2 Chronicles 251-2 - Amaziah was twenty-five years old when
he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's
name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD,
but not wholeheartedly.
Joash’s son Amaziah became king after his father’s death. He
avenged his father’s murderers and organized the army….even hiring extra men
from Israel to fight with him. But God
sent a prophet to warn him that he would not go fight with him if he took the
Israelites. Amaziah complained about all the money he paid them…but told them
to go home…and sulked over his losses.
His halfhearted love for God did not register the wrong in
bringing back some of the foreign idols as spoils of the war. Their influence caused him to ignore God’s
warning that they were sinful….and he ended up a prisoner …held captive the
rest of his life after he lost his next battle to the king of Israel.
The prophet Hosea warned against being a halfhearted
follower of God in Hosea 7. He called
the Israelites …flat cakes…not turned over…half-baked and useless. Three men turned away from following Jesus in
Luke 9:57-62…when he explained the high cost of leaving everything…even family
to follow him to the cross. John heard
in his vision...and recorded in Revelation 3:15-16 the warning to never be
lukewarm…. “ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor
hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor
cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
I can’t say that I have sold out completely to God.... and I
am sitting here...pondering just how vulnerable I am to satan attacks because
of my half-hearted effort to please him. God sees straight into my heart and
knows the motivation for everything act of kindness I have ever done. He has looked over my shoulder and watched me
write each tithe check or offering…he has used his supernatural vision and
hearing to eavesdrop on every conversation I have cut short cause I was busy. I
had better be more careful…and aware of my own heart when I do things…cause I
sure don’t want to be spit out....I know I could never have made it without God
holding my hand.
Father…thank you for reminding me that I must not let my
heart become even the slightest bit cold.
I need you to add some fuel to the fire that burns in my soul…so it never
gets lukewarm. Cook me perfect on one side…then
flip me over and continue to cook me tilI am ready for you to use. Show me how to leave the worldly things that
will not help me be a better child of yours behind…and follow you like the
disciples did so long ago. Amen.
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