March 8, 2024

Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 22-25
Meditation Verses: 25:7-8

Thought

This is not a good period in Judah's history, for several kings in a row are only half-committed to God. It is stated a number of times, in several ways, that when the leaders turn away from the Lord, when they depend on other gods or on godless allies or on their own wisdom and strength, then the Lord will not be with them and even turn against them. God tells Amaziah that He will not help him because of the soldiers hired from Israel, because He is not with Israel or any of their sons.

Application

Whether I turn away from the Lord myself, maybe not completely, but put Him aside and look to someone else or some other power to help me succeed in life, or whether I ally myself with those who have turned away from the Lord, then the Lord will not be with me and will not bless my efforts. I need to be trusting in and walking in obedience to the Lord, humbling myself and submitting myself to Him completely, in order to enjoy His favor and blessing. Anything less, and I will have provoked the Lord to anger. If He sends someone to warn me, I need to listen and humble myself. But if I reject that messenger, I am in grave danger! No matter what I say or believe about the Lord, He will have abandoned me.