So with the trip to Chicago, I got a little behind on the #B90Days challenge, so I am reading up on Day 29 and 30 now on YouVersion.com. This is where it starts to get interesting, though. The plans vary slightly in their division of the 90 days. So, according to #B90Days, my reading is 1 Chronicles 10-23, while according to YouVersion.com, day 30 was a free day. I think I will stick with the #B90Days schedule, so that I am not confused.
The reading for day 29 was 1 Chronicles 1-9…
I really had a lot of trouble reading all the names. Everything in me just wants to skip right over them. I have trouble reading long lists of names. Ugh. So, I kept having to re-read. Of course, if you skip over the names, you miss the little gem that is tucked into 1 Chronicles 4:10, which is about Jabez.
The preceding verse states that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.
1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
In one simple prayer, Jabez asks God to bless him, to increase his responsibility, to stay close to him, and to keep him from harm.
Do you remember the inspirational little book by Dr Bruce Wilkinson, published in 2000, about the Prayer of Jabez? The book became an international bestseller and sold over 9 million copies! While I don’t agree with everything in the book, it is interesting to me that it resulted in millions of people praying.
The reading for day 30 was 1 Chronicles 10-23.
While there were a lot of name lists, they seemed to be broken up more and not quite as hard to concentrate on.
The verses that stood out to me were…
1 Chronicles 11:9 And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him.
1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 21:2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
1 Chronicles 21:8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing
David decided to take a census. Prior to the census, David leaned heavily on the Lord, and the Lord granted him power. David saw victory after victory while he relied on the Lord. But, for some reason, David wanted a head count. Joab warned him against it, and David did it anyway. Perhaps David had begun to rely on the power of his army. Perhaps he had become a little proud? Whatever the reason, his impromptu census displeased the Lord. But he recognized his sin and repented of it. He saw his foolishness and went to the Lord.
Lord, help me to recognize my own sin and repent as quickly as David repented after he had taken the census. Help me to see when I have wronged you, and to inquire of you what I need to do to make it right. In Jesus name, Amen.
Okay, hopefully I will be able to get some SOAP posted this week.
