Monday, September 6: 2Kings 13-What faith-legacy am I leaving?

Each day I open the scriptures to see what God is saying. I read the chapter hopefully ingesting all of it into my life. Presently we are reading through Israel’s history and my hope is to gain a big picture view of God’s workings with His people. My desire is to implant the history of God’s people and God’s word into my life.

Secondly, I listen for what God seems to be saying to me as we sit together.

As I watch the history of Israel, and particularly the northern kingdom unfold, I am saddened by the repeated turning from the Lord. How sad it must have been for God to watch those He called into a special relationship repeatedly turn away and seek other gods. I wonder as a parent if I could keep on loving a child who repeatedly ‘spit in my face,’ cursed me and turned away from me. That folks is what idolatry is like to God. I do know if I would have the love and patience the Lord displayed.

As I listened for God’s voice to me personally, I sensed God asking me the question, “What faith-legacy am I leaving my children?” Over and over the kings of the north serve false gods. The sin of Jeroboam was being handed down generation after generation. Again in this chapter that sad reality is lived out two more times…

Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria … did evil in the eyes of the LORD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. (1-2). And eight verse later we read again, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he … did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them. (10-11).

I don’t know how many times I have read those similar phrases about all the northern kingdom kings. Not one of them served the Lord.  All of them followed the way of Jeroboam. How sad. And this refrain is a nagging reminder to me that if I let particular sins knowingly live in my life, if I say “O, they are no big deal…” then I, too, may be passing on to ‘my seed’ a sin-legacy rather than a faith-legacy. God forbid.

And so, again for the umpteenth time, I sit before the Lord, heart in hand, asking the Lord to search my life to see if and where I have allowed wickedness and sin to live and thrive within me…

Lord, that is my prayer… search me and root out from me sin that I allow and/or encourage in my life.  Lord, I know I fall short daily (hourly).  Yet, I desire to live in a manner that honors You as Lord, Savior, and Redeemer of my life. In and through Jesus, my Savior, I pray… Amen.