its leadership...
its generations of kings...
father to son... the crown passed...
but not always... the faith...
Amaziah's son... King Uzziah...
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
according to all his father Amaziah had done.
He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah,
who instructed him in the fear of God,
and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
2 Chronicles 26:4-5 ESV
Uzziah's son... King Jotham...
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord
according to all that his father Uzziah had done...
But the people still followed corrupt practices.
2 Chronicles 27:2 ESV
Jotham's son... King Ahaz...
And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
as his father David had done, but he walked in the ways
of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals...
2 Chronicles 28:1-2 ESV
Ahaz's son... King Hezekiah...
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
according to all that David his father had done.
2 Chronicles 29:2 ESV
Hezekiah's son... King Manasseh...
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,
according to the abominations of the nations
whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:2 ESV
Fathers... sons...
generation to generation...
faithful... faithless...
Faith... it cannot be passed with certainty... from generation to generation...
Discussing the past week's readings... she said... I don't understand... how children raised in the same home... can turn out so different when it comes to faith... my sister goes to church... my brother doesn't...
I wonder myself...
Before she said it... the burden of my children's faith pressed hard on my heart... they are all adults now... 22 to 27 years of age... yet when they are home... I still expect them to go to worship with me...
I remind... I wake... I prod...
inevitably... we are late...
I felt the burden this morning... knowing I can't pass faith on to them...
I can witness... practice it before them... encourage...
but I can't give it to them... they must receive it themselves...
prod themselves... burden themselves... be ignited by the Spirit...
to gather with others to worship Him...
During worship... a song...
The Heart of Worship...
expressed my desire... my heart...
to bring my children to Him...
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
--- Matt Redman
The picture in my mind... of what I long to bring to worship...
the hearts of my children... something of worth...
a blessing to Him...
But I realize... I can't...
even as they sit with me in worship...
Tears flow... feeling pressed to the pew...
interceding...with the heart of King Hezekiah...
who prayed for those who came to Passover...
unprepared... ceremonially unclean...
"May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart
to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers,
even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."
And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
2 Chronicles 30:18-19 ESV
Generational faith... there is no guarantee...
each generation must claim Him themselves...
each must receive or reject...
do what is right in His eyes...
or what's right in their own...
He alone... the author... perfecter... of faith...
Write it on the hearts of my children... Lord...
Write faith on their hearts...
This week's readings...
Monday 2 Chronicles 33:10 - 34:21
Tuesday 2 Chronicles 34:22 - 35:37
Wednesday 2 Chronicles 36
Thursday Lamentations 1-2
Friday Lamentations 3:1-30
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