealth, but sometimes the blessing we really need money isn’t involved with. The strength, wisdom, rest, peace, healing, forgiveness, purpose, and love you need is a part of what God brings to us who follow Him. Let Him make these things as common in your life as the fear, worry, and anxiety is right now. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1515
In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 2 Chronicles 1:7 – After being made king of Israel, and after offering to the Lord a tremendous offering that was pleasing to the Lord, God came to Solomon and asked what he wanted from the Lord. Now Solomon asked for wisdom, but how ridiculous would it have been for Solomon to remain silent and not speak back to the Lord? Today is a new day and even the start of a new year. The same God who came to Solomon in the night is with you right now and His ears are listening to your words to Him. As present as He was with Solomon that night is He with you right now. You are invited by Him through His scriptures to ask anything anytime to your Heavenly Father. And however ridiculous it would have been for Solomon in that moment to keep silent when God spoke to him is how ridiculous it is for us today to keep silent with the Lord. As we then begin this new year, refuse to be silent with God. If God is here like He says He is, and if He is listening to us like He says He is, and if He is truly able to provide like He says He can…why wouldn’t we talk with Him!? What then could an increase in your prayer life look like for 2024? Even if the growth is tiny, take a step this year in growing your time in conversation with our ever-present and listening Lord. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – – Happy New Year & yes, those are apple fritters in the picture! – Daily DEVO 2590
Chapter 2
Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants…2 Chronicles 2:8 – Big things that need to be done require something very important, unity. Here Solomon is seeking to build the temple of God and a house for himself. As he states in verse 5 this project was to be great for God is great. Does he rely solely on the strength of his two hands to make it happen? No, he reaches out to the king of Tyre for help and promises to work alongside him in making the arrangements happen. Their working together made it possible to pour great things into the build of the temple and to make it how God laid out for it to be. What then is God asking of you to do? How are you relying on those around you to help do it well? With the support of others you can more easily share God’s Word with more people. With others you can move out of your depression more quickly. With others you can build your life as God has laid it out to be. Continuing to grow yourself in Christ is a big thing that will require unity with others. Find healing where it needs to be found and let in those who God says to let in. Allow the building of something great in you to begin. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1516
The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 2 Chronicles 2:5-6 – I love the wonder and fear of God that Solomon had. Likely shaped within him from his father David, Solomon understood that while he was king of a mighty nation, God was far greater than he was. The different between Solomon and the lowest person in his kingdom didn’t even come close to matching the gap in greatness that was between Solomon and the Lord. Yet, despite such greatness of the Lord , Solomon was called to build a house worthy of this wondrous God. While Solomon understood the magnitude and impossible nature of such a task, he set out using the best of the best supplies with the best of the best workers. Can we pause now and remember where the house of the Lord is today? You. And us as the church. We see in Hebrews 3 that those who hold fast are indeed the house of God and we learn that in 1 Corinthians 3 that we are the temple of the Lord! What Solomon sought to build with the finest gold, God made within us. A home for Himself. Are we worthy of such a thing? Absolutely not, but we have still been given this great gift. As the house of the Lord, let us live holy as one should, and let’s live united as the church for we are not called to be a house divided. If the God of wonders has made His dwelling among us, let’s live in such a way that remembers who and what we are. Children of the most High God and a holy house for His Spirit. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2591
Chapter 3
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 Chronicles 3:1 – From the words of John Hammond from Jurassic Park, “We spared no expense.” As I read through this chapter I can’t help but think about that line. No where did they take the cheap way out on this massive project. They took the best of wood then covered it in the best of gold. The took the best of fabrics and had the best workers create something beautiful with it. It really challenges us to examine the quality we give to the tasks God has laid out for us. Are we sparing no expense or are we sparing no time looking for ways to get out of the tasks. I’ve seen it within my own story, and you most likely have within yours, this apathy towards the work God has given to us and our sneaky ways of trying to give as little of ourselves to it. What though would it look like for you to “spare no expense” when it comes to the mission of telling people about Jesus? Let’s step into that mindset and see what God can do with a heart like that. I guarantee the end result will be more beautiful and than even this temple being built. I love you, but Jesus loves you more. – Mac – Daily DEVO 1517
He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 2 Chronicles 3:2 – We are reading here about when Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord. He started the build in the second month of the forth year of his reign. Interesting though isn’t that he waited so long. For he would have been made aware long before he was king that his father was planning on raising him up to take the throne after him. David made it clear during his reign that it wasn’t to be him to build the temple, but his son Solomon after him. So much prep work had already been accomplished and plans were laid out, but Solomon didn’t begin building day one of month one of year one of his reign. Apparently, the wisest man to ever live knew something significant…important things shouldn’t be rushed. Solomon knew this build wasn’t to be like any normal building, but a temple for the Most High God. Solomon also knew that he needed to establish his place as king after his father and more prep work needed to be finalized. A takeaway for us then today is God’s work shouldn’t be rushed by us. It is worthy of our time and attention to detail. God’s work is worthy of our energy and passion. Nothing else in life compares to the importance of the work God has called us to. Let’s also not rush into the work God has called us into if He hasn’t called us into it yet. Pray over, seek counsel over, take the step into the work when God has established that step for you. When though that step begins, give God your best like we see Solomon did here with his calling. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2592
Chapter 4
He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 2 Chronicles 4:1-2 – Today I want you to focus on the phrase “Then he made.” We see in the chapter the massive and extravagant creations that were made under King Solomon’s command. We see in verse one he made the altar, yet in verse two it says he then made the sea. The king didn’t stop building. Yes he made something beautiful for God, but he didn’t count that as good enough for his part of all this and stop his giving to God afterward. He kept giving, kept serving, kept building. For us we must remember we aren’t done yet. Sure we possibly have done some great things for the mission and served God well, but we are still going. There is more to do and more people that need to hear about Jesus. Our past efforts don’t disqualify us from further work. Let it be said of us that once we’ve given our all, we then gave more. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1518
So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold. 2 Chronicles 4:19-22 – As a helpful tool when reading passages like this, look up online a picture of Solomon’s Temple that points out all the different pieces so you can grasp the magnitude of what’s being created here. Everything from the altars to the walls to the courts for the priests are being made. Within the last few verses, we see how so many of the items were made of pure gold, yet what’s beautiful is that even the smaller, seemingly less significant, items were also created with care and of pure gold. Sure, the altar was of gold and expertly made, but so were the snuffers for the candles. In relating it to our day, they expertly made the things that went on the fireplace mantle for all to see and also expertly made the things we toss in the junk drawer. Why? Because even the smallest of items were for the Lord and directed by the Lord to create for His worship. It didn’t matter how big or flashy the pieces were, it was all for Him, so it all needed to be wonderful. Let’s allow this practice to be weaved into our worship. Whether the ministry is seen by millions or just One, give it your best. Whether the work will impact millions or just your own walk with the Lord, give it your best. If something is being done for the Lord, whether great or small, it ought to be done well. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2593
Chapter 5
And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 2 Chronicles 5:9 – The poles spoken of are the ones used to carry the ark of the covenant on the shoulders of the priests. When the priests placed the ark within the temple, the poles stuck out from the most holy place to the next section of the temple. This causes an image of God reaching out us to come into my mind. Yet from the outside the poles weren’t able to be seen. What we must remember is when our head is deep in the outside world we can miss seeing God in His holy place, even when He is reaching out to us. Sin and our enemy has a way of blinding us to what God is doing in our life. Maybe today you’re deeply struggling to see God moving. What scripture wants you to know is that God is reaching out from His most holy place to you. He wants you to know He is present with you. What may need to happen first though is us stepping into the temple and not having our heads so entrenched in the world. What could that change look like in your story? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1519
…and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 – The ark was moved to the temple. So many sacrifices were made that day that the number couldn’t be counted. Singers sang and led the worship of the Lord in powerful ways. What was God’s response? A filling of His presence in the house of the Lord. So much so that the priests could no longer stand and minister, but had to step out of the place due to God’s presence. Let’s learn from a passage like this that God truly does respond to our faithful obedience. When we listen to His word, when we obey what it says, and when we worship Him with our life, this is what opens the door for God’s blessing and movement in our story. If we then want to see God work and if we want to feel His presence with us, begin by examining how faithful we are to God’s word in our life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2594
Chapter 6
Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. 2 Chronicles 6:32-33 – Solomon desired even those who aren’t of Israel to feel welcomed to come and pray to God here in this temple he built. He wanted all people to know of the greatness of God and was open to using this building he made for that purpose. How thrilled are you when someone extremely different than you comes to your church building? Do you actually pray for that to happen? Are you truly ok with people far different than you using the place you call your church home? That means people with criminal records that would make your grandma faint using it. That means people who have a different sexual orientation than you using it. That means people who are not your political party using it. Yet if they are willing to come and use it to turn their eyes to Jesus, can we really have any issue with this and still have the type of heart Jesus wants us to have? Let’s not only be ok if this were to take place but be actively seeking out ways to make it happen. Let’s get to the place where our heart breaks when everyone in church looks and lives exactly like us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1520
If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near, 37 yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 38 if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 39 then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. 2 Chronicles 6:36-39 – After the completion of the building of the temple, Solomon turns to bless the whole congregation and lifts up a prayer of dedication to the Lord. Close to the end of his prayer, Solomon speaks the words in our verses, and what stands out to me is how much this is like our prayer of salvation. Those who have sinned, which is all of us, are in the enemy’s hand, and are carried far away from where we should be with the Lord. Yet, if in that place they turn their heart to the Lord and repent of their sin, the Lord will forgive and save. Today know a means of saving is available to you from the fear of death and a forgiving of all your wrongs can be found, all in Jesus. If you haven’t ever turned to Jesus and want to know more about how to do so, reach out please. If today you have already turned to Jesus, let today be a day dedicated to helping someone else know they can turn to Jesus. Let your eyes and heart be open today as you move throughout your day for who may need to hear the good news of Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2595
Chapter 7
And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat. 2 Chronicles 7:7 – Remember those things called offerings plates we used to pass around on Sunday morning before COVID? At least in the church I’m a part of we haven’t used them in over a year now, but I do remember over the years never seeing them a certain way. I never saw them so overflowing that they had to get another plate to take in all the offerings. That though is an image of what’s happening in the passage. Due to God’s people giving so much back to God they had to prepare another place to take in the offerings. That’s the image we should have every time we gather to worship God. That the church is giving everything of themselves back to Him that the plates can’t hold, the pews can’t hold, the walls can’t contain the level of worship the church is giving to God. Where that begins is with you and your heart. While what you can give may not fill an offering plate does it leave you empty because you gave all you had to God? Remember this isn’t just money being spoken of here, it’s our heart. Keep in mind when we empty ourselves before God it gives Him more room to refill. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1521
…if my people who are called by my name 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 heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – Much like yesterday’s passage, our verses today speak of the promise of our God when we turn back to Him. Yesterday’s passage was king Solomon speaking, today though it is the Lord Himself. If the people of God would humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from their sin, God would rescue and forgive them. What though do we see is a first step in this turn back to the Lord? A humbling of ourselves. We must remember we are not God, and the only one who is God is the Lord. This humbling will look like an acknowledgment that our ways aren’t the paths we must follow. It will look like accepting what God says is sin as sin, and not our viewpoint of such things. This humbling will acknowledge God is God, and He deserves to be worshipped as such. How then today might you humble yourself before the Lord? Is there a path you’re going in life that is more a you path than a God path and we need to give that to God? Is there a sin you proclaim is fine, but God proclaims is wrong, and a submission to God’s word here needs to take place? Our culture today doesn’t push humility like this. Accepting there is a greater power than ourselves and we ought to exist in submission to it pushes back so much against the message of this world. Yet we see clearly in scripture there is a greater power than us and we see clearly in life we need such a power in our story. Let us then humble ourselves before the Lord and find ourselves experiencing the promises our of God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2596
Chapter 8
At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,…2 Chronicles 8:1 – Twenty years. When reading these past few chapters and hearing about the greatness of the temple and all that went in it, it was easy for me to think it was happening as quickly as I read it. Yet for this great building to be finished it took twenty years. That’s longer than any of my seniors in high school have been alive. Yet what we see is God wasn’t frustrated with how long it took. He blessed it with His presence and blessed Solomon for his service. We must realize some of the great things God has called us to do will take time. He knows that, we may need to remind ourselves that longer is ok too. What He desires is our faithfulness to Him in the journey, for however long that journey is. Don’t let your heart be discouraged then when the great things God has called you to seem to not be shaping up quickly enough. Stay faithful to what He’s called you to do today and trust God has tomorrow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1522
Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from the day the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed. 2 Chronicles 8:16 – While this was certainly the work of Solomon, it wasn’t Solomon’s efforts and hands alone that built the temple of the Lord. It was a united effort between many people over many years and the result of such united effort was a glorious temple for the Lord. Here we see one byproduct of unity, things getting finished that need to be finished. We also though see repeated in scripture how another byproduct of unity can be the opposite of things being finished. When the people of God were “united” in their sinfulness and united in their rebellion of God, there certainly was a byproduct created there too. Seek therefore to be united, but united with the right people pursuing the right goal. For you can find yourself close, united deeply with someone or a group, and be pursuing actively a certain direction, but the end result of such unity is something far from what scripture is calling your life to be creating. Be wise then of who you unite with and be wise about the steps you take with them. If though God places in your story solid believers in Jesus who are pursuing the purposing of God, seek deep unity with such believers. For our efforts today aren’t after building any temples anymore, we’re in the work of the harvest, seeking to fill heaven with those that God loves and is calling to Himself. If you find a person, a church, or a team that is about that goal, what would be your reasoning for not uniting with them? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2597
Chapter 9
And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. 2 Chronicles 9:2 – Isn’t this the desired ending to so many conversations we have with people about Jesus. That we could answer every question they could possibly have with well thought out, wise answers. We even realize we aren’t being asked these questions from the Queen of Sheba, but from the little five year old at church or our coworker in the break room. We feel this pressure to have all the perfect answers ready at all times. While desiring this is good, we must accept the fact we aren’t Solomon here. We won’t know all the answers and we won’t always know the best way to help someone understand Jesus. Of course be investing in time within the Word to know more and in learning more about your faith so you can talk about it, but don’t beat yourself up because you aren’t ready like Solomon was. In conversations like the one Solomon was in, and like the ones you’ll find yourself in with that five year old at church, first be a great listener and ask more questions to really figure out the root of their questions. Be humble enough to say “I don’t know” and have someone more familiar with scripture easily reachable. While them having the answers is great, them knowing you’re there with them in the journey to get those answers is what they really need at that time. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1523
Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 2 Chronicles 9:22-23 – Chapter 9 allows us a glance at a portion of the wealth and wisdom of Solomon. We see talk of his vast amount of gold, the luxury of his servants, and just how revered his wisdom and greatness was with even royalty of his day. It wasn’t just common folk that were amazed at his greatness, kings and queens were amazed! Yet was all this wealth and wisdom something that Solomon always had? No, this was a result of the blessing of the Lord. God promised to give wisdom and wealth, and God came through on that promise in wondrous ways. As we then look at what we have in our life today, is there anything that God’s hand wasn’t involved with bringing into your life? Whether it’s the room you are in right now, the family you have, the health you have, or even just the air within your lungs right now, all this and more is a result of God. God’s hands were all over these things and He was the One who made is possible for these blessings to be in our life. In return for such blessings, let us give God thanks with our voices and thanks with our lives. Even if what we have right now isn’t exactly what we wanted or even prayed for, we still have so many blessings within our lives right now that God is worthy to be praised for. Find yourself today in a posture of thanks for what God has given. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2598
Chapter 10
But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 2 Chronicles 10:8 – If you only listen to those who stand around you you’ll find they sound a lot like you. Rehoboam had the blessing of not only having a father full of wisdom but also having men he could go to who had spent time with Solomon and soaked up his wisdom. Yet his downfall came as a result of not taking advantage of the blessing God gave him. Often our downfalls come this way too. We’ve been blessed with church families but we can choose to not lean on them. We’ve been blessed with experienced pastors who have walked through the gambit of struggles with people yet we can choose not to reach out to them. We have a God who is accessible 24/7 yet we can choose to only be with Him an hour on the weekend. As with Rehoboam we’ve been blessed with some great resources to help us move through life well, are you taking advantage of them to the fullest? Or are you going the easy, comfortable route of leaning on your own wisdom and the help of others who don’t have you best in mind. Wise counsel and good help is being offered to you by God, your choice is who’s help and voice will you follow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1524
Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 2 Chronicles 10:6-8 – This is the recount of King Rehoboam’s biggest mistake. Taking the kingdom that was established by David and Solomon, Rehoboam had the chance to have everything a king could ever want. Yet a question was asked, and an answer was needed to be given, and the answer would determine the future of the kingdom. As we see, he chose the wrong answer. Rather than listening to the words of those who stood around Solomon (who spoke the wisdom of the Lord), Rehoboam listened to the words of those who stood around himself. Who then are you listening to the advice of? Do those you take input from take input from God? Does the social media or the news channels or the influencers you listen to “stand before” Jesus, meaning are they taking in His words? Be careful that we don’t let those who don’t know God or don’t listen to God be the ones we seek our advice on life from. While we may not be running a kingdom, we all have important roles to play in this life and who we take input from in this life truly does matter. Be wise who you allow to speak into you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2599
Chapter 11
And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin. 2 Chronicles 11:12 – He held them. Two of the twelve tribes he held secure. When given to him was all twelve and the kingdom like none other. One full of wealth and glory, one blessed by God, now all the king had was a small fraction of all that, one he was able to simply hold secure. All this because the king chose his way rather than the path God had laid out for him. Sure we see him a little later on in the passage walking after God for a short period, but we’ll even see that won’t last. His heart wasn’t after God. When we read passages like these my hope is that you see the value of having a good pursuit of God in your life and the lack that follows a pursuit of anything else. David and Solomon put God first and the result was indescribable. In a few chapters ago it said that even a queen was left breathless after seeing how God had blessed them. While that level of wealth isn’t the way God blesses everyone, He does overflow those who follow Him with the blessings they need. My prayer for you is that your story isn’t one of just clinching tightly to your things holding them secure but one of overflow that leaves others breathless. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1525
For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, 15 and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. 2 Chronicles 11:14-15 – The kingdom of Israel is now divided between the northern and southern parts of the kingdom. Jeroboam, the new king of the northern part has established the worship of false gods in the land, and was even raising up priests from non-Levite tribes to lead in the worship of such false gods. The legitimate priests of the Lord, who wouldn’t stand for the worship of false gods to be taking place around them, left their homes and traveled to the southern kingdom where they could worship the Lord properly. What boldness and what faith we see here in these priests! Truly leaving everything they knew, all for the true worship of God. In our culture that is growing ever more sinful, we too may find ourselves having to make hard decisions likes this. A job we love may be holding us back from God’s mission. A relationship that we long to be keep may not be helping us remain faithful to God. A church family that we have been with for decades is changing in some unholy ways. Will we remain knowing where staying will take our faith? Or will we take a bold and faithful step into the unknown to keep our hearts in a posture of following after Jesus? Today be willing to examine all the parts within your life, even the deeply established ones. Are they healthy for your walk with Jesus? If so, ground yourself even deeper in them. If not, be willing to pray over what is the right call, and be willing if God directs to take a step away. For a step away from the thing pulling you away from God is a step closer to God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2600
Chapter 12
So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 2 Chronicles 12:9-10 – This here is a great example of the outcome of our efforts when we try to do things without God. Solomon when king was blessed by God because of His faithful pursuit of Him. One way he was blessed was with gold and he was able to make shields of gold with it. Yet here when Rehoboam was overtaken due to his unfaithfulness, he tried to replace what was taken but only was able to make them out of bronze. These would have been less valuable, less majestic, less everything compared to those Solomon made of gold. See it’s not that we can’t build or move or grow without God. We’ve seen people in this world move forward who have never once turned to God. What we see within this passage is the difference God makes in our story when we look to Him. Is the end result then of our efforts gold or bronze? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1526
When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2 Chronicles 12:1 – This choice led to repercussions Rehoboam dealt with in our passage. Would the Egyptians have still come against him if he remained worshipping the Lord? Probably. Would they have though found such victory over him if he remained worshipping the Lord? Probably not. While it was a good thing that Rehoboam and the other leaders humbled themselves before the Lord when they saw the enemy and realized their sin, a truth comes out of this story we must remember. While what you do in the hardship is important, what you do in the times of blessing is equally important. Yes, Rehoboam turned to the Lord when times got hard, but in the times of strength and blessing he abandoned following the Lord. While we, sitting here thousands of years later, can look down in frustration at this sort of behavior, could this same behavior be seen in our story? Where our reaction in heavy times is to run to the Lord but in times of blessing we forget that He’s the one we ought to still be running towards. If then today is a heavy, hard day for you, please know God is waiting to receive you with open arms and is able to help. If though today is a day of blessing and peace for you, know God is also still waiting to receive you and walk with you today. However life is for you right now, take a step towards the God that is worthy to be followed in the good and the hard times. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2601
Chapter 13
Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. 2 Chronicles 13:9-10- Here it appears that Abijah, the King of Judah who is speaking, is a devoted follower of God. He says he hasn’t forsaken God like the other king had. Even when he cried out for help to God later on God helped him. It appears he is a follower of God, but it’s just that, an appearance. If we look back in 1 Kings 15:3 we see that Abijah was not faithful and his heart was not after God. He used God as a way to appear better than others and an emergency bunker to only run to when things got really bad. This is not an honoring way to follow God. It wasn’t back then and still isn’t today. My hope for us all is that our devotion to God is more than just a way to appear better than others. That we turn to Him more than just in the emergency. That we follow Him how He directs us to follow Him. If we were to be honest with ourselves, is the faith life we have more for show than for the sustenance we need? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1527
Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them. 2 Chronicles 13:6-7 – Abijah, the current king of Judah, who also was the son of Rehoboam, is speaking to an army of Israelites that have come against him for battle. Abijah speaks of the story we read about in chapter 10 when his father, King Rehoboam, at the start of his reign made the poor choice to listen to the wisdom of his friends over the wise older men on how to handle his kingdom. Here in his speech, Abijah says his dad wasn’t in the wrong, he was just young, unable to make clear decisions, and was being pushed around by people to make the decision he made. Let’s fact check that though. Rehoboam wasn’t young, he was 41 when he made his decision. While inexperienced in being king for sure, he had Solomon, the wisest man ever, as his father and as the one to prepare him to become king. Even just looking at the way Rehoboam spoke, it sure didn’t seem like he was a cowardly, able to be pushed around character. Abijah is making excuses for the sins of his father here. How about us? When we have done wrong recently, have we owned up to it or gave reasonings for the decision we made? We were just tired…we weren’t thinking….it was their fault that I did it. Most all of us need to be better about accepting the ownership of our wrongs and bringing that before the Lord. How could that begin for you today? Whatever that sinfulness is that has been allowed in your story, and maybe the fault has been placed elsewhere than on yourself, confess that before the Lord today. Take a step away from sin and a step toward the only One who can forgive you of your sin. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2602
Chapter 14
He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim….2 Chronicles 14:3 – King Asa found his reign a blessed one because he chose to follow after God and he choose to lead the people under him to do the same. One major thing that Asa did was tearing down the altars and pillars constructed for the worship of false gods. These would have been a trap for his people, something that could easily tempt them to return to a way of unfaithfulness to God. The king knowing this took care of traps for his people. What traps are in the lives of the people around you that you can see? What do you think is going to happen if those traps remain along their path? Maybe the reason God has revealed them to you is because He’s leading you to remove those traps out of their path. The least we can do is make them aware of the traps and help them past so they don’t get caught up in it. Let us not be a people that is aware of the traps in our brother’s way yet does nothing about them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1528
He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. 2 Chronicles 14:5-6 – Asa is now king in Judah after his father Abijah passed, and we see a striking difference in the nature of his reign. Peace. Unlike his father whose reign was plagued with war, Asa found rest in his land and peace for his people. Was this peace brought about because Asa had newly fortified cities and an army of mighty men of valor? While yes Asa had that too in his reign, peace wasn’t brought about because of those things. Asa had peace in his land because He commanded that God was to be worshipped in his land. All idols and places of idol worship were taken away and the worship of God took place instead. As a result of such faithfulness, God blessed Asa with peace in his land. Allow these quick summaries of these different kings’ stories to reveal to you how the choice to worship God or not to worship God is the choice to bring peace into your story or not to bring peace in. Each story where God was acknowledged, sought out, and worshipped is the stories we see rest and peace within. Yet each story where God was forgotten and rejected is the stories where unrest and conflict plagues the pages. Certainly even the stories of faithfulness had battles, that’s clearly shown even in our passage today, but conflict was not the theme of this story. Peace was. And so will the theme of the story be of all those who follow the Lord. Choose today to follow the Lord knowing that is also your choice to bring peace into your life. I love you, but Jesus love you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2603
Chapter 15
For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 2 Chronicles15:3-4 – This passage just gives me hope for all those in my life that I know currently aren’t seeking after God. Maybe it’s some middle schooler I see out in front of me when I speak on a Wednesday night, or someone in my extended family, or even a friend that is in my home at least once a week. I can get so easily discouraged when I see the people I care about missing out on the goodness and peace that a life pursuing God can give. It’s something I’ve seen is better than anything else and I long for them to step into that too. What this passage reminds me is there is still hope and that it’s not too late for them. Maybe they have gone a long time of not seeking after God, but whenever they make that choice to turn to Him He will be found by them. So take heart concerning those in your life that aren’t pursuing God currently. Pray for them, share with them, love them with the deepest love you have, and know if they ever turn to seek God He will be found by them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1529
As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 15:8 – Asa was making the right moves here. Putting away idols, repairing the altar, all these sort of actions were wonderful and holy things for Asa to be doing. We see in chapter 14 Asa began this work (verses 3-5) by tearing down altars and cutting down pillars to false gods, and now, with this newly found courage, he is finishing it. Let’s learn from this that the process of removing sinful things from our life won’t be a one-and-done deal. We will daily have to make the choice to continue to remove the things that lead us to sin. Yesterday’s removal isn’t enough, today we also need to take courage and keep removing these things. We may even have to make big moves like Asa did with removing his own mother. Thankfully God will be with us each step of the way. He will encourage and instill courage to those making the choice to step away from sin. However then sin is a part of your story today, take a step away from it. Find the freedom that God offers rather than the shame sin forces upon you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2604
Chapter 16
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you…”2 Chronicles16:7 – This was Asa’s issue, that he wouldn’t seek help from God first. This verse is about when the king of Israel came to attack Asa reached out to the king of Syria instead of God. Later we see Asa had some health issues and turned to the doctors only rather than to God. Is God saying don’t rely on your neighbors or doctors? Not at all, just come to Him first for help. God very well could have told Asa to reach out to the Syrian king and to the doctors for help, but Asa lost the chance to know that because he never went to God with his issues. What then is the issue in your story currently? Who was the one you sought help from first? Who are you relying on most to resolve it? God is inviting you to seek help and direction from Him, but He longs to not simply be your last resort. He wants, and deserves, to be our go to in the struggle. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1530
Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:8-9 – Many years into his reign, Asa finds himself with an enemy at his doorstep looking for battle. Rather than coming to the Lord and relying on Him to save his people, as he had done before, Asa turned to another king of another country for help. God is wanting Asa to see the wrongness of his turning to something/someone other than Him for help in his times of trouble. God is also wanting us to see the wrongness of our turning to something/someone other than Him in our times of trouble. God’s eyes are moving over all the earth, searching out for those in need of His support that He is ready to give out. What God is also searching for is a heart that is seeking after God’s help. If then today you are in a time of need, or maybe the enemy and this world is coming down on you hard today, know God’s help is available. His eyes are still running to and fro throughout the whole earth and God is still able to give strong support to those who heart is blameless towards Him. Don’t believe that you have to navigate the struggle on your own or that you have to use the strength of this world to overcome the world. Allow God to help for He is ready. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2605
Chapter 17
And Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities…2 Chronicles 17:12 – I just love how it’s put here, he steadily grew greater. The king made the choice to follow God himself. He also made the choice to give His people the opportunity to hear the Word of God. His devotion to God and how God was with him became known to nations all around. As a result God cause him to grow steadily greater. It wasn’t an immediate outpouring of strength or power or wealth. As he steadily continued after the Lord God caused him to grow steadily greater in these things. We have to keep in mind this is often how God works and blesses. Of course He can drown His followers in immediate blessing and sometimes He does, but often the growth comes steadily over time. Meaning don’t be frustrated if you are giving you’re all to God yet not seeing the growth as quickly as you desire it to come. Know God sees your steadfastness and God will bring about the growth you need. Trust His timing on the growth. As we walk faithfully we’ll see that growth out of our struggle with sin, we see the growth in our knowledge of Him, and we’ll even see the growth in others around us. Just stay steady after Him when the growth comes steadily instead of immediate. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1531
In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. 2 Chronicles 17:7-9 – Our next king of Judah is Jehoshaphat, and he at this time would certainly be considered a faithful to the Lord king. Not only did he himself walk in the ways of the Lord, we see here that he made sure others knew how to follow the Lord as well. Jeho sent some of his leading officials alongside the Levites to go throughout the cities of Judah and teach the people the law of God. Many would have been unable to read, or at least unable to have access to the writings of scripture, so many in these villages and cities may not have known the law of the Lord like they should. Yet, because of the efforts of these men going out and sharing the word of God, the people who may not have known the word of the Lord before do now. As crazy as it may seem to you, especially if you’ve grown up in church, so many people around you are like these people in the cities of Judah. They lack knowledge of God’s word and may have never actually heard it before. They may have a skewed version of Jesus in their mind, if any thoughts of Jesus are there to begin with. Our role is to be like the men in our passage. To go out, into the cities, share the word of the Lord, so all those that may not know it can know it. Find some way today to somehow share some part of God’s word to someone. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2606
Chapter 18
Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 2 Chronicles 18:9 – What an intimidating presence. Both kings on their thrones in their royal robes, surrounded by hundreds of prophets all saying the same thing. Now if you were to share a message that joined in with what everyone was saying then this whole scene wouldn’t be too intimidating to approach. Yet what if your message was different? One that told of the king’s death? Of course they wouldn’t want to hear it, but it’s a message that had to be told. We too have a message that needs to be told and often the audience that needs to hear it will be intimidating. Talking about Jesus to our small group at church is easy, talking to our unbelieving family member or speaking out about Jesus in our school isn’t as easy. Will you though like Micaiah the prophet share what needs to be shared even in the face of such an intimidating presence? While the audience will change the message won’t. Pray to have the same fervor in speaking about Jesus no matter the audience. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1532
And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.” 2 Chronicles 18:12-13 – The kings of Israel and of Judah both were gathered together making plans to go to war against another country, but the king of Judah pushed to inquire of the Lord first on if this was the right move. Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord, is now being directed by this king’s messenger to go ahead and approve the war plan, especially since all the other false prophets were approving it. Micaiah’s response? Whatever God says is what I’ll say. Much like the Apostles in Acts saying we can’t help but speak of what we have seen and heard. So imagine if you were in a situation like Micaiah. You have an audience ready to hear a word from you on if something is a godly direction or not, and everyone around is saying it is, but you know from scripture it isn’t. Do you go with the easy path and match what everyone else is saying, or do you say what God says in scripture, even if it contradicts what everyone else is saying? It can be so hard to go against the flow and say/view/live differently than the people around you. The pressures to just do as everyone else does are everywhere. The consequences though of walking the path not of God are the same today as they were in these stories from scripture. Be then strong and be courageous, do not be dismayed when the voices of the world contradict the words of the Lord. Speak the truth of God and live out the word of the Lord. For this world doesn’t need any more people just going with the flow, they need followers of God being followers of God speaking the words of God to them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2607
Chapter 19
…and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. 2 Chronicles 19:6 – The king while preparing those who would be judges among the people made sure they realized that when they judged they were doing it for more than just the man that was right in front of them but for God. They were serving God when they faithfully judged. Now I don’t know if there are any judges that read these, if though that’s you, then take this verse more literally! For everyone else, let’s feel free to swap the word “judge” with however you serve God. For you “clean the church” not for man but for the Lord. For you “lead a small group” not for man but for the Lord. For you witness, help others, lead worship, preach, youth minister, watch over the nursery, stay at home mom, teach, all not for man but for the Lord. When you serve you do it for the Lord so do it with everything you have. Do it faithfully, wholeheartedly, and with a joyous heart. When you remember who you’re actually doing all this for it helps with the high level of sacrifice often our serving takes. So remember you’re doing all you do for the Lord, one who faithfully, wholeheartedly, and joyously gave up all He had for us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1533
Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes. 2 Chronicles 19:7 – King Jehoshaphat is setting up leaders within his kingdom to rightly and faithfully handle all sorts of issues that may arise. In his giving direction to these leaders, he commands them to remember how God handles us and to handle those under them with such care. For in the Lord there is no injustice, but all things are justified. With the Lord there is no bribing taking place to win his affection and blessing, for nothing we c ould offer the Lord could earn us anything like that. Also with the Lord there is no favoritism, where you, because of who you are, are getting treated any differently than someone, who by worldly measures and standards, has less than you. We then are to handle others in the same way as the Lord and these judges. Wherever we see injustice, let’s shed light on this situation and seek to make things right. Whenever someone is trying to make excuses and cover their wrongs, we hold fast to what is right and don’t allow their influence to right their wrong. We will seek to show love and care for all people equally, no matter their class, race, backstory, or attitude. Because this is what God does, and what He would do in our shoes. Let’s dwell on how God would handle the situations we face in life and seek to mirror what we know from scripture He would do. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac -Daily DEVO 2608
Chapter 20
When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 2 Chronicles 20:25 – If you didn’t read the story leading up to this verse then it would seem as if this verse describes some amazing Christmas morning. Where the king and his people all came downstairs excited for presents, finding more than they could have ever dreamed for. Yet this was not what they expected to find that morning. They expected to come over the hill to find a massive army ready to slaughter them. Yet God took care of the massive army, leaving in the place they though was to be filled with death a place filled with blessing. God is able to bring about the blessing you need in the very spot you though death was to reside. What then is a place you feel like death only resides in your story? A certain relationship, a workplace, an addiction? While on our own in our own power death might end up being the only thing we find there, yet when God is involved things change. Let’s then seek Him out and invite Him into the areas of our life that seem to only bring us death. Maybe then we too can find the very thing we need from the very place we thought would only take from us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1534
O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12 – This chapter holds one of my all-time favorite Bible stories, so if you haven’t read the chapter yet, please do so! We have the king of Judah being threatened by a massive enemy horde, so massive he has no chance of winning a battle against them on his own. Instead of cowering in his palace or seeking help from some foreign army, the king turned his eyes to the Lord. In our moments of fears and in our seasons of hard, we too may have no clue what to do. Our hands can’t fix what’s happening and our smarts can’t figure out an answer to solve what’s happening. What do we do in situations like this? We put our eyes on Jesus. You may have been recently given the news you didn’t want to hear. You may have just gone through something you never asked to go through. You may have in front of you the biggest giant you’ve ever faced and his shadow is crushing you. This is your time to put your eyes on Jesus. Let God fight this battle with you and for you. He is able and He is willing. Allow passages like this one to remind you that no matter how great the horde in front of you is, and how powerless you are in this moment, God can still bring wonderous victory into your story. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2609
Chapter 21
And after all this the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. 2 Chronicles 21:18-19 – If you’re disgusted with the words within this passage then the passage is doing exactly what it was designed to do. To help those see the end result of a life like this. One of agony, one of disgust, one where no one missed it when gone. All this sounds harsh, but what did this king do to deserve all this? In verse 11 we see this said, “Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom and made Judah go astray.” He not only made new places of worship of false gods that previous kings tore down, he caused the people God entrusted to him to go astray in following those other gods. We see here God doesn’t take it lightly when we create stumbling blocks for our brother’s walk. When we stand in the way or create temptations in someone else’s life to cause them to walk after something not of God, God is not pleased. While many of us may not be seeking to do this purposely, we must be careful we aren’t even unknowingly. Are you causing someone to doubt their worth because of how you speak to them? Are you holding someone back from what they could be doing for God because of your selfishness? Maybe you aren’t creating new altars to false gods, but if we are causing people to be on a different path than the one God wants them on then our actions aren’t that much different than those of king Jehoram. Let’s use our lives to help people follow Jesus in every way we can. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1535
Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom and made Judah go astray. 2 Chronicles 21:21 – The faithful king Jehoshaphat that we have been reading about for a few days has passed, and his son Jehoram is now king. Jehoram is an unfaithful to God king and worshipped the false gods of his wife and his wife’s family. While that alone is a problem, what we see in the text is worse. He led the nation of Judah astray from the worship of God. His actions, his influence, and his idol worship caused others to stray away from the Lord as well. Let us open our eyes today to the reality of this too happening in our story. The way we interact with sin and allow sin within our life may too lead someone else astray into sin. Our spouse may be enticed to their own sin if they see us entertaining our own. Our kids may copy what we do later in life. Our friend might slip back into that vice because of us. While we may not have the influence of a king, we still do have influence. Let’s use that influence for good rather than evil. As much as our sinful actions can lead others to sin so can our holy actions lead others to pursue holiness. Which path would you like to see those around you on? Let your choice today be to set aside sin and follow the ways of Jesus. Allow your life to be a light that guides others to their Savior rather than away. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2610
Chapter 22
He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing. 2 Chronicles 22:3-4 – You’ve heard the old saying it only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch. Yet what if all you did was eat those bad apples? That’s exactly what this new king did for his short, evil, year-long reign. It says here he took counsel from his mother and others who guided him in doing evil. He only ate the bad apples and felt the clear sickness to follow. Right now in your story you have a bunch of “apples,” a bunch of different voices you can listen to on how to live. In the bunch there is some great, beautiful apples and there is some rotten ones as well. You can imagine the sickness that would follow if literally you only ate the rotten ones, so why do we think when we only listen to the rotten voices we’ll be alright? Those rotten voices will always be around, but we don’t have to let them be our counsel. Take counsel from the voices that speak life and are guiding you to the life God has for you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1536
And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land. 2 Chronicles 22:12 – An evil queen took over the kingdom after the death of her son who was king. Guided by her lust for power and idolatry, she began to murder anyone that might try to take the throne away from her. Yet, amiss all the turmoil, someone shows kindness to a young, helpless prince by hiding him for years to protect him from the evil outside. While sounding like the start of a fairy tale, this is the story found in our chapter. What we also see is a message we need to remember. That while the powers at play may be choosing evil, we don’t have to. Maybe the government you’re under isn’t choosing the holiest of actions. Maybe the boss you work under is rude, lies, and cheats those who work for them. Maybe your parent isn’t a follower of Jesus and isn’t in anyway living how they should. Whatever your situation may be, you can still choose the holy path. Those above you, around you, and below you may not be choosing to follow Jesus, but you can still choose that path. Be the one who does what is right even when others are choosing what’s wrong. What our world needs more of is light in the darkness, so shine bright for all to see, especially in the areas where darkness has taken a greater hold. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2611
Chapter 23
And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. 2 Chronicles 23:10 – Seems like the opposite is happening here from what we typically think should happen with a king and his people. The king is supposed to be the one guarding the people, not the other way around. Yet this passage reminds us that our leaders are humans and they too need our help. Yes they’ve been placed in a position to lead, but they still struggle and have times where their people need to step up and guard them for a season. Maybe your leader isn’t a elementary school aged king like we have in our passage, but know your leaders need your support. Think about how you can stand guard for your teachers, pastors, politicians, parents, and other authorities. Remember they have weaknesses too and our enemy is going to aim straight for them. Maybe we can stand in the way of those attacks so our leaders can stand strong like we need them to. For when our leaders are strong and healthy the people under them often are as well. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1537
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 2 Chronicles 23:12-13 – After a few years of the reign of this evil queen, the nation took courage and lifted up the rightful king to his place and proclaimed him king of the land. Yet, when Athaliah, the evil queen, saw all this taking place, her response was to scream out how treasonous all this was. This sort of response shouldn’t be surprising to us for holiness can seem like treason to those who have their heart set on sin. Think about a non-believing friend group you’ve had in the past that you walked away from. They thought you were in the wrong, stuck-up, and judgmental. Your actions sees like “treason” to them, yet you took a very holy step to separate yourself from bad company. Know the world will not understand your steps to follow Jesus. Those steps will look crazy, judgmental, small-minded, and even treasonous to them. You must remember though their heart isn’t after Jesus. They don’t see the full picture and they aren’t seeing your true heart. Continue to take faithful steps even if those steps will be misunderstood. While to the world your faithful walk looks treasonous to them, to Jesus each step you take is a demonstration of your commitment and love for Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2612
Chapter 24
And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 2 Chronicles 24:5 – It’s one thing to have a calling yet another to actually fulfill that calling. For the priests and Levites here they were to gather the funds to fulfill the mission of repairing the temple. They though did not act on what they were call to do. You’ve been called to many things as well. To love your neighbor. To help your family know Jesus. To use your gifts for the good of your church family. To be a light in the darkness. Carrying around these important callings yet never moving forward with them shouldn’t be the life of a follower of Jesus. Today let’s seek out every way we can to bring about the fulfillment of what God has called us to do. We won’t complete everything today that God has called us to do, but today can be full of steps forward. What then is one thing God has called you personally to do and how could you lean into today? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1538
Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 – Joash the king served the Lord faithfully for many years. Under the guidance of Jehoiada the priest, the young king rebuilt the temple and brought the kingdom back into a posture of worship of the Lord. Yet, when Jehoiada died, what also died was the king’s faithful walk after the Lord. As we read on in the chapter, Joash’s story turned to one of sin and wickedness. This passage reminds us that what matters today is our actions of today. You may have been a super churchy kid growing up, but that doesn’t make your life of sin now okay and guaranteeing you a spot in Heaven. At the same time, you may have lived an extremely sinful life in the past and that doesn’t overshadow your faithful life now, guaranteeing you a spot in Hell. What matters is have you accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation and how are you living for Him today? Your past “goods” or your past “bads” aren’t what determine your eternity. What does is if you’ve accepted Jesus’ forgiveness of sin and free gift of life. Don’t let your past wrongs deceive you into thinking you can’t change and become a follower of Jesus. Don’t let your past good actions deceive you into thinking you’re good with God if you’ve never placed your faith in Him. If you haven’t chosen to follow Jesus, make that choice today, and if you need guidance on that, just reach out. The only decision in your past that defines your eternity is whether you have chosen to follow Jesus or not. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2613
Chapter 25
And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 2 Chronicles25:9 – Here king Amaziah paid a hundred talents of silver to Israel to hire some extra soldiers. God though said to dismiss the Israelite soldiers because they weren’t following after God. The king then asks our question about the money and God delivers the reply that He is able to provide so much more than what you lost as a result of following Him. Following God will require us letting go and waking away from things. Precious, valuable things we hold close. What God longs for us to know is that what He has for those that pursue Him is far greater than what we leave behind. He has the storehouses of Heaven He can pour out on us. Yes, letting go of a relationship or a dream career path or even some money so you can buy someone food is a sacrifice from us, but God can offer the things we truly need in our life that far exceed the greatness of what we left behind in our pursuit of Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1539
Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” 2 Chronicles 25:15-16 – King Amaziah, after the Lord gave him victory over his enemy in battle, chose to bring back home foreign idols and worship them. Seeking to help the king, the Lord sent a prophet to confront this sin and steer the king back into a faithful worship of the Lord. Yet, as the prophet was speaking about the king’s sin, the king blurted out what we see in the passage and commanded the prophet to speak no more of this. Is this how we are when someone speaks to us about our sin? Do we get defensive, telling them to stop speaking to us about this, and push them and their corrective words aside? It can be so difficult to accept the words of a loving brother or sister that is speaking to us about our sin. Know though they are doing was scripture calls them to do, and they probably are nervous about doing it too. Remember that we all sin and have our unique struggles with sin. We need one another watching our lives and speaking into us when we have chosen sin. Embrace, not reject, the words of your brother who is seeking to help you away from sin. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2614
Chapter 26
And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land. 2 Chronicles 26:21 – Our sin excludes us from being in the house of the Lord as well. As with the king, we can no longer come into the presence of God due to our sin. What Jesus did on the cross though was create a way for us to have our sins forgiven so we could be welcomed back into the house of God. So if you are a believer in Jesus know you have free access to God, to come in and out of His house freely because of what Jesus did for us. Keep though in mind how our sins today can have an effect on all that. While we are forgiven and are allowed in, sin can distract us and entice us away from God’s house. We can have an open door to all God gives but be blinded to it all because of the sin in our story. So yes, your sin is forgiven, but it can still keep you away from God’s house. Not because you’re stained with sin and not allowed in but because when sin is our focus, God isn’t. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1540
In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. 2 Chronicles 26:15 – “Till he was strong.” This short phrase is the pivot point for the whole chapter. Uzziah was faithful to the Lord, seeking out the Lord, and finding great help from this Lord in all his efforts. Yet, when he became strong, he began to rely on himself rather than the Lord, which ultimately lead to his demise. Such stories are common in scripture and such stories are common in our day too. We can see people trusting deeply in the Lord, seeking God out in their life, but then they become ____ and that seeking of the Lord stops. They become rich, they become wise in their own eyes, they people popular, they become healthy, they become strong. Fill in the blank however, but we can find when people get to a spot in life where it feels like they don’t need God anymore, they stop relying on God. Oh how this is to their demise and oh how they have been deceived! Do not let the blessings take you away from the One who blessed you. Without God, you would have not strength, fame, health, or wealth. So when you take Him out of the equation, the result will be nothing good. If you do not have, turn to the Lord and rely on Him for what you need. If you do have, turn to the Lord and give praise for what you have. Whether you have or have not, the posture of our eyes being on the Lord is the same. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2615
Chapter 27
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 2 Chronicles 27:2 – It’s great that king Jotham followed God is all his ways, even learning from the mistakes of his father and not repeating them. But where was his heart toward his people following God? It’s doesn’t say one way or the other if he sought to help his people follow God or if he sought to remove any idols that may behave been built to lead them astray. We must let it not be in question whether we are seeking to help those in our story follow Jesus. We can’t make anyone follow Jesus, as possibly the king found out if efforts were given for that in his time. What we can do is have a heart for them knowing Jesus and make whatever effort needed to make the journey to Jesus as smooth and clear as possible for them. When your story is spoken about someday, don’t let there be any question about whether you had a heart for people coming to know Jesus. Let it be the part of your life that defines everything else and what people remember you by. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1541
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 2 Chronicles 27:2 – As difficult as it may be to accept, your faithful walk around others may still not interest them or encourage them to follow Jesus. We see King Jotham choosing to follow God and do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but as our scriptures show us, the people of Judah continued after false gods and kept their corrupt practices. Jotham lived for God in front of them, but they didn’t follow his example. Maybe for you it’s a child that you raised to be a follower of Jesus and you yourself lived a solid life for Christ in front of them, but they turned away from the faith. Maybe it’s a coworker that has seen you live for Jesus for years and heard you talk about Jesus over and over, but still has no interest in a life with Jesus of their own. Maybe it’s a friend that clearly knows you’re a Christian and you’ve spoken with them about Jesus many times, but still isn’t making a move towards God. Whatever the situation, it can be heartbreaking and frustrating when you see no interest in Jesus from the person you’re witnessing too. Remember though it’s not our role to save, just to point them to the One who can save. Also remember there were people who walked with Jesus, saw Jesus, and heard Jesus speak, and still chose not to follow Him. Keep praying their heart will turn to the Lord and keep living for Jesus. Never underestimate the power of a daily faithful life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2616
Chapter 28
So Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 2 Chronicles 28:20 & For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 2 Chronicles 28:23 – I wanted to share more than one verse today from this passage because this king made this same mistake more than once. If you didn’t read the passage, King Ahaz hardcore turned from following after God and as a result God allowed foreign nations to come in and overpower them…many, many times. What we see here in our verses is how Ahaz chose to handle his enemies. He turned to other nations and other gods only to find them turning on him and being his ruin. Let’s take to heart the mistakes this king made and settle now that when our enemy comes it’s God and only God we’ll turn to for help. This is just one beautiful thing scripture offers us, a chance to see the end results of choices we could make in our story without having to live with the consequences of making them ourselves. Over and over and over again we’re seeing throughout these passages God is the only safe place to lean on in our times of trouble. Praise God we get to learn that lesson this way through scripture and not have to always navigate the regrets and pain of making these wrong choices in our life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1542
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his fathers. 2 Chronicles 28:24-25 – Each chapter we read seems to bring up a new king and that king’s level of faithfulness to the Lord. Ahaz, our next king of Judah, has completely rejected God and has created altars of worship to false gods that he even sacrificed his own sons on. The phrase though that stands out here today is “he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord.” Not only did he choose to not follow the Lord, he made it difficult for others to. Now, I highly doubt anyone reading this has a desire to make it difficult for others to come to Jesus, you would never purposefully be “shutting up the doors” to others coming to be with the Lord. So let’s be watchful on how we may unknowingly be doing this. How welcoming are you to those who are different than you when they are seeking to gather with your church? Is there any grievances or tension with a brother or sister in the Lord that hasn’t been resolved? These sort of questions can cause us to evaluate how open or closed we are making the doors for others to approach Jesus. Are God’s arms open wide but we are standing in the way of them coming to Jesus? Is our pride, comfort, or lack of forgiveness a stumbling block for others to come close to Jesus? Dwell today on how you can be a door opener for all to approach their Savior. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2617
Chapter 29
But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished—for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. 2 Chronicles 29:34 – Most likely the reason why there wasn’t enough priests to handle all the offerings coming in was because the priests, as a class, were probably more deeply involved in the sin and corruption the previous king brought. They would have been more cold to the new king’s ways and refused to turn from their sin and consecrate themselves for God’s work. Like King Hezekiah we too can try to change the atmosphere and direction a people or place is going, but we too will run into “priests” who don’t want to change. Priests who enjoyed the old ways and don’t see the value of the change. Priests who as a result of their refusal to change will cause others to have to step into their place because things are not moving like they should. We must expected “priests” like this to be a part of the changes where trying to bring, just don’t let it stop you. For Hezekiah he knew his kingdom needed a change of beginning to follow God. You know certain areas in your story need a change to. Your home being more Christ centered, your workplace being more of a mission field, your school being more filled with kindness. Expect pushback and expect people won’t like the change, know though God will provide and bless when we seek to change a place to make it more of a house of worship for Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1543
My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him. 2 Chronicles 29:11 – We are introduced again to a new king, and this new king is a solid and faithful king. Hezekiah, within the first month of his reign, reopens the doors to the temple that were shut, cleanses the temple from all uncleanliness, and reignites the worship of his people towards the Lord. In our verse the king is speaking to the priests and Levites who were to take on the task of getting the temple, and the people, ready for worship once again. He said now is not the time to be negligent and forgetful about your duties. God has chosen you, this is your time and your task, to stand before Him and serve Him and to make offerings for the people. You know your role and you know now is the time to carry it out. Tomorrow isn’t what God is calling you to; He’s calling you to today. Allow that message to sink in for us as well. Our role isn’t to be workers within the temple in Jerusalem, nor to make offerings like these priests were doing. We do though have a task given to us by the Lord to share His good news with the world around us. With that message in mind, reread the passage above. My children, don’t be negligent with this responsibility. God has chosen you as His church to proclaim His gospel message. Tomorrow isn’t what God is calling you to; He’s calling you to today. Be mindful today of how you can speak of Jesus to those around you and how you can help them see the goodness of God through you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2618
Chapter 30
For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 – Most of the people who came to worship had not taken the time to follow the commands to be clean before coming to celebrate the Passover. What did God do to them for this act of disobedience? He struck them down, He banished them, He said He wanted nothing to do with them…..nope, scripture says He healed them. He looked at their true heart for Him and was gracious to them, welcoming them back into His presence. This chapter is so beautiful because it opens our eyes to the truth God has always been the gracious, loving God we see in Jesus. Yes, He has His commands and He expects His people to follow them, but His desire is our heart being after Him. If you even look back in Numbers 9 He made a way for those unclean to celebrate the Passover. We see God’s heart for His people then and His heart for us today. So maybe you too feel as if your heart isn’t clean enough to come to Jesus. Hear from this passage God welcomes you as you are and will bring the healing you need when you come to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1544
The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven. 2 Chronicles 30:25-27 – If you don’t have context to what happened in the verses prior in this chapter, I wonder what you think must have taken place to create such a great joy in Jerusalem that day, a joy that hadn’t been seen for generations. Did they win a massive victory against an enemy? Nope, they celebrated Passover. Hezekiah, doing the unthinkable in his day, invited all the people of Israel to worship the Lord in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Not just his people, but all of God’s people were invited and welcomed to come. While many laughed and mocked at the invite, many came. Worship of the Lord was made and offerings were made to bring cleanliness, such that hadn’t been seen for decades. This high level of worship and rejoicing though was only possible due to the king’s wise choice to invite those who were against him into worship with him. Yes, Israel and Judah had many battles and the kingdom had been split for ages, but they were still God’s chosen people together and Hezekiah chose to remember this. Is your worship not as great as it could be because you haven’t welcomed the one who is against you into the worship of Jesus with you? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2619
Chapter 31
And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.” 2 Chronicles 31:9-10 – Our goal should be to have heaps. God’s people, in response to all that was happening, acted faithfully and brought offerings to the temple. So much so there we heaps of offerings all around even after the priests had taken their portion. Enough to send out to other priests and to be used for all the purposes needed for worship. Too often though we see within our churches a scrapping of the barrel to do the ministry needed rather than heaps of overflow. What then can you do to help there be heaps? What can you give to add to the heaps needed? Imagine churches having heaps of volunteers ready to serve, heaps of finances to help communities who are struggling, heaps of wisdom ready to be poured out on the next generation. Imagine churches sharing their heap with the church next door that is scrapping the barrel. What a beautiful image this is! What then can each of us do to see this take place? What do you want to see heaps of in the church and what are you doing today to see those heaps be created? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1545
They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 2 Chronicles 31:18 – We are learning here that the priests and Levities that were in the service of the Lord were wholly taken care of by the offerings that came in by the people of God. Not only the ones serving though were taken care of, but their entire family was provided for as they faithfully served the Lord. This is a lesson for us to see, that as we commit ourselves to the service of the Lord, God is going to take care of us and He is going to provide for those we are to take care of too. Our serving the Lord, our giving to the Lord, and our faithfulness to the Lord isn’t going to equate a lack of what we need, but a provision. Please don’t take this as a prosperity gospel sort of message, understand though that serving the Lord isn’t going result in you not having your daily bread or bread for your family. God takes care of those who serve Him. God loves to bless and loves to provide for those serving Him. Our role is to live holy, like we see in our passage. Live set apart from sin, leave the flesh behind, and live as a follower of Jesus ought to. Live holy and trust God will provide for those faithfully serving Him. The world will seek to convince you that following God will leave you without, yet it is the pursuit of this world that will leave you empty. If you want to see your needs provided for and your family taken care of, pursue the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Our God is a good Father that loves to provide for His children, and He is a Father that loves to bless those that bless Him. I love you, but Jesus love you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2620
Chapter 32
But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. 2 Chronicles 32:25-26 – Our stories can have a double but. If you know me and how I teach, I love whenever I come across a but in the Bible. It means a change in the story and often that change is towards following after God. Yet, not always as we see here with the first but in our passage. Hezekiah let his pride get the best of him and turned for a while away from God…but there was a second but. He changed again his direction to following after God and God welcomed Him back. You too can have a second but in your story. Maybe you once were going strong after God then life happened and your pursuit of Him isn’t as solid as it once was or should be. You though are able and welcomed to turn again back to following after Jesus. God isn’t waiting to smack you down but embrace you back into His loving arms. Know then due to the immense grace and unending love of God you are allowed a double but in your story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1546
And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the Lord, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.” 2 Chronicles 32:17 – While serving the Lord faithfully, an enemy still came against King Hezekiah. This enemy, the army of Assyria, had come against many cites on their battle march and had conquered all of them. No king, no army, and like we see in the passage, no gods were able to save these cities from the power of Assyria. Now messengers from Assyria are writing to Hezekiah saying nothing, not even God can save them, for no other god had saved any other cites so far. While kings and armies might not be what our normal life looks like, we too can find ourselves proclaiming what these Assyrian messengers said. “Nothing else in this world could help me, so God must not be able to either.” We allow the world’s limitations to limit God in our minds. But our God isn’t like other gods, nor is God like our father who failed us, or that friend that left, or that person that hurt us. God is not those things and God is not like those things. Our God can do far more, and is far better than anything of this world. While the world may have failed you, don’t allow that to dictate what God is able to do in your story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2621
Chapter 33
And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. 2 Chronicles 33:12-13- As you read the first section of this chapter it’s hard to imagine this would be a part of King Manasseh’s story. It said he hardcore turned from following after God like his father did. He rebuilt the altars to false gods, even building them in God’s temple. He sacrificed his own sons as offerings and is said to have done more evil than even the nations who possessed the land before Israel took it over. Yet, in his distress, when this evil-doing king reached out to God, God heard and was moved to compassion. Take examples like this from scripture to help you remember you nor anyone else is too far gone. I highly doubt any of us know people who are currently sacrificing their children to false gods and building idols in churches, yet God forgave even someone like that. He can forgive you, He can forgive that person in your life, and He wants us to share this message with the world. Praise God we serve a God who doesn’t have a limit to who He shows His compassion to! I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1547
Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God. 2 Chronicles 33:17 -We read in this chapter how Manasseh deeply went after evil things during his reign as king. He rebuilt all the altars for idol worship, he created idols and put them in the temple of God, and even sacrificed his own sons to these false gods. As a result, the whole kingdom too went after these idols and these evils ways. God though got the attention of Manasseh, and Manasseh repented of his evil ways and began to seek out the Lord. As we read from our verse above though, the people of the kingdom didn’t completely turn from evil, but they continued to sacrifice on the altars on these high places. While yes, these sacrifices were to the Lord, it still was them choosing to worship how they wanted, not how God called them to in His word. This is something that far too often still happens in the church of today. We choose how we want to worship God rather than following how He says to worship Him. Rather than gathering with other believers, we do “church” on our own. Rather than giving our talents to His ministry work, we use it for our gain. Rather than a life of meditating on the words of scripture, Sunday suffices for our weekly amount of scripture intake. Like the people in our passage, worship can happen how we want it to happen, or we can follow God’s outline for it. Let’s seek to discard our ways and take on God’s ways for worship. For worship, not how God designed and called us to worship, is no worship at all. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2622
Chapter 34
For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 2 Chronicles 34:3 – To add on to this, in his eighteenth year is when the king found the book of the law and heard it for the first time. What we see with Josiah is a slow, but steady, progression of following more faithfully after God. Yes it took years, but his direction was consistent and moving in the right way. We too must remember God is pleased when our progression stays steadily after Him. Yes, it’s may be slow, even years and years of slow moving forward, but when the moving is towards Him He is pleased. So don’t feel defeated if your pursuit of Him isn’t perfect yet, no one’s is. Don’t be discouraged when someone in your life isn’t fully there yet in their walk with God. If they are even just slowly turning to Him that’s a life that is pleasing to God. Slow is okay with God when that slow is steadily after Him. Today then what God wants is a step closer to Him. Maybe it’s not a full marathon after Him today, but a step closer to Him is honoring to Him. What then does your step look like today? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1548
And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around,7 he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 34:6-7 – Josiah, while young as a king when he came into power, chose the wise path of holiness that many kings before he didn’t. As with the kings before him that did choose to follow the Lord, the first step was the idols and altars to false gods had to be removed from the land. Notice though the level of removal. Broke down and beat the images into a powder. There was no way for people to secretly sneak the idols back into their homes or into their places of secret worship. These things were utterly destroyed beyond repair. Such should we be with the things that lead us astray to sin. Break them down and beat then into a powder that is unable to be put back together. Too often we “get rid” of the things that cause us to sin by simply just putting them in a closet or in a place we can’t see all the time, but when temptations arises, they are easy to have in our hands again. Yet what if those objects that lead us to sin weren’t just in the closet or back garage or deleted of your phone, but they were pulverized out of your life? See the difference? Be willing to fully remove things from your life and be willing to invite others into the process of removal. Sometimes the best way to keep ourselves from ever returning to a sin is to have the brothers and sisters God placed in our life helping us. Let’s say no to sin once and for all. – Mac – Daily DEVO 2623
Chapter 35
The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them. 2 Chronicles 35:15 – If someday you were to come into the church I’m a part of and you found me in the nursery taking care of the babies, then you know I had to depart from my service to cover someone else. Not that I’m too big to work in the nursery, but it is far from my strengths and comfort zone. Here in our passage we see the singers and gatekeepers were able to stay in their places of services because their brothers also did their part. When a church body together steps up and each person does their part then we don’t have to leave our places of service to cover places that aren’t taken care of. Of course we must be willing to step out of our areas of strength and cover places when needed, but the ideal situation is when each of us can use our strengths to the fullest in the areas God places us in. So how often in your church are people having to lean in to serve in places they wouldn’t normally find themselves to cover a need? Is it because of growth or because others aren’t doing their part? Is someone else having to cover for you because you aren’t doing your part? All are things we can be on the look out for to help our church family be as strong as it can be. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1549
No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 35:18 – This verse caught my attention for it declares that no other king of Israel had ever kept a Passover like this one. Not even the special one that Hezekiah just celebrated a few chapters ago? Not even Solomon in all his grandeur? What made this Passover so special was how Josiah gave offerings for all the people that were present and how devoted they were to following the letter of the law on how to perform the Passover feast. This wasn’t out of tradition or ritual, this was out of respect for the Lord and His word. As we gather today with our respective church families, don’t allow this Sunday to be like any other Sunday. Let worship be different today than it ever has before in your church home. Let the devotion to the studying of God’s Word be different today than it was last week or any week prior. Let the way you love one another, the way you remember what Christ has done for you, the way you serve, and the way you spread the Gospel be better today than last Sunday. Strive to follow God’s direction on all this things and seek to have a passion for the Lord as the fuel to your worship. God is worth such a passionate devotion from us, and He is worth making today more for Him than any other day of our life. Let’s give Him what He deserves from us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2624
Chapter 36
The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy. Therefore…2 Chronicles 36:15-17a – Bible study help, whenever you see a “therefore” always ask what is the therefore there for. We see in the next few verses Jerusalem and the temple burned and destroyed. Something that may not hit us too hard but would have crushed the Jewish readers of the time. Yet why did this happen? Because God tried, persistently tried scripture says, to lead His people back to Him. His compassion was great and kept giving them chances but they refused every time until there was no other remedy except allowing them to face the consequences of the choices they had made. I felt we needed to see this passage because it’s a reminder that God’s heart is not to crush us but to have compassion on us. Yes, He is able to crush and will use His power, but that’s not His desire at all. He’d rather use a quiet voice than a strong hand to lead you. Yet if the quiet voice, the little louder voice, and the even louder voice doesn’t change our direction, know God loves you enough to use His strong hand to keep you from walking into something that will hurt you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1550
The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 – The header for the chapter I have in my Bible reads, “Judah’s Decline,” and rightfully so. King after king was replaced, enemy after enemy conquered, and prophet after prophet was rejected. As we see in our passage, God had the heart for Judah to prosper, but Judah’s heart was after their sin which led them to their demise. How then is God persistently speaking to you? Is there something that He is consistently laying on your heart to stop doing or to start doing? Know that persistence from the Lord is a demonstration of God’s compassion towards you. He isn’t seeking your decline; He’s seeking your blessing. However the Lord is speaking to you, be willing to listen and respond accordingly. Allow this final chapter in 2 Chronicles to be a reminder of the ultimate outcome of a rejection of God’s lead. God is seeking your growth, blessing, and promise. Listen to whatever the Lord is seeking to have you hear. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2625
Daily DEVO 