1 Chronicles 13 - 15

Click on the above Scripture to read today's Bible lesson!

Here are a few lessons we can learn from today's three chapters...

1) Prayer is CRITICAL for protection and guidance! In chapter 13 (yesterday's reading) we saw how God killed Uzzah for touching the Ark of the Covenant while it was being pulled on a cart by a few oxen. As a result of touching the Ark, God slew Uzzah!

In chapter 15, David explains what happened - they forgot to pray about "how" to the handle the task of moving the Ark. He says in verse 1315, "Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, and anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly...Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, justs theLord had instructed Moses."

Because they moved the Ark in the EXACT way God had ordered, He blessed them! Notice 15:26 - "Then David and the elders of Israel... went...up to Jeruslalem with a great celebration. And because God was clearly helping the Levites asthey carried the Ark of the Lord's Covenant..."

David learned his lesson about NOT praying before you do something. In fact, in chapter 14:11, David asks God about direction in what to do as the Philistine army approaches them in battle. And, again in 14:14, he goes to God in prayer as the Philistines decide to attack again! Through prayer, God gave David direction and guidance on how to win the battle! Prayer is our greatest tool!

2) Angels fight in our behalf! I love the story of how God defeats the Philistines during the last part of chapter 14. He tells David to "circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army!"

These are the angels of God's army going before David! The noise they hear of marching footsteps at the top of the poplar trees are God's army of angels! Remember when Elisha was attacked by the Aramean who came to capture him (2 Kings 6:15-18) and his servant said, "Oh sir, what will we do now?" Elisha prayed that God would open his servant's eyes, and when he did he was able to see into the spiritual realm and the fact that the entire hillside was surrounded by thousands of angels! Elisha told him, "Don't be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs."

Even this morning I overheard a waitress giving God the glory about a car wreck they just missed being involved in. She said, "There was no way we could have avoided that car wreck unless God (and His angels) did it! It was an absolute miracle!"

Remember, Paul admonished the Christian believers in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

Angels are very involved in our lives!

3) Never forget that it is God who works THROUGH us! Throughout David's remarkable military campaigns, he never give himself the glory. Chapter 14 offers us a good example of how humble David is, as well as how much he realizes that God is the one that has protected him from the many battles he's engaged in. In 14:11, it says, "So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. 'God did it!', David exclaimed. 'He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood! So they named that place Baal-perazim (which means 'the Lord bursts through')."

Unlike other kings who would have named the city after themselves, David gives the glory to God and identifies it as a city in which the Lord gets all the glory!

God has a purpose in this world and He has a purpose for your existence. It is He who will accomplish His purpose. And, He will accomplish it through you. There is NOTHING you can do for God. God does NOT need your help. He does, however, want to use you to accomplish His purpose and plan - the very one for which He's allowed you to be created for! Therefore, in reality, we have no reason to become prideful. The bible says that "all good things come from above from the Father of lights." Humility is where God wants us to be. It lets Him know that we understand His greatness and our weakness. And, it presents an attitude through which God loves to do His greatest work!

Have a wonderful day in the Lord!