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Matthew 1:7b
The nation of Israel has been divided. War is about to break out between the tribes of Israel that have separated themselves from the tribe of Judah, which is the tribe of the king (2 Chronicles 10). We begin to see a glimmer of hope as we learn about Abijah in 2 Chronicles 13 as he stood tall for God in the face of Jeroboam, the king of the tribe of Israel, as war was being declared between them. But we also learn in 1 Kings 15:1-7 that Abijah did not have a heart that was loyal to the LORD.
We learn of Asa, the son of Abijah, in 2 Chronicles 14-16. 2 Chronicles 14:2 states, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.” But we are informed in 2 Chronicles 16 that Asa put his faith in the Syrians instead of trusting God (2 Chronicles 16:7), and later when he became sick, we learn in 2 Chronicles 16:12, “And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but he physicians.”
This is the genealogy of Jesus from Abijah to Asa.
God has a desire not only to redeem us back to a right status with Him, but that we confide in Him as our Creator God. He longs for us to call out to Him in our needs and desires, in our sickness and our health. He longs to have a relationship with us, but He is bound by His own love and justice in that we must believe in Him to receive His mercy and grace that He extends to us if we will acknowledge Him through putting our faith in Him.
Dear LORD,
You allow us to experience many great things through this world and the advancements of technology. But please help us to see that it is all meaningless if we refuse to recognize that it is all blessings from You to us from Your great love for us. So many times we give credit to man for the blessings that you personally give to us to show us of Your great love for us so that we will believe in You as our Creator God who is worthy of our faith, dedication, and love. All praise, glory, honor, and thanksgiving be to You LORD God Almighty. In Jesus name I pray, amen.