Today’s readings.. (2 Chronicles 23), (Daniel 4), ( Acts 2)

We have valuable thoughts in all our readings today..  In Chronicles we read how the priest “Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders …” [2 Chron 23 v.1] so that the kingship was restored and the evil queen mother – Ahab’s daughter – was destroyed.

In Daniel we read chapter 4 and saw how parts of it were written by King Nebuchadnezzar himself who is humbled to bring him down from his excessive pride in saying, “Is not this great Babylon which I have built by my mighty power” [v.30].  He is humbled for seven years and then, he himself writes, “my reason returned to me and I blessed the most high and I praised and honoured him who lives forever” [v.34] He now has a true personal perception, born of experience, of the one and only real God.  Can we fully share his perception?

He writes,” … all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing and he (God) does according to his will … all his works are right and his ways are just …” [v.35,37]

In Acts ch. 2 we read how the Holy Spirit came upon the 12 apostles on the Day of Pentecost.  As a result Peter is inspired to speak out a message that cuts the hearers to the heart leading to thousands being converted and baptised.

What is really challenging for us to think about – is Peter’s quotation from a Psalm of David (v.25) applying it first to Jesus, then to all the believers, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad … my flesh always will dwell in hope … you have made known to me the paths of life.”  [v,25,26,28]

The more we read God’s word, may we more clearly see our Lord always before us so that we may not be shaken as our world disintegrates into chaos in these last days – as so many prophecies reveal it will.