October 12, 20-2 Chronicles 27:7 and the Morning Verse from Spurgeon.
Jotham...he began his reign at 25. Not much is said about him other than the most important part of his life and that was, "So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 27:6 (ESV). He ordered his ways before the LORD his God.
What does that mean? Earlier in the chapter it says that he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (except the sinning part of entering the temple). The main thing that is mentioned about his father is that he set his heart to seek God. He was 16 when he began to reign and was king 52 years then sinned by being arrogant. Jotham was king only 16 years then he died. I couldn't find out how or why God took him so early. It bothered me because God then allowed wicked Ahaz to reign after him.
I do think it is a steady principle however, that the person who sets his/her heart to seek God and to order their way before God will become mighty. Are you faint-hearted today?
October 12
Morning Verse
"I will meditate in Thy precepts." Psalm 119:15
There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in His service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser's feet must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or else the juice will not flow; and they must well tread the grapes, or else much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get the wine of consolation therefrom. Our bodies are not supported by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process which really supplies the muscle, and the nerve, and the sinew, and the bone, is the process of digestion. It is by digestion that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening awhile to this, and then to that, and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning, all require inwardly digesting to complete their usefulness, and the inward digesting of the truth lies for the most part in meditating upon it. Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God's Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord, and be this our resolve this morning, "I will meditate in Thy precepts."
Morning and Evening.
Been on a trip to the mainland. I got to see all but one son, daughter-in-law and grand kid and a bit of Autumn, what a blessing!
