Bible Verse: “In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.” (1 Kings 22:43)
Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 22:41-50
The Book of the Kings (spread over two books, 1st and 2nd Kings, in our modern Bibles) records the ups and downs of the young kingdom of Israel. It is filled with mountainous heights of faith-filled action, like the new king Solomon asking for wisdom to lead the nation in a way that honors God, or the nearly unhinged boldness of Elijah challenging and defeating the prophets of Ba’al.
But it also scrapes the valley floor. The same king who asked for wisdom to lead the people to honor God is led astray by the idolatrous leanings of his many wives and concubines. The man who called down fire from Heaven, heard the voices of the people praising God, and was a conduit for God’s power, spiraled into a deep depression and wanted to end his life.
The point is that Kings is a chronicle (pun slightly intended) of real human experience. It follows the reigns of good and bad kings (mostly bad) and good prophets who struggled with the reality that life is not always the rosy experience we wish it were.
Being men of God is not easy, ever. We are constantly barraged by our fallen nature and bruised by the fallen natures of others in our lives. We soar, and we crash, and the grace of God picks us up, dusts us off, and sets us back on His path.
No matter how our paths twist throughout our days, it is the end of our story that creates the lens through which we can evaluate our lives. When our days are recorded, will we read, “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,” or “He did good in the eyes of the Lord”?
Prayer: God, thank You that I am not alone on this journey of following You. Thank You that there are many who have gone before who have struggled and stumbled, but still soared to faithful heights. Help me to be a man after Your own heart. Amen.
Reflection: What habit can you develop to strengthen your relationship with God?
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