WHOLEHEARTED
Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 31
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
From the region of the Qumran caves in Israel, you can see the Dead Sea with the mountains of Moab in the background. Though the Jordan Rift Valley is one of the most uninhabitable desert locations on earth, there is much agriculture.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 2 Chronicles 31:21
“And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.”
There were three elements for successful living demonstrated by Hezekiah. (1) He was obedient to God. (2) He sought God. (3) He worked wholeheartedly. These are vital principles for us to follow in order to live successfully as Christians. The word “prosperity” has been distorted in our time by some to mean almost exclusively financial success. Let us not be fooled by those who seek material gain for themselves by manipulating others. The prosperity God offers us may indeed include human comforts here in the west, but primarily God’s prosperity results in peace, contentment, and a joyful heart with or without money and the things it can buy.
Jesus taught us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (click Matthew 6:25-34 to understand what “these things” are). We may want to add to this reading 1 Timothy 6:3-11, and let us serve God WHOLEHEARTEDLY!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, most of all I pray for grace to keep the greatest commandment, which is to love You with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. Also, Lord, grant that I may keep today the second greatest commandment, which is to love my neighbour as myself. Thank You for helping me to watch for the opportunities to direct my love for You into loving others. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
One of my grandchildren, Eric David Mainse, is Youth Pastor of New Life Church in Brantford, Ontario (click here). He graduated from the same school from which I graduated in 1959, a seminary now known as Masters College and Seminary. He showed me one of his assignment papers, for which he received a good grade. It was a sermon based in 2 Chronicles 20:15-17. Although we’ve just passed that reading a few days ago, I thought I’d include a few excerpts from Eric’s sermon for you:
It took a lot of faith for King Jehoshaphat to believe that the words Jahaziel claimed to be from God were true. Jehoshaphat chose to believe. Faith is a choice. If you choose to believe, then don’t hide it. BE BOLD and OBEY!…Jehoshaphat proved himself to be humble before God and showed that he had great humility by bowing his face to the ground in worship along with all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Once he had heard about the promised victory and chose to believe it, he immediately began to worship…Looking back to verse 15 where it says, “For the battle is not yours, but God’s,” we can see that the real battle is a spiritual one and sending in the worshippers first (verse 21) acknowledged that God was sovereign over their lives and prepared the ground for victory! We must do the same, otherwise we are only fighting on the ‘human level’. Praise and worship tear down strongholds of the enemy.
Thank you, Eric, for giving your Grandpa permission to use your work!
Yours for wholeheartedly supporting the next generation,
David
Panoramic view showing more agriculture in the desert of the Jordan Rift Valley by the Dead Sea.
I did wonder why the Jordan Rift Valley would be one of the most uninhabitable places when the plants were doing so well. I looked up on Google and saw close-up the composition of the valley. I sure would not want to live there. Very desolate and hot looking. Really amazing how the valley is flourishing with vegetation. Nothing is impossible with God.
How special to include your grandson’s writing in your blog. Indeed the gospel is being carried from generation to generation. Thank you for your faithfulness and that of your family and sharing the good news our gracious God and Saviour. I have a grandson working at Ontario Pioneer Camp this summer and I am praising God for him and his faithfulness. In our senior years it is a blessing to see our young people carrying the torch for our Lord! ????
100% agree. May God bless and keep this next generation of Christians faithful. Eric’s words were wonderful!
Amen Nancy! to see our grandchildren serving the Lord!!
Look forward to reading God ‘s Word with “100 words”,every morning!Thank you for those who have prayed for my grandaughter Lucy a while back.She is 15 months and is starting to eat real good, healthy food now!Her digestion and elimination have greatly improved and she is sleeping all night !Praise God!!
Also,there is a wonderful series of books called”Chronicles of Kings” by Lynn Austin.There are 5 fictional books mostly about King Hezekiah . It is excellent I have read them all a few times!God bless, David and Norma Jean!
all praise and thanksgiving to our Lord God Almighty for healing Lucy, we praise and thank Lord God Almighty that Lucy is starting to eat really good food, healthy food! We praise and thank our Lord God Almighty that Lucy’s digestion and elimination have greatly improved and she is sleeping all night! Lord God we come to You and ask for 100% healing for Lucy, completely healed from top to bottom! Thank you Lord for caring about every one on this earth!
We thank you Lord God Almighty for all these blessings and we ask that You Lord would bless the parents and grandparents! In Jesus Mighty Name we pray amen!
Amen! Jennifer.. Glad to know little Lucy is doing so well!
PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! AMEN!
BLESSINGS TO ALL.
Pastor David thank you for sharing your grandson Eric’s writing with us in your “personal Words”. What a blessing to see your grandchildren following your example.
I will be away for ten days and will miss this daily blog as I will not have access to a computer; however, I hope to catch up when I return home.
Blessings to all this day and always!
Irene may God grant you a safe and happy 10 days away! Blessings to you…….
Thank you, Sah!
Thank you David for 100 Words they have been a comfort to me. My wife and I just returned to Vancouver Island from a trip to where you started your ministry in Deep River. We were there for the funeral of my brother Wayne who died unexpectedly at the age of 76. He had been the Chief Administrative Officer for the Township of Laurentian Hills from 2002 until 2013. He was also the Rectors Warden and Lay Reader at St. Barnabas Anglican Church. May God continue to bless you and the ministry to which he has called you and anointed you.
Blessings,
Brian+