Corona Devo 991

Running low on "good things" today? 

Doesn't it (sometimes) seem like/trend like/read like/tweet like/water-cooler-chat or backyard-fence-visit like/intimidate like/depress like...there are no good things in the land?.

I know.

It's no secret that many have abandoned the Law of the Lord, and at times, that's us.  

It is evident all around us that people have followed each other in this sin. 

When we look around...or when we live our days...we can wonder: Are there any good things left in the land?

There are still some good things in the land...and no matter how bleak we feel the "forecast" for today is...there will always be some good things in the land, because God is in the land.  

The Bible reminds us of that today. 

~~~

The Israelites (and their king, Rehoboam) were God's people, but like all of us at times/seasons of our lives...they wandered from Lord and His ways.  They relaxed in their allegiance to the Lord, and then they pretty much abandoned the Almighty altogether.  

We might want to shake our heads in criticism or condescension...WE would never wander that far from the Lord.

But...get real!  We have, and we do.  And that just won't do when it comes to the faithfulness that the Lord desires...

And so, there were consequences for the Israelites when they abandoned God for other "gods".  There has to be, if God is Who He says He is.

And there are consequences for us when we abandon God for other "gods" too.

The nice (and role-model-type-behavior) part about the Israelites and their king (in this account) was that they admitted their wandering from the Lord.  

God was displeased with them and gave a consequence, and they were wise enough to agree with it, and humble enough to accept it.  There were still some good things in the land of Judah (2 Chronicles 1:12), and God's people were some of them!

Here's how it went down:

Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign. (3) He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and a countless army of foot soldiers...  (4) Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.  

(5) The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”  

(6) Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!”  

(7) When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. (8) But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”  

(9) So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. (10) King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes..

(12) Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. 

There were still some good things in the land of Judah.  ~2 Chronicles 12:2-10, 12

~~~~

I see the correlation directly.  We know each "part".  Indeed, we have lived them. 

The abandoning God for other desires/"gods"/my self  part.

The living outside of His will part.

The discipline of God part.  (Not a discipline out of anger or tyranny, but the discipline of a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to say, "Enough".)

The humility part.  (Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!”  ~2 Chronicles 12:2)  If and when we choose to enter into this part, it changes everything.  Our trajectory goes from "our plan" to "God's plan", and God's plan has good things for us.  But we will have to humble ourselves and have a change of heart to reach those good things of God.

The mercy part--wen God did not give them (in full) what they had coming to them.  When we catch a glimpse of the extravagance of God's love through this (mercy) part...it can (and should) level us.  We deserve to be completely destroyed because of our sin and unfaithfulness to God...and yet--- I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief (2 Chronicles 12:7). 

The good things part.

I'm not sure why we have to go through the whole chronology of events and parts to get to the good things part, and how I wish and strive to skip the abandoning God part, which starts the cycle...

But people are people.  

Today, just as in the Old Testament of the Bible---we abandon God, we live outside of His will, we experience His (Godly) discipline, and if we will humble ourselves before Him and His authority over our lives....the Lord’s anger can turn away.  

Our story and it's parts are the same as the Israelites.  

And the best part?

The ending: There were still some good things in the land of Judah (2 Chronicles 1:12).

~~~

Running low on "good things" today? 

That's understandable, even unavoidable sometimes and some days.

But don't give up on God.  He never gives up on us.  There are still some good things in the land (2 Chronicles 1:12), even if we can see them at the moment or read about them in the news, or feel them in our hearts.  

There are still some good things in the land... (2 Chronicles 1:12), because God is in the land.  

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.  ~Isaiah 40:31

No matter what "part" of the process we are in today, remember and be revived in the truth that even if we are feeling 'bad", There ARE still some good things in the land... (2 Chronicles 1:12).  We (as God's children) are some of them.

That's my favorite part.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com