Maranatha Grace Church

Two years ago, we started on a journey to read the Bible daily. We have read so far fifty-nine of the sixty-six books of the Bible. We are very close to our goal to read every chapter of the Bible, the word of God.

The Book of Proverbs Challenge was the first of our Bible reading challenges. We are revisiting this book and we are moving forward with the Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge. So, starting today we will be reading two chapters of the Bible for the next thirty-one days, one chapter of Proverbs, and one chapter of 1 Chronicles.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 1 1 Chronicles 1 & Proverbs 1 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Adam, Seth, Enosh, ² Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, ³ Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.

⁴ The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth.  (1 Chronicles 1:1-3)

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: (Proverbs 1:1)

We happily read the genealogies in the Bible since they show us that God keeps his promises from generation to generation. We belong to God. Jesus told his disciples that the true reason for rejoicing in this life is that their names are written in heaven, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). We rejoice because our names are written in heaven.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 2  1 Chronicles 2 & Proverbs 2 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

These were the sons of Israel:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, ² Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. ³ The sons of Judah:Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. ⁴ Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all.  (1 Chronicles 2:1-4)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)

Once in a while in the genealogies, we find commentaries on the life a person that push us to pause and reflect. The one short sentence about Er in verse 3 shocks us. “Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.” Cain killed his brother Abel, yet the Lord did not kill him, instead the Lord gave him a sign for protection (Genesis 4:15). What did Er do to deserve such a swift punishment? We don’t know, the Bible doesn’t tell us. But this is a warning to mankind that God is a God of love, but also a God of justice.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 3 1 Chronicles 3 & Proverbs 3 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁹ All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister. (1 Chronicles 3: 9)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

King David had 20 named sons in 1 Chronicles 3 verses 1 to 9. Many of David's marriages were politically motivated. Unfortunately having so many wives and children with so many different women brought only problems to King David’s family.  In Deuteronomy 17:17 God specifically ordered the Israelite King should not "multiply wives for himself".  The genealogy said, “And Tamar was their sister” to give us a hint of the trouble that would come later.  Tamar was raped by her half-brother Amnon (2 Samuel 13:12-14). Tamar's rape led to Amnon's death (2 Samuel 13:28-29).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 4 1 Chronicles 4 & Proverbs 4 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁹ Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,^[c] saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” ¹⁰ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. ²¹ Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; ²² for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. ²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:20-21)

We can overcome every negative influences in our lives by calling on the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. We need to pray audacious prayers just like Jabez did.

At the beginning of the year, our church started to pray the same bold prayer that Jabez prayed. Without shame, we cried to the Lord, the God of  Israel, “Oh, that you would bless us and enlarge our territory! Let your hand be with us, and keep us from harm so that we will be free from pain.” To tell the truth, God is granting us our request day by day. We praise the Lord for our new building, the increase of our fellowship, the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit in our worship, and a multitude of blessings from the Lord to our church.

Why don’t you get busy? Pray to the Lord, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” You may surprise by what God will do in your life.  

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 5  1 Chronicles 5 & Proverbs 5  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright. (1 Chronicles 5:1)

 For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. ²² The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. ²³ For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly. (Proverbs 5:22-23)

Signs such as “Under Surveillance”, or “You are being watched”, used to puzzle me. Why would a store alert a bad guy of the fact of being watched? Simply because a store is operating to generate a profit by selling goods, not to catch thieves. To warn people as a deterrent not to commit crimes makes good business sense.

God doesn’t want to punish sinners. So his word warns us over and over that God is watching us.  For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths (v. 21). We need to pay close attention to this warning.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 6  1 Chronicles 6 & Proverbs 6  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. ² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ³ The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. (1 Chronicles 5:1)

 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! ⁷ It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, ⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8)

Very few women are listed in the Biblical genealogies. However, Miriam is one of them. She is not listed because she is the sister of Moses, she is listed on her own merit. She was a prophetess (Exodus 15:20), and in her younger age she performed a very great deed protecting the baby Moses on the Nile. God rewarded her greatly. Every good deed done to a servant of God will be rewarded (Mark 9:41).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 7  1 Chronicles 7 & Proverbs 7  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah. (1 Chronicles 7:24)

Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (Proverbs 7:10)

A lot of times people start a Bible reading program then give up when they reach the genealogies. That’s a mistake, the reading of the genealogies can be very much fun if one is patient enough to dig for some gems here and there. Verse 24 is one such gems, especially for the women. What a woman Sheerah must have been, a woman builder! She built three cities. When you have an assignment from God and act on it, nothing can stop you.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 8  1 Chronicles 8 & Proverbs 8  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.³⁴ The son of Jonathan: Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah.  (1 Chronicles 8:33-34)

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. ¹³ To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (Proverbs 8:12-13)

There was nothing remarkable about Saul, and he knew it. He was just the son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel (1 Samuel 9:21). But God chose Saul anyway to lead his people. As long as Saul stayed humble God made him a successful king. But once he started to set up monuments in his own honor (1 Samuel 15:12), instead of honoring God, God could no longer use him, and Saul was rejected. Pride comes before a fall. Wisdom hates pride and arrogance (v. 13).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 9 1 Chronicles 9 & Proverbs 9  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

³³ Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night. (1 Chronicles 9:33)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

Church musicians need to be sanctified people, separated for the work of worship. After the return of God’s people from the Babylonian exile, we are told that the musicians stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night (v. 33). 

In our church, we are serious when we sing the song “Mwen poko loue asse.” We never feel that we have worshiped the Lord enough. We wish that we could worship day and night. In heaven, worship is a 24x7 activity, “Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev 4:8). Our worship here on earth needs to have the same intensity.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 10 1 Chronicles 10 & Proverbs 10  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium ¹⁴ instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. (1 Chronicles 10:13, 14)

Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. (Proverbs 10:27)

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). Saul committed the grave sin of second guessed the command of the Lord. God gave him the direct command to utterly destroy Amalek, but he did it half way on the pretext of saving the best of the spoil to sacrifice to God (1 Samuel 15). That decision cost him dearly.

“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. ²³ “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15). Is the Lord asking you to do something that seems out of your comfort zone? Just be obedient.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 11 1 Chronicles 11 & Proverbs 11  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him. (1 Chronicles 11:9)

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

The open secret of David’s power was that the Lord Almighty was with him (v. 9). The open secret of the Christians’ power is that the Lord Almighty is with them. Jesus made a solemn promise to his disciples for all ages, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

The question is, are you aware of the power that is giving you for the benefit of God’s people in particular and the whole world in general?  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 12 1 Chronicles 12 & Proverbs 12  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁸ Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:  “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.”  So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.  (1 Chronicles 12:18)

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1)

When we read of the military exploits of the men of David in 1 Chronicles 11, we know that those men were not ordinary men. Verse 18 gives us an indication where the power of these men came from. It came from the Holy Spirit, and it is available to every one of us.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 13 1 Chronicles 13 & Proverbs 13  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁷ They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. ⁸ David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. ⁹ When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. ¹¹ Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. (1 Chronicles 13:7-11)

Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded. (Proverbs 13:13)

It is not enough to simply worship the Lord. The Lord needs to be worshiped according to his command. Jesus said,   ^“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” ( John 14:24).  Uzzah was not authorized to touch the ark.  His service of keeping the ark from falling was not accepted because it was not according to the truth of word of God. The ark should not be touched ordinary people. The worship in truth is worship that is based on the Scriptures.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 14 1 Chronicles 14 & Proverbs 14  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁹ Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; ¹⁰ so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

¹³ Once more the Philistines raided the valley; ¹⁴ so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. ¹⁵ As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”   (1 Chronicles 14:9-10, 13-15)

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

David was a very skilled fighter who knew how to win battles. But he knew best to ask God for direction when faced with a very powerful adversary.  David inquired of God (v. 10) and he inquired again of God (v. 14). In both cases God gave David explicit direction which made him successful.

All of us Christians have the same kind access to God, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We should not be content to just rely on our decision making process, but rather we should inquire of the Lord for his perfect plan and strategy for our lives.  

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 15 1 Chronicles 15 & Proverbs 15  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²⁸ So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. ²⁹ As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. (1 Chronicles 15:28-29)

Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 15:33)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 17 1 Chronicles 17 & Proverbs 17  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.  (1 Chronicles 17:16-17)

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

An attitude of gratitude is the key to greater blessings from God. Though David lived in the time of the Old Testament, the alliance based on the Law, he clearly understood the concept of grace. David asked this question, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? (v. 17)”, simply because he understood that he did not deserve any of these great blessings.

When we think about the great salvation that Jesus brought to us through his death and his resurrection, we can’t help being in awe of the great love of God for us. “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? God gave us eternal life.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 18 1 Chronicles 18 & Proverbs 18  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁶ Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever he went. ¹³ Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went. (1 Chronicles 18:5, 13)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:10, 13)

One phrase summarizes David’s success,  “And the Lord helped David wherever he went.” God who had helped David "is the same yesterday, today and forever." He is willing to help us, to give us true success, with only one condition that we walk with him.  We need to walk side by side with God as David did, we need to talk to him as David did, and we need to believe his word and act on it.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 19 1 Chronicles 19 & Proverbs 19  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. ² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. (1 Chronicles 19:1-3)

A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord. (Proverbs 19:3)

Have you ever had your intention completely misunderstood by a friend? David’s intention of showing kindness to the newly crowned prince, Hanun son of Nahash, was misinterpreted. 1 Chronicles 19 shows the catastrophic result of miscommunication between the leaders of two nations. Let us pray for our leaders as the Bible commands all Christians to pray for all leaders. Their decisions can greatly impact our lives.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 20 1 Chronicles 20 & Proverbs 20  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. (1 Chronicles 20:1)

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? (Proverbs 20:24)

We are not told why David remained in Jerusalem, but we sense that the writer felt something was not right in the conduct of David. Kings are supposed to go off to war, but David who is king did not. Later on, David’s refusal to actively engage in the wars of the nation by remaining behind in Jerusalem will give him the opportunity to sin with Bathsheba, and put a blemish on his reign.

Christians are supposed to actively engage the enemy by bringing the light of the Gospel to those who are kept in bondage by sin. We cannot remain behind unconcerned. We must stay vigilant and active, otherwise we will run the risk of falling into terrible temptations.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 21 1 Chronicles 21 & Proverbs 21 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

 Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.” ²⁴ But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” ²⁵ So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels^[d] of gold for the site. (1 Chronicles 21:23,24,25)

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.? (Proverbs 21:3)

The threshing floor of Araunah would cost in today’s money around $277,290.00. Yet, Araunah was willing to freely give it all to David for the construction of an altar to the Lord (v. 23). God had opened up the spiritual eyes of Araunah, he showed him the angel of the Lord. A revelation of God was all that Araunah needed to become a generous giver to the Lord.

We don’t need to put pressure on people to be generous to the work of the Lord. All we need to do is to pray for a revelation of the Lord. Araunah and David knew that their worship should cost them something. It should be the same for us, “we should not offer to the Lord worships that cost us nothing.”

 May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 22 1 Chronicles 22 & Proverbs 22 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

 ¹⁴ “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents^[b] of gold, a million talents^[c] of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. ¹⁵ You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work¹⁶ in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.” (1 Chronicles 22:14-16)

The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!” (Proverbs 22:13)

There is a time for planning, and there is a time for action.  William Carey, the father of modern missions, had this famous slogan, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” We must act now.  “Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you”, David urged to both his young son, Solomon, and the leaders of the nation (vv. 16,19). We should avoid at all cost the paralysis of procrastination. Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

 May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 23 1 Chronicles 23 & Proverbs 23  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

² He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. ³ The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. ⁴ David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges. ⁵ Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.” (1 Chronicles 23:1-5)

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. (Proverbs 23:12)

When it comes to the work of the Lord, David did everything big. He served the Lord with passion. We, Christians, have no choice but to serve the Lord with passion, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 25 1 Chronicles 25 & Proverbs 25  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: (1 Chronicles 25:1)

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 26 1 Chronicles 26 & Proverbs 26  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

(For God had blessed Obed-Edom.) (1 Chronicles 26:4)

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. (Proverbs 26:27)

“For God had blessed Obed-Edom.” What a powerful statement! Obed-Edom was a man of faith, and he desired to be in the presence of the Lord. Right after touching of the Ark had caused the death of Uzzah, Obed-Edom unafraid took the Ark in his house. ^"The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned” (1 Chronicles 13:14).

Obed-Edom welcomed the Ark of God in his own house, and received a great blessing. We can position ourselves just like Obed-Edom did to receive our own blessings from God. An awareness of the presence of the Lord with us, thorough the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, will bring great blessings into our lives, and into our homes.  

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 27 1 Chronicles 27 & Proverbs 27  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

³² Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hakmoni took care of the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s confidant. ³⁴ Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the royal army. (1 Chronicles 27:32-34)

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. (Proverbs 27:19)

 David had two counselors and one confidant (vv. 32,33). We all need friends who can bring clarity into our lives by asking us the tough questions.  “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6). Let us ask God for the wisdom to distinguish between our friends and our enemies.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 28 1 Chronicles 28 & Proverbs 28  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹¹ Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. ¹² He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. (1 Chronicles 28:11-12)

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. (Proverbs 28:26)

David was not an architect, but he came up with the plans for one of the wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Jerusalem. Verse 12 gives out the secret of David’s ingenuity. The Holy Spirit downloaded the plans for every part of the Temple into David’s mind, “the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind (v. 12).” The Holy Spirit can make you very smart.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 1 Chronicles Challenge – Day 29 1 Chronicles 29 & Proverbs 29  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹² Wealth and honor come from you;
 you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
 to exalt and give strength to all.
¹³ Now, our God, we give you thanks,
 and praise your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:8-15)

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

The world thinks that life is a zero sum game, someone has to lose in order for someone else to gain. Thus the unhealthy destructive competition in the world, nations against nations, institutions against institutions, and individuals against individuals. But God’s economy is an economy of abundance. In God’s hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all (v. 12). His blessings are to “all,” not a selected few. When we open our hearts to this truth, we are positioned to receive whatever we need from God.

May the Lord richly bless you!