Manasseh was raised during the season that his father’s heart was lifted up in pride. He obviously was not effectively trained in the things of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 33:10 says that the Lord spoke to him and his people, but they would not listen.

Verse 11 says, “Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.” Nose hooks and chains left him no wiggle room.

Verse 12 says, “Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.” Have you ever felt like there was no hope for someone you know that is wicked? Is there hope for the wicked who are seeking to oust God from our nation? Yes. There is always hope until they take their last breath.

Here was wicked Manasseh. He was worse than all the kings before him. Yet, he greatly humbled himself and God heard him. Verse 13 says, “And he prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”

Yet Manasseh’s turning to God did not influence his son. Amon did evil in the sight of the Lord. It is good to ask ourselves this question: How am I influencing those around me? Does my life reflect Jesus? This is the hour of our country’s great need. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord and cry out for His intervention. There is hope for the wicked if they will humble themselves before Him and acknowledge that He alone is God!

Sennacherib came to make war against Jerusalem. We get a fuller picture of this time through 2 Kings 19. Verse 14 says, “And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of his messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.” I love this picture. I’ve done it many times in my life when I have received a bill I couldn’t pay, or a discouraging letter. Hezekiah laid it out before the Lord and prayed.

Verse 16 says, “Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the word of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.” This is a verse we can pray regarding the events in our nation. Here is how the Lord handled the threat. Verse 35 says, “And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people rose early in the morning, there were the corpses–all dead.” One angel.

Right after this Hezekiah was sick and near death. The Lord sent word to put his house in order because he was going to died. He cried out to the Lord. The Lord healed him. Yet, 2 Chronicles 32:23 says, “But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.”

Pride lifts up our heart. Notice what happened after the Lord extended Hezekiah’s life. Manasseh was born. He was 12 years old when he became king. He was the worst king of all the kings. He built altars for the Baals and wooden images and put them in the house of the Lord. He caused his sons to pass through fire. He embraced demonic practices. 2 Kings 21:16 says, “Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other…”

What a picture of our times. Let Hezekiah’s life be a lesson for us. We need to keep our hearts humble before the Lord, and consider the outcome of our prayers before we pray them. God’s timing and divine orchestration is impeccable. A humble heart is full of trust. We must resist every proud thought that rises to overthrow God’s purpose for our lives and the future of our nation.

2 Chronicles 28:22 says that King Ahaz was increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. His son, Hezekiah, was twenty-five years old when he became king. Though he was raised by an evil father, he did not follow in his footsteps. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he gathered the priests together. He went right to work to remove his father’s evil influence. He gave them instructions to remove the rubbish from the holy place.

Hezekiah restored worship in the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:27 says, “…And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began…” Verse 28 says, “So all the assembly worshipped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded…” Here is an interesting part. Verse 36 says, “Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.”

I love the suddenly’s in the Bible. When our hearts are fully centered on the Lord, and we are fulfilling His purpose, He will act suddenly. He is our Masterful Orchestrator. Nothing and no one will stop Him. He will carry out His purpose for our nation.

Hezekiah reinstated the passover which had not been kept. 2 Chronicles 30:26 says, “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon…there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.”

Here is a warning for all who resist the Lord and His ways. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Let us prepare our hearts, stand on our unshakeable foundation of eternal truth, and watch for Him to act on behalf of this nation which is His inheritance. I encourage you to read Psalm 2.

Jehoshaphat’s son was evil, and his son was evil. 2 Chronicles 22:3 says that his mother advised him to do wickedly. Then there was Joash. He was seven years old when he became king. He was greatly influenced by a godly priest named Jehoiada. King Joash set his heart to repair the temple. When Jehoiada died, the leaders of Judah spoke to the king. They all forsook the Lord and served wooden images and idols.

Joash’s son reigned in his place. 2 Chronicles 25:2 says, “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.” Then his son became king. He was very innovative. He outfitted his army, and they made slings to cast large stones. 2 Chronicles 26:15 says, “…for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.” Verse 16 says, “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction…” His son was a good king. 2 Chronicles 27:2 says, “…But the people acted corruptly.” His son was evil and made molded images for the Baals. Then there was his son, Hezekiah.

Hezekiah was a great king. He had the temple cleansed, and he restored temple worship. 2 Chronicles 29:10 says, “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.” It does not matter what our bloodline sins are. We are responsible for our actions. We cannot blame them on anyone, nor any circumstance. Our heart’s stewardship is our own. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”

The great news is called salvation, which sets us free from our slave-block of sin. Renewing our mind is what keeps us free. It does not matter what circumstances we have been raised in, nor what bloodline sins were passed down to us. We have a new path through Christ’s righteousness that was imputed to us.

Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” At salvation we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. He is our Teacher/Guide who will lead us into paths of righteousness for His name sake. Let us be quick to rise up and follow His leading.

Asa started out so well. He removed the altars of the foreign gods. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord. He removed his mother from being queen and tore down her obscene image. Then he made a treaty with Syria which began his downfall. He didn’t rely on the Lord, threw the seer into prison, and died of a severe malady. Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

The enemy came up against Jehoshaphat and he sought the Lord. He proclaimed a fast and all of Judah sought the Lord. He prayed as Solomon had asked the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:9 says, “…we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple) and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.”

The Spirit of the Lord spoke through Jahaziel. Verse 15 says, “…Do not be afraid nor dismayed of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” Then the king implemented what God had said. The singers went out before the army. The Lord sent an ambush and the enemy was defeated.

Verse 23 says that the people of Ammon and Moab killed the inhabitants of Mount Seir and then helped to destroy one another. Verse 24 says, “…there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one escaped.”

Jehoshaphat started out great. He walked before the Lord. Then he allied himself with the king of Israel, and the Lord destroyed the ships that they had built.

Both kings started out well, but then turned away as they made ungodly alliances. It reminded me of Galatians 3:1 says, “…Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth…” Verse 3 says, “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” The Amplified says, “…(by dependence) on the flesh.”

What a warning for us. When we act independent of the Lord, our downfall will begin. Sin blocks our fellowship with the Lord. Sin is doing things in our own strength, instead of relying on Him. It is rushing ahead of the Lord, and not waiting for His impeccable timing. It is not obeying the truth, but leaning on our own understanding. It is relying on others instead of the Lord.

It all starts with a disloyal heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9 was God’s message to Asa. It says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

I want to take you back to Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the temple. 2 Chronicles 6:20 says, “That Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.” This comes up later, but Solomon continued on as he named different situations. He asked that the Lord would hear them pray and intervene.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, refused the advice of his father’s counselors. Instead he asked the advice of those he had grown up with. Their advice caused a split of the Israelites. 2 Chronicles 10:15 says, “So the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His word…”

The turn of events in our nation is of the Lord. He has orchestrated what He has said so that He might fulfill His word regarding America. What are we to do? Cry out to Him and watch His hand at work. Rehoboam died, his son Abijah died, and then Asa his son reigned. 2 Chronicles 14:2 says, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

An army of a million men and 300 chariots came against Asa whose army was 580,000. Verse 11 says, “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God and said, Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude, O Lord, You are our God do not let man prevail against You!”

The Lord stuck their enemy. Verse 13 says that they were overthrown, “…and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army…” As I read this I noted that the enemy was physically fighting against Asa and his army. In truth they were fighting against God and they were broken before HIS army.

We have a mighty God. No one, nor any evil system can prevail against Him. Like Asa, we must continue to cry out to the Only One who has the ability to fight the hidden evil. Light always dispels darkness. When God met Saul on the road to Damascus, He turned the evil intended against His people into good. We flourish today through Paul’s writings. Nothing is impossible for God!

In 2 Chronicles 1 God appeared to King Solomon with a question. Verse 7 says, “…Ask! What shall I give you?” Solomon’s answer was his top priority. He answered without hesitation. Verse 9-10 says, “…You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

God then spoke in verse 11 which says, “…Because this was in your heart…” What was in the king’s heart? I believe we can take our answer from Proverbs 4:3. It says, “When I was my father’s son…” Here is what David taught him. Verse 4-5 says, “…Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth…”

Apparently Solomon did take David’s word into his heart. When God asked His question, Solomon’s answer bubbled right up. Let us apply this to our hearts. What is in your heart? What would your prioritized answer be when the Lord says to you: Ask! What shall I give you?

Our answer would reveal the depth or the shallowness of our relationship with the Lord. Matthew 6:33 gives us a ruler to rightly gauge our answer. It says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

What did God add to Solomon’s request? 2 Chronicles 1:12 says, “Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” God knows what to add. It is His pleasure to give good gifts to His children. Therefore we are wise to give Him that place and wait for His best.

David had a desire to build a house for the Lord. The Lord said ‘no’ but that his son would build Him a house. How did David respond? He worshipped. 1 Chronicles 17:20 says, “O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

How do you react when your dreams are crushed, your desires are fulfilled by someone else, or your wants go unfulfilled? David did not pine or get angry. 1 Chronicles 22:5 says, “…the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparations for it. So David made abundant preparations before his death.”

David gathered all the building materials, laborers, and gold, silver, bronze. He gave Solomon the plans the Lord had given him. 1 Chronicles 29:3 says, “Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given…over and above all that I prepared…my own special treasure of gold and silver.”

Let David’s instruction to his son speak to our hearts regarding our nation. 1 Chronicles 28:8 says, “…be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.”

Do you have dreams, desires, and wants that will not be fulfilled? David kept his desire in his heart. Though he couldn’t do what he desired, he zealously laid up provision for his son. May the Lord grant us wisdom to take what we cannot do, then use our passion to empower others to carry out our desire.

Unfulfilled dreams, desires, and wants can either make us bitter, or become a gift for others. The Lord multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed a multitude. He took what the little boy gave to do what the little boy couldn’t do. What will He do when you willingly lay down what you can’t do so He can multiply it?

Last night I was thinking about what I had read in 1 Chronicles. King Saul disobeyed the Lord more than once. In 1 Samuel 15:25 he pleaded with Samuel to pardon his sin. Verse 26 says, “But Samuel said to Saul…you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

The manifestation of that didn’t happen right away. We see the fruit of his disobedience in 1 Chronicles 10:13. It says, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord…” Verse 14 is startling. It says, “But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”

The lies Saul believed caused him to act them out in sin. A temptation to lie, is just that. It is only a temptation to sin. When we carry it out through our thoughts, they become actions of sin.

When satan lobs a fiery dart, it is a lie to be implanted in our hearts to control us. If we don’t receive the lie, it dies. If we take it as our own, it becomes an internal stronghold that will bring us down.

David was made king in 1 Chronicles 11. His army grew and was strong. David brought the ark back with great rejoicing. David set in singers whose job was to worship. I encourage you to read David’s song of thanksgiving in chapter 16.

David prospered. Yet something happened that I want to bring to your attention. 1 Chronicles 21:1 says, “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” Does that sound like today to you?

We must guard our hearts from believing the lies of the enemy. They are lobbed to destroy from within. If satan can get us to believe a lie, he will control our lives. He is the prince of the power of the air (media) who rules in the hearts of those who are disobedient.

Psalm 119:11 is an admonishment to hide God’s word in our hearts so we won’t sin against Him. All sin is against Him. Of course that is satan’s design – to block our fellowship with the Lord and with His people. We, the church, must rise on our knees to fight this spiritual battle with His word securing our hearts.

The Lord said the same thing to each of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Since we have ears, and God’s word is timeless, we need to hear what He said also.

A hearing ear is one that is inclined, attentive, and ready to obey what was said. Here is a collage of His seven messages: repent if you have left your first love; do not fear any of the things which you are about to suffer; do not look the other way in your church from those who do what God hates; don’t allow sexual immorality to slide by; keep in His word and don’t defile His name; beware of the self-deceit of lukewarmness (thinking you are one way when you are the opposite).

When Jesus taught the parable of the sower, His disciples asked why He was speaking in parables. He quoted from Isaiah. Matthew 13:14-15 says, “…Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing…”

Verse 16 He said, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” Then He explained the parable in detail to His disciples.

Isaiah 50:4-5 says of the Lord, “…He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.”

The Lord is always speaking, but do we have ears to hear? Don’t let the raucous noise of this world’s chaos block you from hearing what the Spirit is saying as you read His word daily. Let’s apply the truth of His word that brings inner transformation. Then we will emulate His character to those around us.