OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 19

2 Chronicles 19:1-11

19:1 Jehoshaphat narrowly returned to his home in Judah. It was the precision of God which pulled him through the tumult. Our God is able to work through impossible circumstances; Jehoshaphat's poor decision making put him into a dangerous and vulnerable position. Subsequently, an enemy plotted against him and an entire army surrounded him. Yet God was able to disperse them all. 

The beginning of this chapter begins with that simple sentence: Then Jehoshaphat returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. But the return was not simple at all, it was made simple by God's divine ability. We can trust God to pluck us out of impossible situations. 

Jehoshaphat was not saved because he was perfect, in the next verse, we read that God was upset with Jehoshaphat. God saved Jehoshaphat because Jehoshaphat asked God to save him and trusted God to save him. Jehoshaphat was saved despite his imperfection because he had a loving-relationship with God. 

19:2 God was unhappy with Jehoshaphat's decision to make an alliance with an evil man. Our associations have influence and impact in our lives. Without God's intervention, Jehoshaphat would have helped to further a corrupt cause. Most of us never intend to serve corruption, but we inevitably do when we align with the wrong people. For that reason, God wants us to be particular about what and who we let into our lives: media, social media, friends, ways of thought...etc. 

19:3 God scolded Jehoshaphat as any good father would. God's discipline was intended to help Jehoshaphat become wiser about choosing his associations. Until we learn from our mistakes, we keep repeating the same level over and over again like in a video game. 

Yet even though God disciplines us, He is never unaware of all of the things He loves about us. Once we learn from a mistake, it is erased. But our good deeds and wise choices are all recorded and imprinted into Him. Jehoshaphat loved God and sought Him with his whole heart. He worked to rid the kingdom of false idols in an effort to reestablish faith in our true God.

In Matthew 6:33, we are taught that if our primary focus is to seek God, everything else will be put into place by Him. Jehoshaphat exemplifies that truth. 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

God understands that we frequently become overwhelmed. It is difficult to consistently make the right decisions; it is impossible to avoid moments of fear, frustration, anger, hopelessness, despair, selfishness and desire. Because of that, God repeatedly calls our attention back to that verse. It is a reminder that if we can manage that one thing, He will take care of everything else. 

Planted firmly in God's soil do we best grow. He will heal, comfort, calm, realign, and reassure us. When we seek God first, he fixes the mistakes we make during the exploration; He cleans the messes. He dissipates the doubts we have during the ascents and descents. He ensures that our hope is met by great blessing. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the accumulation of one thousand things remember that God only holds you responsible for one of them: seeking Him.

19:4 Jehoshaphat returned to seeking God, not just for himself but for the kingdom. As king of Judah, Jehoshaphat emphasized the importance of knowing and following God's philosophy. Jehoshaphat was not enforcing a meaningless religion for the purpose of securing his control. Rather, Jehoshaphat knew the joy that a life of righteousness created. He wanted the people in his kingdom to have personal relationships with God; he wanted people to benefit from the wisdom, justice and compassion it taught. 

Jehoshaphat made a personal, emphatic, consistent effort to unite people with their benevolent creator. In that effort, Jehoshaphat looked for God through his own eyes and through the eyes of many more. Do not force or condemn people into faith; speak through a life of love for God. The euphoria and direction, hope and blessing, strength and courage your faith gives you will inspire others to begin their own exploration. 

19:5-6 Jehoshaphat established a judicial system throughout Judah which would operate in alignment with God's system of justice. The position of the judge was not an opportunity to exert personal authority but serve God's for the benefit of the people.

19:7 Jehoshaphat charged the judges to be honest and impartial. The rest of the world may have performed as a chaotic circus of self-serving interest but a kingdom established under God would not. God is vehement about our adherence to true justice because He knows that no human or nation can make forward progress in quagmire or labyrinth. 

19:8 The priests and Levites were charged to settle disputes with Godly-judgement. Jehoshaphat wanted the philosophy of God to be the foundation of every layer of the kingdom. Similarly should faith be the bedrock of each of the layers of our own lives. What we listen to, what we do, what we say... it should all be rooted in a place of righteousness. 

19:9 Jehoshaphat impressed the importance of loyalty to God. The kingdom would (and did) suffer through fickle and frail faith. When we make a commitment to God, we must keep it. Our effort in faith must be full-force, full-time, full-heart. 

19:10 Corruption could not go undisciplined. The people in positions of leadership in Judah were required to use their influence to grow people, to caution them from away corruption. If bribes were taken or personal interests were served, if the philosophy of God was abandoned, the kingdom would fracture. We fracture when we stop serving God's philosophy. 

19:11 Amariah was placed as chief priest; he was trusted by the king to exclusively serve God's interests steadfastly. 

Jehoshaphat spoke: Behave courageously, and the Lord will be with the good. Have the courage to follow God; we cannot see the destination or details of the journey but He can. Have the courage to trust that His leadership is good. God is with the good and leads them into goodness. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 18

2 Chronicles 18:1-34

18:1 Precisely because he was a faithful king, Jehoshaphat became a well established and prosperous king over Judah. In history, to create crucial alliances between kingdoms, men and women were married to each other to tether the interests of separate nations. We do not know if Jehoshaphat sanctioned the marriage between one of his family and Ahab's, but we do know that it was not superb idea. 

King Ahab in Israel was a corrupt king, 2 Kings 16:29-33. It was not necessary for Jehoshaphat to ally Judah with Israel, God had proved that He would protect and provide for Judah. We do not have to make deals and alliances with others to support our cause or kingdom, literal or figurative, if we have submitted ourselves to God's protection and authority. 

18:2-3 Jehoshaphat visited Ahab in Samaria and was treated like royalty. But Ahab's hospitality was not genuine; Ahab wanted to convince Judah to ally with Israel against Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat agreed to join with Israel in fighting Ramoth Gilead; he respected the alliance between the two and answered that Judah would perform as one with Israel in the war.

18:4 But Jehoshaphat had one condition: please inquire for the word of the Lord today. It did not occur to Ahab to consult God because Ahab had forsaken God. Ahab's motives were selfish, deceptive and evil; he knew that God would never support his cause. Yet Jehoshaphat would not make a single military move without God's consent. 

18:7 Begrudgingly, Ahab admitted that there was a prophet of God to be consulted concerning the war: Micaiah. Ahab abhored Micaiah because the prophet refused to flatter him; Micaiah was brave and bold in delivering God's disapproval to Ahab. Jehoshaphat was shocked to hear Ahab's statement of hate concerning Micaiah. 

Sometimes God does disapprove of our behavior or choices; God does not always answer affirmatively to the things we ask for. Ahab was unwilling to accept that God knew better. Ahab was unwilling to listen and grow from God's discipline. 

18:8-11 So instead of consulting an actual prophet of God, Ahab brought in false prophets. These false prophets were trained to tell the king what he wanted to hear. The false prophets always agreed with him and gave favorable responses to please and flatter the king (and to avoid imprisonment for honesty). Each of the false prophets told Ahab to press on with the war and that he would be successful.

Much of this chapter is about the value of truth. Are we willing to accept it? Are we will to speak it? Our answers to those questions make all the difference in our character and life. Micaiah is one example in scripture of a person who refused to be intimidated out of submission to God. We can trust God to protect us when we choose truth, Psalm 15:1-5.

18:12-13 A messenger was sent to retrieve Micaiah. Before he met with the king, Micaiah was briefed: he was told what the king wanted to hear and he was told what the false prophets had spoken.

18:14 Micaiah disregarded what the people urged him to do and promised to speak only what God told him to speak. Since we know from 2 Kings that Ahab should not have gone into the war, we can understand that Micaiah sarcastically told Ahab what he wanted to hear. Ahab wanted to hear a lie rather than a truth and God granted him the ignorant choice. Learn from Ahab's ignorance and refusal to receive truth. He received the answer he wanted, rather than the truth, and it destroyed him.

18:15-17 Micaiah continued to mock Ahab; and the king grew angrier. Ahab wanted Micaiah to tell him what he wanted to hear, but when the prophet did that, it upset the king. Ahab was entirely unreasonable. Be behaved as a rotten, spoiled individual. Ahab even whined to Jehoshaphat: Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? Ahab vehemently refused to accept any flaw in his character and it made him a terrible person. 

18:18-22 Micaiah changed his tone to serious: he revealed that God, through Ahab's insistence on this war, was orchestrated the evil's man's death. God planned for the false prophets to encourage Ahab directly into the last place he would ever breathe. 

18:23 Micaiah's revelation infuriated the false prophets and Zedekiah hit him in the face. Micaiah's statement seemed like an accusation, as if the false prophets had conspired to kill Ahab. In actuality, they were not aware of God's intervention (evil never is). 

18:24-26 Micaiah explained that Ahab would realize the truth of his prophesy when, during the battle, he went into an inner chamber to hide. These specific details were given to Micaiah by God. Outraged, Ahab ordered Micaiah to be taken to prison and to be kept there until he returned in peace.

18:27 Ahab planned to mock Micaiah upon his return from Ramoth Gilead but Micaiah knew he would never get the chance. Micaiah told the people in the room that he was an honest and true prophet of God and that would know that upon Ahab's (prophesied) death.

18:28 Ahab and Judah went to war in Ramoth Gilead; after all, God did sanction it (though not for the reason Ahab thought or wanted). God wanted this evil man to be extinguished. Ahab had caused so much pain, death and deception during his reign and it was time for it to end.

18:29 Despite Ahab refusal to listen to God, he was scared to lose his life. Ahab tried to work craftily: he disguised himself but told Jehoshaphat to wear his robes, thus identifying him as king of Judah. Ahab hoped that Jehoshaphat would become the main target once recognized and that the enemy would leave Ahab alone. 

Jehoshaphat likely agreed to the plan because Jehoshaphat was faithful to God. Jehoshaphat would have understood that he had God's protection. As God's children, even if we have a bulls-eye on our back, He will protect us. We are untouchable when we trust God as our defense. It required big faith, but Jehoshaphat had it. God is present in the places of our lives we have invited Him into. The more we let Him in, the stronger and more comprehensive our defense. 

18:30 At the battle in Ramoth Gilead, the king of Syria instructed his army to specifically target Ahab. Ahab anticipated that; which is why he, in an act of betrayal, arranged for Jehoshaphat to stand out and hopefully pass as Ahab.

18:31-32 It worked... almost. The enemy army wrongly-identified Jehoshaphat as Ahab, surrounded him and were poised to kill him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from it. God is a much better designer: Ahab's plan backfired; because the king of Syria charged his army to specifically target Ahab, they left Jehoshaphat alone once they realized who he was. 

Allow God to orchestrate the specific details of your life. Submit to His perfect will and adept Hand. Jehoshaphat's faith protected and saved him even at the brink of disaster! God rescued His innocent child while simultaneously ending an evil man.

18:33-34 If not yet convinced of God's incredible precision and orchestration, read on: a certain man drew a bow at random and struck Ahab! God chose that man to accidentally strike Ahab. Yet we know that it was no accident at all; we are fellow-workers with God, 1 Corinthians 3:9. We are instruments through which His will is delivered, established and done in the world. 

That certain man was chosen by God to accidentally do an incredible thing: take down a thoroughly evil man. Allow God to use you as a beloved instrument of precision and righteousness. The message from this verse: though evil plots and plans, it fails; and even if the righteous are often uncoordinated or under-prepared, they are made to succeed by God.

Micaiah's prophesy unfolded: Ahab told the driver of his chariot to carry him into an inner chamber to hide because he was severely wounded. The war continued and at sunset, Ahab died. Surrounded by chaos not peace. Guilty of evil rather than innocent of it. Unfulfilled.

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 17

2 Chronicles 17:1-19

17:1-3 After Asa passed away, his son Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. Jehoshaphat had to secure the kingdom of Judah as the northern kingdom of Israel still tormented it. Jehoshaphat's endeavor of defense was successful because Jehoshaphat was with the Lord (and therefore the Lord was with Jehoshaphat). 

Unlike his father, Jehoshaphat never took his relationship with God for granted; he never let it diminish. His deep and steadfast faith assured him access to God's strength and protection. As God's children, we have access to His tool shed; we open the doors of His kingdom and walk in to retrieve whatever we need for survival, protection, comfort and joy.

1:4 Jehoshaphat is described to have sought God and to have walked in His commandments. The words "sought" and "walked" tell us that Jehoshaphat put effort into his relationship with God; his heart worked to know Him, to follow His example and listen to His instruction. 

 Jehoshaphat rejected the corruption around him; he lived in opposition to it, even though it would have been easy to succumb to it. So many people in scripture exemplify to us that often, follow God means to go against the current. God propelled them forward, just as He does for us, but the journey is not without resistance. 

In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus teaches that those who follow Him will receive abundant blessing as well as persecution. To make space for God and our faith, we have to remove certain things, people and lifestyles from our life. The removal process is not always smooth, yet Jehoshaphat decided that God was worth it. 

17:6 The most beautiful element of Jehoshaphat's faith was that his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord. Rather than going through the motions and apathetically following God's instruction, Jehoshaphat delighted in obedience! It was an honor to him to serve God. 

Jehoshaphat ordered the removal of the idol worship high places and images from the kingdom of Judah. It was his heart's delight to remove corruption and make space for God. Order the removal of idol worship in your life; delight in the way of the Lord. The way that challenges us to go against the current of worldly motives and selfish desire and to instead become a humble and selfless builder of God's kingdom here on earth. 

17:7-8 Jehoshaphat sent a spiritual troop to inspire the philosophy of God in the families that comprised the kingdom of Judah: Leaders Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah; Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; Priests Elishama and Jehoram.

17:9 To each city these spiritual leaders brought the Book of the Law of the Lord (the Bible as it was then). God gave us these instructions as a gift, a love letter, a map. Scripture was always intended to benefit us, to set us free rather than confine or control us. God's philosophy, cherished and studied, is verse-by-verse encouragement on how to live a purposeful, joyful and fulfilled life despite the circumstances of the world.

17:10-11 It was evident even to the kingdoms around Judah that it was a kingdom protected by an extraordinary and formidable God. Even Judah's frequent enemies were wielded by God into diplomacy. The size of our faith determines the size of the blessing that can come through it; Jehoshaphat's faith was big enough to bless an entire kingdom. Every aspect of his life he entrusted to God was taken care of by God.

17:12-13 Because of God, the kingdom grew strong, powerful enough to thrive and defend itself. 

Life with God is a steadily unfolded miracle. A series of dexterously distributed blessing. In tender and intricate moments, the Lord transforms and fortifies our life and spirit. His love enhances each aspect of our life. As we grow under His parenting, we become equipped with wisdom and perspective, courage and strength, an immutable sense of justice and compassion. 

God could trust Jehoshaphat with power and property. He could trust Jehoshaphat with the responsibility of many people. By the way we choose to live our lives, God discerns what we can be trusted with. When we show Him that we will use any power, property or influence we have to further His kingdom (rather than selfish agenda), we receive it. As long as we are responsible with it, we retain it.

17:14-16 We are given the numbers of Judah's military might. It is not strange that Judah would have a military; we learn from scripture (Ephesians 6:12) that we are called to fight against evil. God reinforced Judah's defense by organizing a strong and faithful army. As mentioned above and in scripture, persecution would come. Though the scale of it varies from life to life, evil pushes against righteousness; God ensures that we are prepared to push back.

Of the tribe of Judah: 300,000 men under Adnah's leadership; 280,000 under Jehohanan's leadership; and 200,000 under Amasiah's leadership. It is noted that Amasiah willingly offered himself to the Lord. Amasiah submitted himself to God, dedicated himself to God's cause. It is such a blessed opportunity to be an instrument through which God delivers and implements blessing among humanity. In 

Acts 5:41, the apostles rejoiced that there were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. So many in scripture were enthusiastic to serve God especially in the midst of battle and persecution - because that was when they were needed most! So many could not think of a more worthwhile purpose for their life than to align with God's.

17:17-18 Of the tribe of Benjamin (who we a part of the kingdom of Judah): 200,000 under Eliada's leadership; and 180,000 Jehozabad. 

Moses' father in law Jethro, taught Moses how to delegate to trusted men, Exodus 18:13-23. As children and fellow-workers with God, we are a many-membered body, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Judah had a king faithful to God, captains faithful to God, and an army faithful to God and thus operated with divine precision. Therefore we can understand why in Joshua 24:15, Joshua proclaimed: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. If one with God can move mountains (Mark 11:23), a whole family or nation could shake the whole earth.

Jesus also delegated, Matthew 14:19. He gave His disciples, and us, the responsibility and opportunity to produce good fruit on behalf of God in this vineyard called Earth. God distributed to each of us place and purpose in His kingdom (1 Corinthians 7:17), a responsibility for a portion of the whole. Function, as Judah under Jehoshaphat's reign, as an instrument in alignment with the authority of God!

17:19 Serve the King. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 16

2 Chronicles 16:1-14

16:1-3 At some point in his life, Asa abandoned his faith in God. Likely it happened incrementally, small choices steadily diminished his adherence to His relationship with God and his obedience to God's philosophy. It is important for our relationship with God to be alive each day; for when we remain near to God, we remember in our moments of distress and uncertainty that He will provide. 

The northern kingdom of Israel, led by king Baasha, cut Judah off from their main route. The northern king was greedy for the southern lands and planned to corner and starve Judah into submission. Asa panicked and hastily made an agreement with the king of Syria, a man who did not have Judah's best interests at heart. Ben-Hadad saw an alliance with a weakened Judah as an opportunity to gain easy control over the nation. 

16:4-5 Judah's unfaithfulness left them vulnerable to such vultures as king Baasha and Ben-Hadad. The alliance worked in-part, because Israel withdrew from Judah. But Ben-Hadad had his foot in the door of the kingdom. 

It is so imperative that we build a habit of naturally consulting God on the matters of our lives. The fact that Asa even felt such extreme fear and anxiety was proof that he had removed himself from the comforting presence of God. It was no longer his natural response to look to God. 

Asa, and thus the kingdom of Judah, had paid for an alliance with a frequent-enemy. He paid for the arrangement with treasures that had been dedicated to God. The hyperbole here is that when we sell ourselves to others, to fear and to desire, we rob God of a relationship with us. We rob God of what belongs to Him and of what He cherishes most.

God loves us as His children. We do not have to pay for or earn His love or allegiance. Our covenant with Him therefore is so much stronger than any deal we could make with anyone else. The only reason Asa did not have God's protection is because he never asked for it, James 4:2. 

God tells us in Luke 12:32 that He loves to provide us the protection of the kingdom! So we have to wonder, why didn't Asa just ask Him and trust Him to deliver? Well, why don't we? Asa did not trust that God would or could provide it. Perhaps he had become so far removed from God that he did not even consider it. Time spent away from God, life lived away from His principles, removes us from remembrance and trust in His great promises.

16:7 To his consternation, Asa's faithlessness is pointed out by a man named Hanani. Hanani revealed that Asa made the mistake of believing that Israel was his greatest enemy when it was Ben-Hadad of Syria all along. He had made a deal with his enemy. He had helped the true enemy become stronger and more equipped. 

In 1 Peter 5:8 it is explained that evil is lurking, waiting, hoping to catch us; our enemies prowl outside the impenetrable borders of God's protection. Asa walked right out to meet them! Every time we leave the protection of God, so do we. 

16:8 Hanani reminded Asa that God had rescued him from an impossible situation before - a situation worse than his predicament with Israel. When an enemy, doubt, fear or anything else tries to cut us off, will we still trust that God is able to provide? Eager to provide? It is a great wonder of life to witness God break through impossible situations with abundant blessing. It is a miracle to experience Him build a door in a wall; He turns dead-ends into beginnings. Hopeless situations into havens of restoration and provision. 

Sometimes we need to be standing in front of that door-less wall to see Him work. To learn to trust in His work and ability. Asa saw a wall paid an enemy to get him through it, but the enemy's door does not lead to a haven. What is an enemy? An enemy is self-doubt that is buoyed by arrogance, anger that is hungry for revenge. We think that only worldly outcomes will make us happy or assuage our fear or anger or need. We think that only power, position, wealth or desire fulfilled will rescue us from unsatisfactory circumstances. That thought is an enemy. The worldly way leads only to desolation of character and life. 

16:9 Asa's neglect of God's wisdom rendered him vulnerable to a cunning enemy. God offers us His wisdom and adept instruction, utilize it! God is vigilant across the entire earth because He wants us to know that we can trust Him with our lives. He is watchful of every detail. God wants those loyal to Him to be confident in His ability; indeed God could see the tricky motives of the king of Syria and would have never instructed Asa to walk into his trap.

God pays attention so that we can feel safe. But we cannot possibly feel safe if we forsake Him and walk out of that sphere of protection.

16:10 Asa's fatal mistake: he was unwilling to acknowledge his failure. If we do not acknowledge our failure, we can never grow from it. Asa remained stagnant because he was too prideful to admit his carelessness. God impresses the quality of humility for a reason! Through it we learn and grow into stronger, wiser, better individuals.

16:11-14 Asa became ill and still refused to restore his relationship with God. Asa sought anyone's help except for God's, the one actual physician that could heal him. Asa died and was buried but faithlessness killed his spirit long before his body's death. Remember that Asa had begun so well! His relationship with God was alive and precious. Do not let your own relationship with Him wither, say close.  Cling to God, Psalm 63:8. There is no shortage of things and people and evils and desires and doubts that are vying to steal your attention away from God. Do not let them.

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 15

2 Chronicles 15:1-19

15:1 A man named Azariah was filled with the Spirit of God to deliver a message to Asa and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The name meaning of Azariah is "Jehovah (God) has helped." Indeed, the message was given by God in effort to help His people, even those of us living today.

15:2 “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."

Foremost, we must be attentive to the philosophy and instruction (word) of God. The first thing Azariah said to the congregation of king and people is listen. We cannot make any progress in life or character without be receptive to God's teaching, without adopting His lifestyle as our own. A lifestyle of humility and courage, compassion and justice. 

Azariah confirmed the nature of God's relationship with us: as long as we are with Him, He is with us. The tribes of Israel and Judah often found themselves without God, but only because they walked away from Him. God never abandons us. His love and presence is steadfast. If it becomes difficult to hear Him, perceive Him, or feel His presence, it is because we are not as near to Him as we should be.

Should we find ourselves too far from Him, God promises He will always make Himself known. When we seek to discover His presence and His truths, we find Him. We find Him in the details, in the emotions, in the general unfolding of our day and life. We cannot happen upon a deep and intimate relationship with God (or anyone)! Relationships require space and time and discovery and honesty and love. Relationships are developed and tested and strengthened. To seek to have such a relationship with Him is to put in tremendous and consistent effort.

The only time we receive radio-silence from God is when we abandon His principles and live for the values of the world instead. Greed, selfishness, anger, impatience, unkindness, and evil all separate us from Him. I think we often make the mistake of thinking that only unspeakable greed and extreme unkindness are behaviors which forsake God. But our small actions, and small words in small moments build up into an entire lifetime. How we speak to people, what we put our effort into on a daily basis, how hard we work (or do not work) to be patient and selfless all adds up into a lifetime.

15:3-6 "For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity."

Azariah speaks bluntly: the tribes have been away from God. Idol worship seeped into their lifestyle and corrupted it. No Godly-law no Godly-order and thus only: chaos. There was no peace, not in home or nation. The tempestuous conditions of their lives were consequences of their choices but were wielded constructively by God as discipline to correct them. Not to punish them, to correct them. To lead them back home.

The practice of idol worship has not gone away. Today our idols look different but are based in the same greed. So many of us value celebrity and wealth, power and position. It is not wrong to be ambitious. It is not wrong to want to be great; but what we are ambitious for determines the nature of our character. How helpful and constructive we are for others' benefit determines how great we are, Luke 9:48.

15:7 "But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”

Therefore we are charged and encouraged by God to be constructive. Faith without works is dead, James 2:14-28. Faith without works is dead, character without compassion is worse than dead; it is irrelevant at best and destructive at worst. God wants us to understand that it is a lie to say that we love Him if we do not join Him in His work. If we do not find His work important, His philosophy true, how can we love Him? If we believe such things, we do not even know Him. 

What is God's work? These are only a few examples: Building supportive friendships and empathetic families. Healing hurts and assuaging tensions. Muting selfish desire and turning up the volume on selfless endeavors for justice in the world. Being attentive and communicative in disagreements. Having the patience to be wise and kind. Feeding the poor, the poor in society and the poor in spirit. There are so many opportunities to have strong hands and work for God. And all of that work is seen by Him, Matthew 25:25-40.

Your life is an instrument, a hand in the midst of incredible and ample opportunity to work justice and compassion into the world. Hopefully the prospect of being a fellow-worker with God is enough incentive to join Him in this work, 1 Corinthians 3:9. We are rewarded for compassionate lifestyles that are genuine, rather than done for reward. Those who live selfishly or lethargically are also seen by God, Matthew 25:41-46.

15:8 Azariah's message from God was enough to motivate Asa to remove the false idols from the land of Judah. The message was enough to convince Asa of it importance of ridding the nation of things which distracted from God's philosophy. Asa replaced those false idols with God. 

From Asa we can learn to remove the idols in our own lives and hearts. In those spaces, place God. With the new space and time, insert His word and His principles. The goodness of God will transform us and our lives for the (so much) better.

15:9-11 Asa and the people of Judah gathered together to worship God. Just as individuals connected with God are a beautiful, powerful thing, a nation of people connected with God is beautiful and powerful. They came together to celebrate Him in gratitude and servitude and joy. Worship is such a beneficial element to our faith and life: through it our proximity to God is at its nearest point.

15:12-14 The people of Judah made a commitment, a new covenant, with God to seek Him with all their heart and with all their soul. How devoted are you to your relationship with God? How often do you talk to Him? How fully do you trust Him? How deeply do you love Him? How excited are you to hear what He has to say? How astonished are you by His creation, ability and nature?

15:15 When we devote our whole heart to God, we give Him our self and need and desire to do what He wills with them, to fill them as He (who knows best) sees fit. When we devote our whole soul to God, we allow Him to choose our purpose and wield our potential. Enter into a covenant with God where you give Him your whole heart and whole soul and He gives you His.

Judah sought Him and "He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around." There is no more blessed outcome than the one we reach only through and with and by God.

15:16-18 Asa was bold enough even to remove corrupt but powerful people from their positions of power and influence. Asa was imperfect but was loyal to God his entire life. He was brave for his faith because he believed that God's way was the best for himself, his nation and his world. The nature of Asa's faith brought subsequent, God-sustained peace.

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 14

2 Chronicles 14:1-15

14:1 Abijah passed away and his son Asa came into power; under Asa's faithful leadership, there was peace for ten years.

14:2 Asa lived to please God. He did not live to please himself or fans or cohorts or anyone else. Such a lifestyle created serenity for the kingdom. Similarly will a lifestyle of faith create serenity in your own life. God, the calmer or storms, defender of the innocent, light of life, will calm, defend and light your life. 

14:3 Asa removed all of the structures built for idol worship. They did not belong. It seems simple, but many people had began to worship there. Asa's actions were bold and contradicted the lifestyle of the people he reigned over. It was not easy, but he did what was right anyway.

From Asa we learn that when we remove the idols from our lives, an arduous but worthy effort, we please God. We please God but we also restore ourselves and our lives. When we remove greed and desire from our lives and replace those things with the humility and servitude of faith, our lives become beautiful. Happy.

When we adopt a life of servitude to God, we are treated by Him as royalty, Luke 9:48. Do not serve an idol. Do not serve your desire or your anger. Do not serve your greed or desperation for popularity. All of those things will only corrupt you, distract you from your goal of happiness and achievement.

14:4-5 Asa called the people of Judah to return back to their Father, our Father, God. Their future as individuals and as a kingdom depended on it.  The quality of our future depends on the quality of our faith. God is our provider; it is by Him that we are nourished in body, mind, heart, character and soul. 

14:6-8 With the time of peace that his faith created, Asa rebuilt and fortified the city. It is symbolic; our service to God strengthens and fortifies our life. "So they built and prospered"; their relationship with God constructed not just a strong city but a body of strong individuals. God's leadership and discipline builds us in character and allows us to prosper, exceed our potential and fulfill more than we hoped. 

Rather than taking their relationship with Him for granted, they took advantage of all the benefits of a relationship with God. They listened to His counsel, followed His instructions, learned from His wisdom, stood by His strength and thus abounded in blessing.

14:9 Eventually, someone tried to break through the defenses of Judah. It happens. But because of their steadfast and obedient faith and trust in God, their defense was impenetrable. 

14:10-11 Asa proved his faith in God in time of peace and in a time of uncertainty. The army against him was fierce (it often is) and had the power to conquer Judah if not for God. If - not - for - God. So much of faith is remembering and accepting that we are imperfect and under-qualified... but God's strength and reinforcement renders our ability and inability irrelevant. His strength becomes our strength, 2 Corinthians 12:9-11,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Pray as Asa prayed when you need reinforcement from God: 

“Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!”

Asa's prayer was made up of complete trust and obedience to God. Asa relied on God. Asa knew that though the situation seemed impossible for him, it was easy for God. Asa did not lose hope because his hope was God eternal. One of the most important victories we ever have in life is the victory of hope over hopelessness. God will always provide hope, moreover, He will provide the blessing on the other side of it. 

14:12-15 Asa asked, so God placed the burden on His own shoulders. He took the problem into His own hands. He defeated Judah's enemy. He sent them fleeing and unable to recover. We can rely on God to provide us a thorough defeat over our enemies: internal and external. Though their enemy had expected to defeat and plunder them, Judah walked away from the battle the victor and with plenty. 

As a conscientious student of His word and faithful child of His heart, God ensures that you walk away from every lesson and battle with more than you had before you entered it. More wisdom. More strength. More opportunity. More purpose. More faith. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 13

2 Chronicles 13:1-22

13:1-3 Jeroboam still reigned in Israel. Abijah became king after Rehoboam in Judah and reigned three years. Though the twelve tribes had begun as one people under God, they became a fragmented kingdom with tension between them. Jeroboam and Abijah built up armies against each other. 

13:4-12 Abijah made an arrogant but in-part, truthful, speech to Israel and Jeroboam. The northern tribes of Israel had abandoned God in favor of idol worship. But Abijah seemed not to be so concerned about their faith as much as he was concerned with his own interests: strengthening his power and expanding the borders of it. 

God had allowed Israel and Judah to split. Israel did not belong to Abijah; it was not stolen from his father. Each portion of the former collective body was corrupt in its own way. Israel did not acknowledge or obey God. Judah acknowledged God but did not obey Him and therefore did not have anything to boast about. 

13:13-18 Jeroboam attacked Judah but was made to fail by God. Judah then attacked Jeroboam and was successful (Israel had strayed very far from God and perhaps He felt that a thump from its sibling, Judah, would be more effective than from a foreign nation). 

Judah prevailed because they relied on God. Israel was unsuccessful because they relied on false idols and fake gods. From God only should we derive our instruction, our motive, our confidence and skill. Neither power, fame, nor wealth will provide us the victory we are hoping for in any situation. 

13:19-20 Abijah took cities from Israel and Israel remained weakened for the rest of Jeroboam's reign. Jeroboam "did not recover is strength again" because he never recovered his faith. By God the weak are made strong; Jeroboam never allowed faith to make Him strong. 

13:21-22 Abijah followed the footsteps of his father and married many women (a Deuteronomy 17:17 no-no). He loved to boast to Israel but he did not follow the instruction of God much better than they did. Believing in God is not enough, James 2:14-28; we must also listen to God, follow His instruction and His example. Why? Because He expertly, lovingly teaches us to be better: more productive and generous, secure and purposeful.