Wednesday, July 02, 2014
Reading for today: 2 Chronicles 13-16; 1 Kings 15:1-24
What I noticed about today’s reading was that Asa did “what
was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” yet, at the end he turned
away and relied on himself and not on God. He turned to worldly help and even
imprisoned the oracle who tried to warn him. (Obviously didn’t like what he
heard – the truth is often hard for us to hear.) So what would cause a man of
God to turn away from the God that he knows has been with him in battle and
throughout life? Why at the end turn away? Makes me realize how important it is
to stay connected and close to God, even in our old age, maybe even more so.
The hymn writer Robert Robinson, who wrote “Come Thou Fount
of Every Blessing” expressed his concern over drifting away from God. He wrote
in the third verse, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to
leave the God I love, Take my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts
above.”
That is my prayer
this morning – Seal my heart Lord so that in all of my everyday moments, I will
never forget that You are God and that I will never wander away. This is my
prayer for all Christians, everywhere.
Blessings
Pastor Kathy
As I read through this passage I was reminded that starting strong doesn't guarantee a strong ending. I have witnessed some very stable Christians "unravel" in their later years. I am not yet qualified to be considered "old", but I do notice that things I used to be adamant about seem less important now. I think age mellows us a little bit, and generally that's a good thing. The problem is, if we allow that same attitude to permeate our relationship with Jesus, we end up mismanaging our spiritual life, and eventually making decisions that will result in drifting. Perhaps that's what happened to the Israelite Kings. Along those lines, pride seems to be a very effective weapon of the enemy as well.
ReplyDeleteKing Asa's life seems to be a pretty relevant allegory to a lot of our lives as Christians. We turn ourselves over to Christ, we see Him do miraculous things in us and others, we experience His joy and blessing, we're delivered from trouble.. It's easy to trust in Him when we're watching Him win us one victory after another.
ReplyDeleteThen we experience a time of peace, when life is comfortable and there doesn't seem to be any real battles facing us. So we get accustomed to our life as it is and when a problem suddenly arises we're willing to do whatever we have to to compromise with it and maintain life as normal. Everything we've given over to God (2Chr 15:18) comes right back out of the temple as ransom to appease whatever threatens our comfortable life (2Chr 1-3).
I so often wonder myself what victories and fulfillment the Lord would give in my own life, if only I were willing to sometimes let my peace and comfort be broken for His sake.. It's in the fire that we're refined. I will never be completely pure if I don't allow the dross within my own soul to be burned to the top where it can be dealt with. It is a hard lesson to be willing to endure, especially when it affects not only yourself but those around you. However, my lot is to remain obedient and let God care for those around me.
Two quotes I'm reminded of; one from God's Not Dead "It's not an easy decision, but it is simple" and Oswald Chambers "Let God be as creative with others as He has been with you." I need to make the hard decision at times to throw caution to the wind and simply trust in what I know the Lord wants me to do. Then I need to trust that He will be taking care of not only myself but those who may be affected by those decisions.