Corona Devo 1053

Have we gone too far?

In our pride, in our making-a-point, in our grudge, in our discipline, in our treatment of someone?

We may have (even) started off justified, but somewhere along the way our intentions turned, or we got caught-up in the momentum, and...it got out of hand.

Maybe we haven't even noticed that we've gone too far.  (I hadn't.)    

But then as I read a Bible passage today about some people who took things too far, God convicted my heart and "told" me to change the names and the "acts-of-excess"... and to review my own life and treatment of others.

Not sure if this teaching applies to you as well, but join me and see.

In 2 Chronicles Chapter 28, there was a king (Ahaz) who was not walking in the ways of the Lord.  In fact, he was blatantly doing and worshiping things that opposed God.  Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army.  ~2 Chronicles 28:5

So, God allowed Ahaz to be defeated.  It was God's doing, but he used men and their armies to carry it out.  The problem was...these men and armies went too far.  Somewhere within the battle, their intentions turned, they got caught-up in the momentum, and...it got out of hand.  For instance:

  • In a single day... Israel’s king (the enemy of Ahaz), killed 120,000 of Judah’s troops...
  • (7) Then Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son; Azrikam, the king’s palace commander; and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command. 
  • (8) The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria.  

We might be thinking...we have never killed 120,000 people, or purposely killed a king’s son/a king’s palace commander/and a king’s second-in-command, let alone all in one battle.  We have never captured 200,000 women and children or seized tremendous amounts of plunder and taken it all home.

Or have we?

Let the Word of God rake over the coals of our hearts.  Let God sift through our internal sands and intentions.  

I have gossiped about people, capturing their reputation or even killing it for a period.  I've hurt others, and in doing so...I've hurt God.

I have influenced others to "see my side", or blatantly coerced people to take-my-side, at the cost of others and their endeavors, which are just as valuable as mine.  

I have succeeded in winning support, praise, sympathy or plunder...all as a result of God-less intentions.  

Have we gone too far?  If God is convicting our hearts today, let Him speak.

But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed. (10) And now you are planning to make slaves of these people from Judah and Jerusalem. What about your own sins against the Lord your God? (11) Listen to me and return these prisoners you have taken...  ~2 Chronicles 28:9-11

I don't know about you...but this part got me: "What about your own sins against the Lord your God" (2 Chronicles 28:10).

We can start off "righteous" and get side-tracked into "unrighteousness".  It happened to the armies in the Bible passage today, and it happens to us. 

We might have gone too far, but we can come back to Jesus and change course today.

Then some of the leaders of Israel—Azariah..., Berekiah..., Jehizkiah..., and Amasa...—agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle. (13)“You must not bring the prisoners here!” they declared. “We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the Lord’s fierce anger is already turned against Israel.”  

(14) So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people. (15) Then the four men just mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own people in Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria.  ~2 Chronicles 28:12-15

~~~

We have God's Word in front of us.  If we have gone too far, may we agree with this and confront ourselves.

If we are serious about living-for-the-Lord, We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. 

Are we "holding anyone prisoner" today--in attitude, silence, deception or other?  Release the prisoners in our lives today.

Have we taken anything that is not rightfully ours?  Power, status, image, items, credit?  May we humble ourselves before the Lord today and hand over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people. 

Lord, help us to right-our-wrongs today, and to correct the (spiritual/physical/emotional) areas where we have gone-too-far.  Help us to modernize and internalize these acts-of-reconciliation (providing clothing/feeding/dressing wounds/providing assistance and taking "prisoners" back home)...and to put them into action.  It begins with a heart-change, and You have our attention.  We love You, Amen. 


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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