Nobody would want such a title. Everybody wants to have purpose. Everybody wants to be doing something for a greater purpose. The problem is that some people take the most important part of the equation out and still try to get it done. Imagine the best titles king, president, ceo, prime minister, owner, boss, priest, pastor, mayor, senator, governor, … of nothing. The title seems worthless if that is the case. The purpose and the point of it all goes out the window.
This morning’s reading comes from 2 Chronicles 13-17, Psalm 78. We hear a speech today about when people replaced God with idols, removed all the people with real titles and for the right place gave those titles to others which had no real value. One group seemed to give up on the real, the valuable, the dependable, the mighty, the merciful, the grace filled God. The other decided to stick with God.
Is what you are pursing worth it? Is what you are holding onto worth something? Is your title a title or is it a calling? Are you pursuing the greater purpose that you were created for? Don’t allow yourself to be robbed but rather grab onto the real value and the real purpose that you were created to accomplish. Chase after your calling with passion. Hold onto the truth of what God is doing in and through you. Don’t allow the applause of people distract or drown the hope and the truth that comes from following God’s will for your life.
People may try to outsmart you. People may try to trick you. But when you hold on to God and His promises, He will take care of you:
12“Can’t you see the obvious? God is on our side; he’s our leader. And his priests with trumpets are all ready to blow the signal to battle. O Israel—don’t fight against God, the God of your ancestors. You will not win this battle.”13-18While Abijah was speaking, Jeroboam had sent men around to take them by surprise from the rear: Jeroboam in front of Judah and the ambush behind. When Judah looked back, they saw they were attacked front and back. They prayed desperately to God, the priests blew their trumpets, and the soldiers of Judah shouted their battle cry. At the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The army of Israel scattered before Judah; God gave them the victory. Abijah and his troops slaughtered them—500,000 of Israel’s best fighters were killed that day. The army of Israel fell flat on its face—a humiliating defeat. The army of Judah won hands down because they trusted God, the God of their ancestors. — 2 Chronicles
5-6When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” He said this to stretch Philip’s faith. He already knew what he was going to do. — John 6
7Philip answered, “Two hundred silver pieces wouldn’t be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece.”8-9One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.” — John 6
10-11Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted.12-13When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted.” They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.14-15The people realized that God was at work among them in what Jesus had just done. They said, “This is the Prophet for sure, God’s Prophet right here in Galilee!” Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself.— John 6
So have faith. Consider what you have. Consider where you have been positioned. Consider your calling. Consider your purpose. Don’t make it worthless, but use it for God so that it is and becomes of great worth.
When you look at what you are doing, how would it be described? Would we read about it as “He did things right in God’s eyes.” Would your heart speak to the truth of why you do what you do? Would your actions speak to the hope and faith you have within you? Are you pointing people back to God by the words you use, the way you work, and the way you lead? Will you get ready? Will you be prepared?
When the next challenge comes your way, where will you turn? how will you respond? what are you going to do? who are you going to turn to? when do numbers really count unless you are counting? why not call out to God?
9-11Zerah the Ethiopian went to war against Asa with an army of a million plus three hundred chariots and got as far as Mareshah. Asa met him there and prepared to fight from the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Then Asa prayed to God, “O God, you aren’t impressed by numbers or intimidated by a show of force once you decide to help: Help us, O God; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in you and who you are. Don’t let mere mortals stand against you!”12-15God defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah; the Ethiopians ran for their lives. Asa and his men chased them as far as Gerar; so many of the Ethiopians were killed that there was no fight left in them—a massacre before God and his troops; Judah carted off loads of plunder. They devastated all the towns around Gerar whose people were helpless, paralyzed by the fear of God, and looted the country. They also attacked herdsmen and brought back a lot of sheep and camels to Jerusalem. — 2 Chronicles 14
Stick with God! — 2 Chronicles 15 — How far are you willing to go?
1-6Then Azariah son of Obed, moved by the Spirit of God, went out to meet Asa. He said, “Listen carefully, Asa, and listen Judah and Benjamin: God will stick with you as long as you stick with him. If you look for him he will let himself be found; but if you leave him he’ll leave you. For a long time Israel didn’t have the real God, nor did they have the help of priest or teacher or book. But when they were in trouble and got serious, and decided to seek God, the God of Israel, God let himself be found. At that time it was a dog-eat-dog world; life was constantly up for grabs—no one, regardless of country, knew what the next day might bring. Nation battered nation, city pummeled city. God let loose every kind of trouble among them.7“But it’s different with you: Be strong. Take heart. Payday is coming!”8-9Asa heard the prophecy of Azariah son of Obed, took a deep breath, then rolled up his sleeves, and went to work: He cleaned out the obscene and polluting sacred shrines from the whole country of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He spruced up the Altar of God that was in front of The Temple porch. Then he called an assembly for all Judah and Benjamin, including those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living there at the time (for many from Israel had left their homes and joined forces with Asa when they saw that God was on his side).10-15They all arrived in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign for a great assembly of worship. From their earlier plunder they offered sacrifices of seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep for the worship. Then they bound themselves in a covenant to seek God, the God of their fathers, wholeheartedly, holding nothing back. And they agreed that anyone who refused to seek God, the God of Israel, should be killed, no matter who it was, young or old, man or woman. They shouted out their promise to God, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams’ horns. The whole country felt good about the covenant promise—they had given their promise joyfully from the heart. Anticipating the best, they had sought God—and he showed up, ready to be found. God gave them peace within and without—a most peaceable kingdom!16-19In his cleanup of the country, Asa went so far as to remove his mother, Queen Maacah, from her throne because she had built a shockingly obscene image of the sex goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down, smashed it, and burned it up in the Kidron Valley. Unfortunately he didn’t get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned—his heart was in the right place, loyal to God. All the gold and silver vessels and artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in The Temple of God. There wasn’t a trace of war up to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. — 2 Chronicles 15
Stick with God and see how real value is calculated. Stick with God and discover the benefits.
Go to God first not last. Let him be your first option rather than your last hope. Get His wisdom before moving out rather than just getting down the wrong path and needing to be saved. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Don’t turn your back on God and have to deal with the consequences of your decision. Don’t take out your bad decision on the messenger or as I have said to many, don’t shoot the messenger or you will stop getting messages.
7-9Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, “Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn’t ask God for help, you’ve lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. Didn’t the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked God for help and he gave you the victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.”10At that, Asa lost his temper. Angry, he put Hanani in the stocks. At the same time Asa started abusing some of the people. — 2 Chronicles 16
Go to God first! He is your first choice! He knows the answer even before you ask the question. He knows the answer the moment the problem arises.
11-14A full account of Asa is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa came down with a severe case of foot infection. He didn’t ask God for help, but went instead to the doctors. Then Asa died; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. They buried him in a mausoleum that he had built for himself in the City of David. They laid him in a crypt full of aromatic oils and spices. Then they had a huge bonfire in his memory. — 2 Chronicles 16
What are you a seeker of? What are you a follower of? God?
God was on Jehoshaphat’s side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa’s early years. He didn’t fool around with the popular Baal religion—he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn’t like Israel. And God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored. He was single-minded in following God; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. — 2 Chronicles 17
What do you use to reach out and teach others? What is your source of truth?
7-9In the third year of his reign he sent his officials—excellent men, every one of them—Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah on a teaching mission to the cities of Judah. They were accompanied by Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; the priests Elishama and Jehoram were also in the company. They made a circuit of the towns of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of The Revelation of God as their text. — 2 Chronicles 17
Make sure your focus is on the right thing. It isn’t because we are so worthy, but rather because God is so worthy. It’s isn’t because we are so good, it is because God is so good. Avoid falling into the trap of pride. Pride comes before the fall. Make it all about God so that you have your eyes focused on the right place.
10-12There was a strong sense of the fear of God in all the kingdoms around Judah—they didn’t dare go to war against Jehoshaphat. Some Philistines even brought gifts and a load of silver to Jehoshaphat, and the desert bedouin brought flocks—7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. So Jehoshaphat became stronger by the day, and constructed more and more forts and store-cities—an age of prosperity for Judah! — 2 Chronicles 17
So how do you want your life to be told? Worth it? Worthless? You get to choose, so choose wisely!
God's story through my life from 2005 to eternity... 