The life without God

"And he burned the house of the LORD, and the house of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and burned up every house of noble consequence : and all the host of the Chaldeans destroyed the walls which were round about Jerusalem : Nebuzaradan, of the guards deported the rest of the people." 2 Kings 25.9-11

At the dedication of the Temple, the presence of God was so sensitive that the priests "could not remain there." Everything seemed perfect. The nation was at peace. The borders were secure and the people lived in abundance. After several days of festivities, "they went to their tents ... the contented heart". They had every reason to rejoice. God was in the midst of them (1 Kings 8).

Today, God places us before a choice.

However, three hundred years later, everything had changed. The kingdom of the North had been wiped off the map. Then the Babylonians had seized the southern kingdom, Judah. Jerusalem had been burnt down, its walls were destroyed, and its inhabitants deported. What had happened ?

The answer is found in this last chapter of 2 Kings. Apart from the references to "the house of the Lord," God is no longer mentioned. He was no longer part of their lives.

Little by little, the Israelites had forgotten God and his Word. They had rejected his commandments. In each generation, they were a little more contaminated by the surrounding nations, going so far as to adopt their gods. The result was fear and chaos, disorder and defeat.

How easily can we resemble these Israelites ! Living in compromise. Let us attract by the success and power of the world. Forget the word of God.

Today, God places us before a choice. If we obey him, serve him, consecrate our lives to his kingdom, he offers us the kind of blessings he had granted to Israel in the time of Solomon. But if we forget him, turn away from him, reject his ways, disobey his Word and follow the world, we will discover what life may be like without him.

Let the experience of the Israelites serve you as a lesson. Put God in the center of your life and keep it there.

A prayer for today

Father, you are more important to me than anything else in the world. I want to look for your kingdom first. I dedicate my life to you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

John Roos

Source (The Thought of the Day)