What do you do in the sight of the Lord?
Today’s Readings include 2 Kings 13–14, 2 Chronicles 25, Psalm 53, and Matthew 12
As I read through our readings for the day, I was reminded of the inherited influences left for me. Now there was no royalty involved or finances that could come close to this lifestyle, but I remember plenty of things that have impacted me throughout growing up and into my “adult” life. I wish I could say that everything growing up pointed to the Lord. That would not be true. In fact, there were many complicated things that I faced that were attached to sin. This would then impact the choices that I would make growing up. In today’s reading, Kingdoms were affected. In my world, parents, siblings, and friends were impacted by my selfish, prideful, and insecure self. It wasn’t until I started an authentic relationship with the Lord that some of these choices changed. I pray that I can stay away from slipping back into these same sinful decisions each day.
2 Kings 13-14
2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them.
In our reading today, we see Kings who followed the ways they were taught before they reigned. We read about Kings who decided to go against the Lord’s ways. ( Not a good idea.)
As a husband, father, sibling, and friend, I pray that I continue to live out and point to the Lord.
Psalm 53
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,[b]
who seek after God.
Lesson learned from previous Kings.
- Remembering that open defiance against God may bring temporary gain but will also bring conflict, fear, and ultimately painful defeat.
- We learn that it is in futility that we attempt to “recreate” worship of God in the way that we want to do it. This counterfeit worship only leads to destruction.
- Israel had many kings, but they were not the ultimate authority in Israel. Instead, God’s covenant word was the absolute authority.
Matthew 12
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”