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Today: Psalms 102:18-28; 1 Corinthians 16:5-24; 2 Chronicles 24 & 25
Psalms 102
“Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: ‘The LORD looked down from His sanctuary on high, from heaven He viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.’ So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.” Psalm 102:18-22
This Psalm was written for US about US! God sees us. He hears us. The prisoners groaning are us. We are the ones condemned to death within these disintegrating physical bodies. Some day, He will release us from this curse. Then all the “peoples and kingdoms” will worship the LORD. The children of His servants will live in His presence and their descendants will be established before Him. Oh glorious day!!
2 Chronicles 24
The story of King Joash is heartbreaking. As long as the good high priest, Jehoiada, was alive and counseling the King, Joash “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” He rebuilt the temple and worshiped the LORD.
But it all changed after Jehoiada died. “They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols… Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to Him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.” (v.18-19) King Joash even ordered the death of Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son. He was stoned to death upon the king’s orders. God eventually raised His hand of protection from them and allowed the much smaller army of Aram to defeat Judah. Joash was murdered in his bed.
Our ending is much more important than our beginning. All the years of Joash’s good deeds were erased by the wickedness of his final days. But so also, prodigals like me who had bad beginnings, can erase all those years of wickedness if we end well. God forgives! Jesus erases sin. He gives us second chances. Thank You, Jesus!!
