2 Chronicles 15:16-19
When I think of commitment, I think of marriage. It’s one of the biggest decisions in a person's life. When you said your vows to your husband or wife on your wedding day, you were committing to them for the rest of your life. We wear wedding rings to show our commitment. From that day forward, we are vowing to be faithful to our spouse. There’s nobody else up for grabs anymore, it’s you two forever. In sickness and health. The good times and bad. You become one on your wedding day. The same could (and should) be true of the Christian. When we are saved and baptized, we are committing to Jesus. Our allegiance is to Him from that day forward, and we are not ashamed of it. Sadly, we live in a broken sin infested world. Marriages aren’t always treated seriously and Christians don’t always commit to God after salvation. Our world treats commitment as optional. We see people leave their spouses. We see people abandoning their faith. What happened? Along the way, something or someone, took the place of our devotion. Someone more attractive came along. The world seemed more fun and entertaining, you name it.
We see through King Asa's leadership that he was committed to the Lord despite outside pressures. His grandmother was the “mother queen” in that day, but sadly her allegiance wasn’t to Jehovah God like her grandson. Instead, she was involved in Asherah worship. This worship was focused on the goddess of fertility and motherhood and was widely practiced in Cannan. The King's grandmother made an idol to this goddess, but Asa destroyed it! Talk about some family drama! This demonstration by King Asa symbolized a break from Canaanite religious practices. “Asas’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life,” did you catch that? FULL COMMITMENT! During his reign the land also had peace until his 35th year as King. 35 years of no war! Clearly, Asa did something right and the Lord blessed his obedience. I love that he stood up to his grandma, no matter the cost. It can be hard at times to follow through with our faith, especially if it costs us a relationship. Today as I write this devotional, the daily verse on the Bible app is Galatians 1:10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Asa chose obedience and commitment to God over pleasing people. We must do the same! Just as you have committed to your spouse, how is your commitment to God going? Is someone or something in the way dividing your allegiance? Give it God. Ask for help. Pray for your faith to be true, raw, commitment as maybe it once was. Surround yourself with like-minded believers, listen to worship music, read your Bible, pray! Don’t let the idols of this world compete with your love for Jesus.
We see through King Asa's leadership that he was committed to the Lord despite outside pressures. His grandmother was the “mother queen” in that day, but sadly her allegiance wasn’t to Jehovah God like her grandson. Instead, she was involved in Asherah worship. This worship was focused on the goddess of fertility and motherhood and was widely practiced in Cannan. The King's grandmother made an idol to this goddess, but Asa destroyed it! Talk about some family drama! This demonstration by King Asa symbolized a break from Canaanite religious practices. “Asas’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life,” did you catch that? FULL COMMITMENT! During his reign the land also had peace until his 35th year as King. 35 years of no war! Clearly, Asa did something right and the Lord blessed his obedience. I love that he stood up to his grandma, no matter the cost. It can be hard at times to follow through with our faith, especially if it costs us a relationship. Today as I write this devotional, the daily verse on the Bible app is Galatians 1:10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Asa chose obedience and commitment to God over pleasing people. We must do the same! Just as you have committed to your spouse, how is your commitment to God going? Is someone or something in the way dividing your allegiance? Give it God. Ask for help. Pray for your faith to be true, raw, commitment as maybe it once was. Surround yourself with like-minded believers, listen to worship music, read your Bible, pray! Don’t let the idols of this world compete with your love for Jesus.
Posted in Devotional