Today's Reading June 07

Good morning, all.
This morning's Old Testament passage in our through-the-Bible-in-a-year journey is 2nd Chronicles, chapters 23, 24, and 25.
More of the same. Evil prospers, then a good king comes for a while, then the people return to their natural inclination to do evil.
from chapter 24

18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.

If you have not done so already, go over to the Focus on the Family website and listen to the two-part message that Dr. John McArthur delivered at the National Day of Prayer. We see in Scripture that in times of great wickedness among God's chosen people, He would at times turn them over to their enemies. Dr. MacArthur believes, as do I, that we are at the same point in America. God has blessed us greatly and protected us from our enemies on all sides. We can no longer count on that. There is an alternative, and we looked at it the other day:

2nd Chronicles chapter 7: 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

And that is the ONLY alternatitve, until He returns.

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Gospel of John, chapter 16, verses 16 through 33.
More of Jesus' words with great import. One of my favorites is

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.