Journal

Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned… And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. II Chronicles 12:13,14

Father, as I read the account of Rehoboam’s rule over Judah, I noted the times he mistreated the people and did wrong, yet there were also times when he “walked in the way” of his grandfather, David, and his father, Solomon. He humbled himself before God and fortified cities. Still, what caught my attention is that he did evil by not preparing his heart to seek You, Lord. What does that mean for me?

I looked up the meaning of the following words from II Chronicles 12:14 in the Hebrew:

• Evil: adversity, affliction, displease, harm, misery, sorrow, wickedness,
• Prepare: be erect, set up, establish, apply, be stable
• Heart: feelings, will, intellect
• Seek: frequent, follow, worship, diligently, inquire, search

Looking at these words, I see Rehoboam’s mistake. I can understand the reason he displeased You, Lord, and why he caused misery and sorrow for Your people. He didn’t prepare his heart or will. He wasn’t stable in the way he sought You, Lord. He wasn’t diligent in his worship, or inquiry of what You wanted him to do.

Lord, I have to admit that although I intend to seek Your will every day before I begin writing, sometimes the enthusiasm for story takes over. I forget to ask You if this is the direction You’re leading me, or if I’m walking my own way. Please help me to prepare my heart, my will, my intellect, each and every day so my footsteps align with Yours. Help me to be frequent in my worship as I follow You, and keep my writing—my whole life—honorable to You. Please keep me from doing evil, but let me pen the words that honor You every day.

Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. Habakkuk 2:2

Father, thank you for giving me Habakkuk 2:2 as my scripture verse for writing. When I am discouraged, or when I wonder if I’m doing what You want, I can return to these familiar words. I love the concept of making Your love easier to understand through the stories I write. As I contemplate some of the Hebrew words in this verse, I can better grasp what You are saying to me.

Vision: a sight (mentally), that is, a dream, revelation, or oracle.

Plain: to dig; by analogy to engrave; figuratively to explain:—declare

Daydreams. Nightmares. Imaginations. Thoughts. Visions. How interesting that the word ‘vision’ has more to do with inner sight then eyesight. I can relate to this, because stories develop in my head, and I ‘see’ them in my mind long before they are put on paper. Is this how “In the beginning” started for You, Lord? Did You imagine the stars and planets in their exact placement before you spoke them into existence? Did Your dream of the earth, and all its inhabitants, fill You with excitement?

Lord, I know I am made in Your image, and I often consider how my minimal creativity is a dim reflection of Your incredible ingenuity in the formation of all that I know. The love that You’ve poured into Your handiwork inspires me to want to tell others about You; to want to dig deeper into exploring the relationship we have. Lord, please give me the ability to use my ‘vision’ to make ‘plain’ to my readers the concepts You want them to learn in the hope that they, too, will become excited about their bond with You. Engrave Your dream on my heart.

Run: to run (especially to rush), break down, divide speedily, guard, bring hastily, stretch out.

Reads: to call out to, cry (unto), invite, mention, preach, (make) proclaim (-ation), publish.

I can still remember when my children were younger, and the excitement they showed every night at bedtime. We always had a story time. They would choose a book or two, and as I read aloud their exhilaration became palpable in that room. Not only did this special time encourage them to learn to read on their own, but they shared that enthusiasm with others they encountered. Everyone knew how much they loved a story.

Father, help my writing to incite passion for You in my readers. Help them to be filled with the pleasure of Your love and grace, and with a desire to run to do Your will; to share You with those they come in contact with each day. Help my insight from You to be easy to grasp, that my readers, and I, will read the vision and run with it.