2Chronicles 12-21

Have you ever “put off” responding to the little voice urging you to do something you know is the right thing to do? Have you considered that the little voice you are hearing that is urging you to do something good is probably God’s voice that you’ve decided to ignore? It is dangerous to put off responding to God as we saw in Rehoboam’s story; “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.”(12:14) A firm commitment to God means to trust him completely, and if we fail to respond, we find ourselves alienated. Consider carefully the things you cherish, and if you value anything more than God. Worshipping your girlfriend or boyfriend, shopping, food, power, control, etc. is actually very easy to do. In our society today we can run in circles and become trapped in mundane routine; allow ourselves the self-gratification of materialism; strive for our own success to stroke our egos, compete with our neighbors and bask in “power”; and seek validation from the opposite sex. If you value anything more than God, which is shown in action; activities of our daily lives, not necessarily one shining moment when you chose God’s way, LET IT GO; it is dragging you down. Eliminate sinful practice and ask God to remove your source of temptation that holds you apart from God.

King Asa’s reign was marked by peace he “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord” (14:1-6) and came close to being good. He walked with God a long way before getting off track. His example shows the repercussions of choosing the easy way instead of the right way. He used bribery to win political gain. When Asa was confronted by God’s prophet, he responded in rage and took his anger out on his people. Asa rejected correction and refused to admit his error to God. His confidence in God had slipped, and now he sought only a human solution to his problem. It is not a sin to use human means to solve our problems, but it is a sin to trust them more than God and leave God completely out of the problem-solving process. The stubborn refusal to admit a failure is a big problem because you waste time rationalizing, rather than LEARNING FROM YOUR MISTAKES and MOVING ON. If Asa would have been humble, he would’ve seen all that God could have done; he is an example of wasted talent. To actualize your potential, it is necessary to allow God’s spiritual gifts to enhance the natural talent he created in you by walking with him. It requires action. God’s blessings by way of His partnership with you, like any good relationship; it requires work.

“It was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong, and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (15:5) Do you ever feel like the land we live in is filled with so much evil that “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” because there’s no other way? Even in the little things. Sometimes we face battles that we feel cannot possibly be won. The Holy Spirit says in His word: DON’T GIVE UP. No matter how greatly you have sinned, you can still call upon God. The secret of victory is first to admit the futility of human effort alone and then to trust God to save. His power works best through those who recognize their limitations (2Corinthians12:9). Those in greatest danger are those who believe they can do it all on their own. No matter what circumstance you are in, remember that God gives you what you can handle; He expects you to continue walking with Him on your journey to see His process of how your life will unfold. God can use anything, even an error, to bring his will to pass. This is good news for God’s followers because we can trust him to work his plans and keep his promises no matter how desperate our circumstances are.

Do you notice that a lack of commitment to anything thrives in our culture? People are tentative, indecisive, and afraid of responsibility. Asa and his people were different in that they clearly declared themselves for God and the decisive and wholehearted commitment pleased God and resulted in peace for the nation. Do you think it pleases God to not keep our commitments? What would happen if God didn’t keep his commitment to love us unconditionally? What would happen if God didn’t keep his word? What would happen to happiness, love, faith, hope and living a life of purpose? This one-sided, selfish view of not saying what we mean and not doing as we say displeases God very much and for good reason. This type of behavior that we see so much of; the “flaky” people whose word is as good as a floating leaf in the wind, causes many of the problems we see like divorce and atheism. To keep promises and commitments is God’s way; remember that God created us in his image. We are to reflect his holiness; to know this is to know God and to know Him is through His word. God will never contradict his word; with people who have and will fail you and change being inevitable, is it not good to have a solid rock to stand on with unfailing love as your life support?

Do you feel like life is filled with constant battle or struggle? “This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”(20:15) Every day we battle temptation and the evil ways of the world; but when you follow God, the Spirit lives inside of you. God fights for you when you ask him for help to face your struggles. Remember that the Lord has already won the battle. When we face struggles, He strengthens our character and tests our faith in Him in the process to overcome our trials. How do we allow God to fight for us? 1) By realizing the battle is not ours, but God’s; 2) By recognizing human limitations and allowing God’s strength to work though our fears and weakness; 3) By making sure we are pursuing God’s interests and not just our own selfish desires; 4) By asking God for help in our daily battles.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah met disaster when he joined forces with wicked King Ahaziah. The partnership stood on unequal footing because one man served God and the other worshiped idols. We play with fire when we enter into partnerships with those that do not follow God because our very foundations differ. You’ve heard the stories of the Jewish man marrying the Christian woman; often times the woman will be encouraged to convert to Judaism or they won’t bring God into the picture at all and the family tries to survive without God. Usually in these situations, the one who serves God is faced with the temptation to compromise values and spiritual disaster inevitably results. Neither way is right. This doesn’t mean we cannot still love our neighbor, but when entering a partnership of any kind; especially the sacred partnership of marriage; it is crucial to stand on solid ground. Before entering any kind of partnership, ask: 1) What are MY motives? 2) What problems am I avoiding by seeking this partnership? 3) Is this partnership the best solution, or is it only a quick solution to my problem? 4) Have I prayed or asked others to pray for guidance? 5) Are my partner and I really working toward the same goals? 6) Am I willing to settle for less financial gain in order to do what God wants? These questions are great for business partnerships and critical for marriage partnerships. Think about how many people get married to “check the box” because deep down they are terrified to be alone; so they settle for a partnership not blessed by God thriving on a solid foundation, and then they wind up alone anyway? It’s a cycle that can be avoided by trusting in God because the truth is: we are never alone when we seek God as our number one partner. Think about it; can a man or a woman ever fill the voids in us that God fills? You must be complete in your relationship with Him first before a healthy and thriving relationship can exist with your mate. And if you believe you are happy without God now; just imagine what it would feel like to be in heaven now, and that’s what you’ll get with God.