2 Chronicles 12
Scripture:
5 Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’ ”
6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is just.”
7 When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.
8 They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”
Observation:
I have always been a science guy and love conducting experiments. Over the years this has taught me about “Cause and Effect” and about Newton’s third law of motion, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In this passage we see a great example of cause and effect.
The Cause: The people of Judah abandoned God.
The Effect: God allowed the people of Shishak to invade Judah.
There are always effects to our actions, therefore, there are always consequences for sin and rewards for obedience. Thankfully, Newton’s third law of motion does not take make consideration for the fact that God is just (vs. 6) and God is merciful (vs. 7). When we humble ourselves before the Lord, His grace is released and an equal and opposite reaction does not occur. God typically blesses us more than we deserve and our consequences are less than we deserve. That is the effect of our God who loves us more than we can imagine.
Application:
- Personal Application: As a Spirit-Empowered Man, we must be aware of the circumstances that appear in our life. When those circumstances are a direct result of our actions, do not make excuses. Humble yourself before the Lord and allow His grace to overwhelm you.
- Family Devotional: Read this passage to your family. Remind them that truth and contrition is the appropriate response to mistakes in our lives. When we respond in this manner, we allow Grace to be applied to our situation. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God for the awareness to know when we have made mistakes and the courage to repent.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that God will give them the courage to take ownership of their mistakes in their life and that His grace will continually be poured out on them.
Three Year Reading Plan for Sunday, September 6 – Sunday, September 13:
- Sunday, September 6: 2 Chronicles 9
- Monday, September 7: 2 Chronicles 10
- Tuesday, September 8: 2 Chronicles 11
- Wednesday, September 9: 2 Chronicles 12
- Thursday, September 10: 2 Chronicles 13
- Friday, September 11: 2 Chronicles 14
- Saturday, September 12: 2 Chronicles 15
- Sunday, September 13: 2 Chronicles 16
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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