On Monday May 3, 2010, the Lord took home His covenant children, Rachel Marie VanHartingsveldt, and her unborn infant daughter, Kaylee Elaine, as a result of a car accident. Rachel, at the age of 21, beloved daughter of Pete and Elaine (nee Sikma). Loving sister of Ryan (Grace), Alicia (Ken) Boekee; Bradley and Kristin. Dear…
Jesus’ kind of loyalty!
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 15 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman. [2 Chronicles 15:12-13] There was a time when…
my God is bigger!
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 14 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our…
our confidence
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 13 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the Lord that is led by the descendants of David? … So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their ancestors. [2 Chronicles 13:8,18] I cannot confirm or deny the integrity or faithfulness of Abijah…
chatting with an atheist
Today I chatted with an atheist. Sitting here at Starbucks, working on my blog devotionals, I noticed he was reading Karen Armstrong’s The Case For God. I appreciated his honesty: He was an ardent atheist, but was concerned that he was becoming close-minded, so he was exploring perspectives on God’s existence. Most of the books…
thinking about Judas
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 12 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.” [2 Chronicles 12:5] God is not cruel, He gives us what we ask for; reject…
a price to pay
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 11 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the Lord and did not fight against Jeroboam. [2 Chronicles 11:4] But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with…
a good shepherd?
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 10 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered. But Rehoboam spoke harshly to them, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid heavy burdens on…
was Jesus smart?
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 9 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: She exclaimed to the king, ‘Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what…
hiding something?
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 8 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. He said, “My wife must not live in King David’s palace, for the Ark of the Lord has been there, and it is holy ground.” [2 Chronicles 8:11] To me, this seems so bizarre;…