Chronicles: Positioned for Promise (2)

How to Accomplish the things of the Lord: Trusting God’s guidance and getting success

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

“In all your Ways acknowledge Him”

Acknowledge- oida: to accept (someone) to be what is claimed

Well the Writer tells us to trust- in order to trust someone you have to believe that they are trustworthy

“In all your ways trust the Lord”

In all your way look to the Lord

1. Seek the Lord- Two Stories with different outcomes from the Same life

When I trust the Lord I seek His wisdom-

I don’t lean on my own

1 Chron 13- David tries to do some good, and move the Ark of the Covenant 1 Chron 13:1-4

1 Chronicles 13:1–4 NLT

David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: “If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.” The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do.

You can have the right motives yet handle a situation wrong- there needs to be a humbleness about us that makes it that we acknowledge to Lord, and not just the approval of others

David not seeking god’s advice led to anger-

From God on Him and Him toward God

2 Chronicles 16:1–14 NLT

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah. Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: “Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.” Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali. As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it. Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah. At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people. The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.

How many things have people missed out on because they didn’t trust nor seek the Lord

What Could have been in people’s lives but they turned to other people and things instead of God

Seeking leads to success because it shows your dependency

You can frustrate yourself if you Don’t seek God

2 Kings 3:11 ESV

And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

The Divine plan comes from the Lord and leads to Victory

1 Kings 22:5 ESV

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.”

1 Chronicles 14:8–17 NLT

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them. The Philistines arrived and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. So David asked God, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you.” 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 who bursts through”). The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, so David gave orders to burn them. But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. And once again David asked God what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” God replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” So David did what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. So David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David.

David tries a second Time-

1 Chronicles 15:13 ESV

Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.”

No matter what the Enemy might have God has the plan for success

2. Trusting the Lord is the Key to Success

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41:13 NLT

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

Psalm 125:1 ESV

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Psalm 121 NLT

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

3. Desire the Presence of the Lord in you Life

1 Chronicles 13:13–14 NLT

So David did not move the Ark into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned.

Blessing only comes from the Presence of the Lord in your life-

Acknowledge that and respect that- God is not some side girl in your life

God is not a tack on to the many other things in your life

The old saying still rings true- Either Jesus is Lord or He is nothing

And the ord Get what He desires

Moses understood the importance of the Lord in Exodus 33:1-2

Exodus 33:1–2 NLT

The Lord said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

But Moses didn’t want just an angel, although an angel would have been good enough He wanted the presence of the Living God

Exodus 33:15 NLT

Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.