Stones - God's Vocabulary

Dear Jesus - Our minds are sin filled and degenerate from generations of sin.  Please cover us with Your Holy Spirit.  Open our eyes, that we may behold wonderful things from Your Word.

A daily Bible reading program provides the reader with a free field, rich with treasure and ours for the digging!  There are lots of programs available.  I recommend Revived by His Word because it is only 1 chapter daily and there is an accompanying blog commentator who, read regularly, will expose us to many study principles for unpacking the chapter.

Last week, I read 2 Chronicles 15 and for the first time, my heart burned within me regarding a link to the New Testament.  The Bible is the language of God - His vocabulary if you will.  The more we take it in, the more patterns and pictures will pop out to us.  Much like learning any language.

Here is a link to the chapter in Chronicles in NASB.  The whole chapter is amazing, encouraging.  The prophecy of Azariah son of Oded is a prophecy for me, for you! Check out verse 2:

“Listen to me, Laura, Mychelle and all you blog readers: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

Wow!  The Lord IS with me!  He WILL be found of me!  The gentle warning is always a good reminder - Lord keep it ever before me that You ARE better than chocolate, better than the Internet, better than cooking magazines!  But hey - Azariah's prophecy isn't done!  Here are verses 3-4:

³ For many days Israel (let's insert 'God's church') was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. ⁴ But in their distress they (let's insert 'God's people' or 'Laura and Mychelle and the blog readers') turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.

Let me tell you - I feel this VERY personally. For that was me.  Sure, God has always been with me - but as I look back on my own life I can say I was without a teaching priest and without law in the sense I didn't know how to study for myself.  I didn't have much of God's law written on my heart - I was trying to do everything myself.  And in my distress I have prayed desperate prayers - God, do whatever it takes to save me!  Hallelujah - He let me find Him!  Praise God!  But there is more!  Verses 5-7:

⁵ In those times there was no peace to him (insert 'Laura, Myshelle and the blog readers') who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. ⁶ Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But you (insert 'Laura, Myshelle and the blog readers'), be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.”

Oh thank You Jesus!  Your love knows no end, Your encouragement is always there for me!  Wait a second - verse 5 & 6 - this language is familiar.  Hey - makes me think of another verse in the New Testament.  Is it possible You mean to direct me to Matthew 24 and Daniel 12?  Because verse 6 above sure sounds like Matthew 24 verse 7:

⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

Here is Daniel 12:1

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Is there a parallel then to this chapter - specifically the parts about when the end will come - elsewhere in the Bible?  More to come - tomorrow!

Thank You Jesus for Your love.  For Your goodness.  For Your wisdom & clarity.  Thank You for Your vocabulary available for us to learn, drawing us ever closer to Yourself...