“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”
― Thomas Merton
2 CHRONICLES 23-25
17After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
20Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ”
21But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”(24:17-22)JOHN 16:16-33
25“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
JOURNAL
You see it time and time again in the Bible. A king will serve God and seek to obey him and then he will have success and abandon his pursuit of God. As a result he will lose the protection and power of God which is what made him successful and will either be killed or will lose his position.
It happens over and over and over and I see it in this world and I also see it in myself. I seek God after the failures of going my own way. Things get better and I begin to have success. I in turn abandon the practice of reading, praying and truly seeking him. Things begin to fall apart so I return back to seeking him.
Why stop? Why not seek God in obedience every moment of my life? Because it is not always sunshine and rainbows. To follow God completely means to also go against the flow. It means to sacrifice and miss out on things that are more pleasing in the moment. Just as Joash listened to officials of Judah. He listened to people who were not following God, he allowed himself to be influenced and in turn killed the son of the advisor who had saved his life and had actually put him on the throne. How can this happen?
It happens slowly...not all at once. Once a man begins to compromise, begins to slowly depart from the wisdom of God and slowly begins to seek the company of those who don't worship God...before long his heart is hardened and he will be considering actions he would never have contemplated before.
Life is lived in the here and now...every day, every moment must be spent in obedience to God and seeking him for wisdom and power and direction. Every day there is a choice to be made, every day either affirms devotion to God or affirms devotion to evil.
It happens over and over and over and I see it in this world and I also see it in myself. I seek God after the failures of going my own way. Things get better and I begin to have success. I in turn abandon the practice of reading, praying and truly seeking him. Things begin to fall apart so I return back to seeking him.
Why stop? Why not seek God in obedience every moment of my life? Because it is not always sunshine and rainbows. To follow God completely means to also go against the flow. It means to sacrifice and miss out on things that are more pleasing in the moment. Just as Joash listened to officials of Judah. He listened to people who were not following God, he allowed himself to be influenced and in turn killed the son of the advisor who had saved his life and had actually put him on the throne. How can this happen?
It happens slowly...not all at once. Once a man begins to compromise, begins to slowly depart from the wisdom of God and slowly begins to seek the company of those who don't worship God...before long his heart is hardened and he will be considering actions he would never have contemplated before.
Life is lived in the here and now...every day, every moment must be spent in obedience to God and seeking him for wisdom and power and direction. Every day there is a choice to be made, every day either affirms devotion to God or affirms devotion to evil.
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