Verse 9: So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made.
For three good years, King Rehoboam did wonderful in the sight God and his people. He had fortified the surrounding cities of Jerusalem and strengthened his military might. Economically and militarily, everything was going in the right direction and his kingdom was prospering. Unfortunately, King Rehoboam's heart started to wonder away from the Lord, because he was too comfortable in and proud of all his accomplishments. Furthermore, he had put his trust in his fortified cities for protection.
For the next two years, Egypt and its allies prepared and staged a war against Jerusalem. Under the leadership of Shishak, the king of Egypt, they came and destroyed the surrounding cities of Jerusalem and marched into Jerusalem. There, they took away all of the treasures from the temple and the king's house.
In the midst of this invasion, King Rehoboam and Judah's leaders did the right thing by humbling themselves, and sought the Lord.
God has a way of getting our attention. Sometimes, the Lord allows certain crisis and tradedy to happen, so that we can look to Him for strength. His main goal for our lives is be more like His son Jesus! That means that our character is very important to Him. He wants to mold and shape our character (even if it means allowing pain) to conform to Jesus Christ.
Like King Rehoboam, when we loose our confidence in ourselves and in our stuff, the only way to turn is upward!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your presence in our lives. Thank you for being with us and guiding our steps in this life journey that you have ordained for us. Remind us always that when we are weak, then we are stong because of you. Help us to always put you first in our minds, lives, and hearts. May we always strive to be more and more like your son Jesus!
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