July 13, 2026 - A Heart for God's Heart

Psalms 44:1-26

2 Chronicles 16:1-14

2 Chronicles 17:1-19

Bible in a Year Through Song - Day 194 of 365 - Bible App

Psalms 44:3 NIV

[3] It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

This Psalm is written by the sons of Korah. Men that David instructed on how to praise God. Part of praising God is making known all that He has done. Giving Him the glory and honor that only He deserves. They knew that God gave them all that they needed for victory to be achieved. But even more so it was not that God gave the power to do it but it was God's hand itself that brought them victory.

2 Chronicles 16:1-3 NIV

1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.2Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 3“Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

Here we have king David's great, great grandson. Relying on alliances with men. Not relying on God. Maybe we could say that there are a lot of years between them. You can't expect him to follow in the footsteps of his great, great grandfather. But we just read in 2 Chronicles 14 2:6 that he started off right.

2 Chronicles14:2Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. 4He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. 5He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. 6He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.

They had rest because of his obedience. And when the Cushites marched against them he thought to call on the Lord.

2 Chronicles 16:78

7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

The prophet Hanani reminds him of God's faithfulness when he had stopped relying on God. Only 36 years later Asa has forgotten who His God is. And instead of turning back to God he puts the prophet in jail out of anger.

2 Chronicles 16:12 NIV

[12] In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians.

Even 3 years later when he is afflicted with a disease he didn't turn to God. He turned to the physicians and healers for help instead of turning to God. Even if he would have done both. But he didn't he suffered for 2 more years with it before he died. If only he had remembered who God is. If only he had made a habit of praising God. Seeking His face and remembering all that He had done.

2 Chronicles 17:3-6 NIV

[3] The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals [4] but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. [5] The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. [6] His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

It is good to see that his son Jehoshaphat also starts off well. But will he continue down that right path or stray like his father did?

How do we apply this to our lives. We need to not forget all that God has done, who God is, and who we are in light of His greatness. We need to be in the habit of praising God and acknowledging Him and the things that He has done in our lives and the lives of others. I think that is one of the reasons David was a man after God's own heart. Even though he was not perfect. He sinned. But he never forgot who God was. He never stopped praising Him and turning to Him for all things. When he was happy, he rejoiced in God. When he was sad, worried or angry he cried out to God. When he struggled, he praised God and asked for help. I think that all of his writings and songs kept his heart fully focused on God. I know that reading the daily reading for this blog and writing what God brings to my mind helps to keep my heart focused on God. It reminds me to spend some time singing praise to Him and reminding myself of His power and character. I hope that you would do the same. Find something that daily directs you to praising God as David did. Seek His face and be a person after God's own heart.