We Will Not Abandon
Daily Old Testament Reading: 2 Chronicles 13-15; 1 Kings 15
Daily Focus Passage:2 Chronicles 13
2 Chronicles 13 provides several critical truths concerning living before the Lord in faithfulness. We find that Israel and Judah are about to battle and that the two sides differ in their relationship with the Lord. The Northern Kingdom rebelled against the Lord as the Southern Kingdom remained faithful to the Lord. This encounter allowed the Southern Kingdom to declare several bold truths that we must continue to follow to stay faithful before the Lord as we battle against a culture of rebellion against the Lord.
WE MUST REFUSE TO ABANDON THE LORD
The people of the Northern Kingdom abandoned the ways and Word of the Lord. They sought to live for the ways of the world and pledge allegiance to an earthly king over the Eternal King. The people attempted to make a religion that met their wants and needs, and they chose the ideology of the self over the commands of the Lord. The abandonment of the Lord demands punishment, and thus the Northern Kingdom would face defeat.
The world attempts to force us to conform to its image. The world attempts to cause us to abandon the ways of the Lord and to seek to live according to the ideology of the world. Often, the world tries to use enough of the truth and mix it with heresy to lead us astray. Thus, we must commit to not abandon the Lord and fight to remain faithful.
WE MUST REFUSE TO BATTLE AGAINST THE LORD
The Northern Kingdom decided to pick a fight with the Lord. The Bible states that one who does not follow and abandons the Lord is an enemy of the Lord. Thus, the enemy sets out to battle against the Lord and to live for the flesh instead. The Northern Kingdom chose to battle the Lord when they decided to attack the people (the Southern Kingdom) following the Lord and when they rejected his commands and statutes.
We continue to battle against the Lord today when we refuse to surrender to his truth and will. When we attempt to adapt the truth of the Lord to meet our opinions, we fall prey to battling against the Lord. We struggle to live for the self, and because we abandoned the Lord, we enter a battle to live for the self.
WE MUST RELY UPON THE LORD
The Southern Kingdom modeled the importance of relying upon the Lord. The Southern Kingdom prepared for battle against the Northern Kingdom as a militarily outnumbered nation. They faced the threat of invasion from every avenue and became surrounded. Instead of surrendering or attempting to fight their way out in their strength, the people of the Southern Kingdom cried out to the Lord in complete reliance, and the Lord responded.
We must face various struggles and battles today with reliance upon the Lord. We live in a time when the influence of the enemy surrounds us. We find that the mentality and ways of the world attempt to force us to accept and conform to their ways. The battle is constant, and victory is only in the Lord. Thus, we must learn to rest and rely on the Lord.
WE MUST REJOICE IN THE LORD
When we rely upon the Lord for victory, we must respond in rejoicing. The rejoicing occurs because of the overflow of gratitude and joy for the work of the Lord in combat. We announce his goodness, his work, and his victory. We worship the Lord from the overflow of joy in our hearts because of his faithfulness and work.
As we navigate a culture that lives in rebellion against the Lord, we must strive to overcome the temptation to fall prey to the waywardness of the culture. We must seek to remain faithful to the Lord and allow the Lord to battle for us instead of us battling the Lord. We must learn to rely entirely upon the Lord and rejoice in him alone as we see the victories he claims for us. Are you living without abandoning the Lord and his way?
