Today’s reading covered 2 Chronicles 8-23.

I found several more verses that pertain to my perfection question.

But the high places were not taken away out of Israel:
nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days
2 Chronicles 15:17.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars
2 Chronicles 16:9.

And one from an earlier reading – All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king
1 Chronicles 12:38.

I’m going to keep an eye out for other verses that pertain to this topic. I really do want to understand our goal regarding perfection and sin while living on this earth.

Today marks the final day of the first month in the Bible in 90 Days Reading Challenge. This has been a great experience thus far. I’ve had to push myself some days to read the Bible and other days I’ve flown right through the reading. I think I’ve learned a lot but I’ve also come up with a few questions that will need answered later.

Today’s reading covered 1 Chronicles 24 through 2 Chronicles 7.

One of my most pressing questions is the Biblical definition of “perfect.” Most Adventist churches I’ve visited have preached or taught that perfection means that we have to learn not to sin while still living on earth. When Christ comes, we must be perfect. This attitude has always scared me because I’m far from perfect. I sin on a daily basis, even though I try to act like Christ. The idea of me obtaining perfection before I die or before Christ returns (whichever happens first) is very discouraging.

I’ve only met several people who have tried to show that Biblical perfection is more about having a heart for God rather than a life without sin. This teaching makes more sense to me, but I want to know what the Bible teaches.

Several of the verses in today’s reading talk about a “perfect heart.”

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever
1 Chronicles 28:9

Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy
1 Chronicles 29:9

I like the idea of a perfect heart. David prayed for a perfect heart when he asked that God “create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). I want a clean heart, a perfect heart, and a right spirit.

Lord, help me to be like You!

I read all of today’s reading (1 Chronicles 10-23) after church. I’m not sure why both 1st & 2nd Kings and 1st & 2nd Chronicles are in the Bible. They have a bit of unique information but most of 1st & 2nd Chronicles are a repeat of Kings. I guess we’ll have a really good grasp of Israelite history when we finish reading these four books!

There wasn’t much in the stories that stuck out to me but I really liked the beginning of David’s psalm of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16.

Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth
1 Chronicles 16:8-12.

Amen and amen!

At least it didn’t use the word “begat.” Today’s reading covered 1 Chronicles 1 through 9 and was roughly 97% genealogy.

The most notable section of today’s chapters was two verses devoted to Jabez.

And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested
1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

Jabez called on God and asked for an increase in land and protection from evil. Because Jabez asked, God granted his request. Sometimes we don’t receive because we don’t ask.

Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you
Matthew 7:7.

Today’s reading (2 Kings 5 through 15) was mostly a list of kings who ruled over Israel and Judah. Recorded was each king’s rise to power, length of rule, age at time of death, and whether or not that king followed the Lord. There wasn’t much information about the king other than if he failed to tear down the high places or if there was a war during his reign. The Bible covers so much history but very few of the stories are detailed. We’ll have the opportunity to learn a lot when we’re in heaven.

One of my favorite Bible stories when I was a child was Elisha making an axe head float. I don’t why, but that story always delighted me. We had some Bible Story books and I loved looking at the pictures. Elisha standing by the river Jordan. The axe head sinking to the bottom of the water. Elisha throwing a stick into the river. A man wading into the water to collect the floating axe head!

That story is a miracle, but it doesn’t fit with the normal records of miracles. God used Elisha to raise two boys from the dead, help Jehoram defeat Moab in battle, purify a stream, make poisoned food edible, cure Naaman from leoprosy… And then Elisha and God cause an axe head to float on the water! It was a borrowed axe and the user was worried he wouldn’t be able to return it.

God cares about even the little things. He takes care of our food, gives us life, gives us health, and keeps us safe. But God also cares when we lose a belonging! That amazes me.

I read the entire story of Elijah (plus some) in today’s reading (1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 4). I really enjoy the story of Elijah as God worked through him in some amazing ways: warning Ahab of the drought, saving the widow and her son from famine, raising the widow’s son, confronting Ahab again, Mount Carmel, ending the drought, God in a still small voice at Mount Horeb, and, finally, Elijah being taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. Elijah’s life and death were jam packed with God’s presence.

The story that touched me the most was how Elijah saved the widow and her son.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou has said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days
1 Kings 17:13-15.

The widow showed great faith in this event. She didn’t have to follow Elijah’s command to fix the last of the bread for him, but she did. Because of her faith in what Elijah said God would do for her, she was blessed and ate until the rain came again to Israel. I want that kind of faith!

I still can’t believe how fast this is going. Today I read 1 Kings 8 through 16.

After Solomon finishes building the temple, he admonishes the people.

The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers
1 Kings 8:57.

Soon after, God appeared to Solomon for the second and final time.

But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:

And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil
1 Kings 9:6-9.

Before these verses, God made promises of what He would do for Israel if they continue to obey Him. Then He tells Solomon what will happen if Israel starts disobeying God’s commandments.

I think the response of anyone who wonders what happened to Israel is particularly telling. “They shall answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God… therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil'” (verse 9).

God doesn’t arbitrarily choose to punish someone, just as He won’t take someone to heaven who doesn’t choose to go. We have to make that choice. We accept the gift of salvation or earn punishment. I can accept Jesus’ sacrifice or I can choose to disobey His commands and thus reject His offer of eternal life. Ultimately, the choice is mine.