August 2: 2Kings 21; 2Chronicles 33; John 4

Scripture: 2Chronicles 33: 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13 And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

Observation: Here is one of the greatest examples of grace in the Bible.
It is amazing! God answered the prayer of the most sinful king of Judah. He had led his people in to greater sins than the nations surrounding them, nations God had disposed because of their great sins. It was the prayer of a king whom God had sent into captivity. Most amazingly, his prayer reached the heart of God!!! And God restored him.

Application: The United States of America needs to repent and pray like Manasseh! We need to pray prayers that reach the heart of God. We need to pray the prayers that God would be pleased to answer. Only God has answers to the problems troubling us today.

Prayer: Lord, The world does not need the money of the USA as much as it needs an example of a Godly nation who knows how to repent and return to the God of their fathers. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 23: 2Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 75; 1Peter 2

Scripture: Psalm 75: 1 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near;  men tell of your wonderful deeds.

Observation: As I read through this verse, I recalled the verse in Proverbs 31 about the husband praising his wife. It is proper for a husband to do so for then the wife is not so drawn to praise and appreciation from other sources. But if it is proper for a husband to praise his wife, how much more appropriate is it for those called Christians to praise the Lord whose name they carry!

Application: I need to make it a priority to praise my wife and my Lord! May neither of them feel unappreciated in my presence.

Prayer: Jesus, I am so blest to have Sharon as my wife and double blest to have you as my Lord! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 20: 2Chronicles 29-31; James 4

Scripture: James 4: 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Observation: Yesterday I noted how that the success of Hezekiah was preceded by his trusting and “holding fast” to the Lord and His commandments. Here in the book of James we the same progressions. Resisting the devil should be preceded by submitting myself to God. Desiring God to come near to me should be preceded by my coming near to God. Being lifted up by God is preceded by humbling myself.

Application: So many of the victories God brings are preceded by having the proper attitude of heart. As I work with the Holy Spirit in winning the battle on the inside, God works in my circumstances to win the battles around me.

Prayer: Lord, I draw near to you by keeping you in my thoughts; I submit myself to you by obeying you; and I humble myself before you by seeing myself as Your servant. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!