2 Kings – Chapter 12

The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests. 2 Kings 12:16 – The temple of the Lord had been in disrepair for a while now due to the previous king’s lack of following the Lord. The new king Jehoash (or Joash, same guy just different spelling) had his heart set to fix up the temple and commanded the priests to use the money coming in from the people for the repairs. The issue was the money coming in was normally given the priests, and now it was to be given for the repairs instead…and the priests didn’t like that, so they refused to do the repairs. Yet after years of refusal to work, eventually the repairs began using the money from the offerings, and the verse above reveals that God provided so much that not only were all the repairs completed but the priests also were taken care too. While they thought they were going to go without money, God not only took care of them financially but also repaired His temple too. We too can fall into the fear these priests did, that if we give like God is calling us to it will result in us existing in a state of lack. What scripture has revealed many times though is that when God’s followers actually follow what He says about giving, lack is never the state they exist in. I have experienced this myself more times than I can count and I still can’t figure out how God provides like He does. The certainty is though that when we are faithful to give like He’s called us to, God will be faithful to provide for our needs. Give your time to Him, give your talents, give your offerings, give Him your heart. You will never come up short when God receives from you what He is calling you to give Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3078

And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 2 Kings 12:2 – When I hear someone say they don’t need to come to church to worship Jesus, my heart breaks that they think this way. Of course God can be worshiped and experienced outside the walls of a church, but what we see in this passage is such an amazing reason of many reasons why going to church is so key to our walk with God. We see Jehoash did right with God, but why is that so? Because he had someone instructing and disciplining him as to what it looks like to do right for God in one’s life. This shows so clearly that we need each other in our lives to know how to walk properly with God. We need each other speaking into us and we need to be speaking into other’s lives as well. Yet how is all that going to happen consistently if we refuse to be a part of a community of believers, taking our walk with God solo? From scripture we see this: we need to be a part of a church and our church needs us too. That’s the design God intended for us, to rely on what He is doing through the church for our growth in Him and for us to be a vessel in helping others in the church grow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 384

Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 12:9 – This chapter helps us remember how the church is to be funded and how changes begins in the church. You. It is each person stepping up and playing their part. The house was built by the funds of those coming to worship and giving what they could to the project. What’s the project at your church? Is it a new building? Is it a more outreach-minded congregation? Is it a culture of caring more for those in need? What needs to be worked on within your church? Remind yourself the change begins with your faithfulness to follow what God is leading you to do. True, it’s not all on you, others will have to step up as well. You might have to be brave enough though to take the first step. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1035

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 2 Kings 12:1-2 – This little 7 year old became king, lasted 40 years, and led a nation to God in ways kings of his past and others around him did not. What we see though in our passage is one massive reason why. Jehoash had a mentor. The priest Jehoiada instructed and guided the little king in all that he should do and how to be a king after God’s heart. This relationship helped the king grow and helped the nation turn back to God for a season. It’s so important to have people pouring into us…do you have this? I was taught by our previous senior pastor to have at least 3 of these sort of relationships. One older to speak into you, one in your season of life to do life with, and one younger where you can mentor. This Christmas maybe the best change for your story is bringing the right people into it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2218