February 21, 2024

Passage Read: 2 Kings 16-19
Meditation Verses: 19:34-37

Thought

It is not good to underestimate the Lord, His reality and His power. He is not like the gods of the nations, which are but idols, wood and stone. He is the true and living God. To discount Him or insult Him is to invite wrath upon ourselves. To ignore Him, thinking He will do nothing or can do nothing, is to invite destruction. Israel sinned against the Lord by ignoring His commands and learning the ways of the pagans around them and the ways of their gods, and in time, God overthrew them. The king of Assyria mocked God and God destroyed 185,000 men in his army. He returned to Assyria in disgrace and his sons killed him. He enjoyed success wherever he went, until he came up against the Lord and mocked Him.

Application

I cannot learn the ways of unbelievers who know nothing about God or care nothing about the ways of the Lord. I cannot ignore God's commands and expect to be blessed and honored by Him. On the contrary, I should expect to be rebuked and warned, unless He does not claim me as His own. But why test the Lord? I should diligently seek to know and do His will. Though He lets me get away with a thing here or there, I would be a fool to think I've actually gotten away with it. I need to repent and make all things right, everything I know that I have done wrong. And as He shows me new things, I shouldn't ignore them, but repent as quickly as possible. His mercy and grace to me are displayed in His patience toward me and His continuously instructing me, and in the strength and guidance to change my ways to follow His. I must not ignore that grace or take advantage of it.