Monday, July 29, 2013 [Can't You See?]
But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord 's commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!" (2 Chronicles 24:17-20 NLT)
I began to truly follow the Way of Jesus when I was 22 years old. I grew up going to church with my parents and was even baptized at nine years old, but I never had a healthy relationship with Christ until I went through some personal crises in college and became desperate enough to really WANT Christ. I wanted to know who He was and what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. But up to that point, I had always followed my mama's Jesus. I prayed to my daddy's God. I had relied on the relationships that my parents had with Jesus to somehow bless me, and they did bless me. They just never grew me or changed me. The relationship wasn't mine until I sought after it myself.
Joash seemed to have a similar issue. He followed the wise Godly counsel of Jehoiada until Jehoiada died. But later, because his heart wasn't devoted to the Lord, he was able to be swayed by the leaders of Jerusalem, who gave him some really bad advice and persuaded him to abandon the Lord completely.
This is the story for many people who grew up in or around Christian "religion," but never have a relationship with the Christ. We were swayed by the lie that everything was okay because we understood a few rituals and had followed some of the rules along the journey of our life. However, we had no real peace or joy; no One to turn to; and, we didn't have any idea of how much we are truly valued or loved by God. In my own personal experience I can say that I abandoned the Lord, wanting to have things my way. I got what I wanted...it wasn't pretty.
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12, 13)
To "believe in his name" (the name of Jesus) is to put faith in who Jesus IS (not just who He was in history). It is to personally trust that Jesus is who the Scriptures say He is and that He has the power and authority to do all that the Scriptures say He can do. It is the beginning of a relationship as one of God's children. And in this relationship, it's not all about rules and regulations and religiosity. In this relationship it's about love, integrity, honesty, and loyalty. And God has already made the first move.
Lord, help us not to get caught up in the ritual of worship. May we ever get caught up in You, and You alone.
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)
Kenny Sullivan
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