OT Fire Starters – Day 162: 2 Chronicles 12-15

READ: 2 Chronicles 12-15

THINK: Remember playing hide and seek when you were a kid? Did you prefer hiding or seeking? Or did you just enjoy playing the game? As you’ve matured, you’ve outgrown lots of games, but hopefully you still have a desire to seek-particularly in a spiritual sense. Though God isn’t hiding, He wants you to seek Him wholeheartedly. To “seek the Lord” means to passionately, persistently pursue a deeper relationship with Him through intense devotion to prayer and God’s Word. It involves pulling away from evil influences and abandoning actions that could compromise His plans for your life. It means being constantly aware of God’s presence and power, relying on Him as your ultimate helper and being confident that He “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6; 2 Chronicles 14:11).

RESPOND: What happened to Rehoboam and his people once their kingdom was successful and secure? How is this a warning to you? What consequences did Judah face for disregarding God, and what can you learn from this? (See 12:5 note.) How does disobeying God make you vulnerable? What did God want Judah to learn from this experience (12:5-8)? (See 12:7 note.) Why is serving God far more desirable than serving worldly powers and purposes? How does a strong relationship with God help you resist and overcome evil? (See 12:14 note.) Why was Abijah victorious in battle over Jeroboam (13:12,18)? Did Abijah’s extraordinary display of faith and victory guarantee success in his relationship with God? Why or why not? (See 13:1 note.) What does this teach about relying on past experiences in our walk with God? Why were Asa’s actions “good and right in the eyes of the LORD”? (See 14:2 note.) How did Asa view God’s power, and how did this affect his reliance on God (14:11)? What does it mean to “seek the LORD,” and why is this vital to spiritual reform? (See 14:4 note.) What happens with those who “seek Him”? (See 15:2 note.)

PRAY: Pray that no sense of success and security will lead to laziness or lack of dependence on God. Pray that you won’t rely on past experiences to sustain you spiritually, but grow in passion for a deeper relationship with Jesus.

ACT: If you’ve become lax in your relationship with God because of apparent successes or past experiences, stop trying to live in the past and start pursuing a purposeful future with Christ. If you’re facing a situation in which you feel powerless or inadequate, trust God to give you success and to honor himself in the process. Do what He desires and leave the outcome to Him. Keep your spiritual ears open so the Holy Spirit can direct and encourage you at all times.