Cruising Chronicles

     I have previously blogged about my addiction to homiletics (see Homiletics Junkie), so my personal Bible studies for the past two summers while BSF is not in session has been doing homiletics on a chapter a day.  When BSF left us at the entrance to the promised land, I continued from there through Judges and Israel's early kingdom.  Last year I was frustrated to run out of summer before finishing 2 Kings, but it was great segue into Isaiah, last year's new and meaty study.  This summer's homiletics began with Chronicles, and Chronicles begins with geneologies.  That is usually the place that loses people reading straight through the Bible. I have read through the Bible many times, always skimming those chapters, and I have studied Chronicles but not when afflicted with homiletics.  My question was, would I find meaning and application in those name dropping, tongue twisting early chapters?  Surprisingly, I did.  I might have learned more if I had looked at a commentary or studied the meanings of the names but that seemed hard.  I avoid hard.
     Here are some of the truths I gleaned without bending over too far: 
     Ch. 1  God has a plan for individuals, places and promises.
     Favorite Application:  How do I recognize God working with people and nations not prophesied?
     Ch. 2  God cares about families and individuals.
     F. A.  What would God's one line synopsis be of me?
     Ch. 3  Even during punishment God is working out His plan.
     F.A.  Where do I feel like God's plan is stagnant?
     Ch. 4  History is not events and places, it is families and individuals.
     F.A.  How/where am I preserving our family records/history?
     Ch. 5  Lineage and might do not win God's favor.
     F.A.  What are my firstborn obligations? (I'm actually 2nd but my brother abdicated)
     Ch. 6, 9  God has a role and place for all His people.
     F.A.  How can I serve God in the place He's given me?
     Ch. 7  Know your resources for battle.
     F.A.  Am I ready for spiritual battle?
     Ch.8  Men of God's choosing are not always men of God.
     F. A.  How often do I pray for the leader of my country?

     After the geneologies Chronicles gets interesting again, with stories, I like stories, stories are easy.  But it's nice to know my beloved homiletics can shrink wrap the truth even in geneologies and that I can easily identify the passage in my subject sentence by using the words . . . are chronicled.  (Seems like cheating.)