Saturday, March 12: 2Chronicles 13- doing the things of faith because you have faith

I found myself pausing after verse 12 and pondering what I had just read, particularly verses 10-12. Abijah, King of Judah, contrasting his religious routine with that of Jeroboam, King of Israel, who had set up his own priests and altar and god. "As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."

I found myself wondering, “Did Abijah have a form of godliness without its power (2Tim 3:5) or was it real”?

My wondering about Abijah is a wondering we should ask ourselves with some regularity. It is all too easy to perform the rituals of our faith faultlessly, while at the same time loosing the heart of our faith. As Paul says to Timothy, we can have the “form” of faith without the “substance.” Or to put it another way, we can do the things of faith and yet not have an abiding relationship with the Lord.

My wonderings about Abijah were answered shortly after I began reading the text again. Verse 18: The men of Israel were subdued on that occasion, and the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. The word ‘relied’ connects the rituals performed with true trust and faith. Abijah was not putting on a religious show, maintaining the sacrifices and requirements of the Temple, he was living out his faith in the Lord. Those offerings were a demonstration of his reliance on the Lord.

Back to our lives… what does your scrutiny of your life show you about the substance of your faith? Are you reading your Bible, attending Bible study, worshipping weekly, praying daily, serving those in need, etc. out of love for the Lord or are they for show? Are you doing the things of faith because you have faith? Think about it… I am.

I pray, Lord God, that You fill me with the knowledge of Your will. Also, that the Father will strengthen me for the day(s) to come, that Holy Spirit will give me the ability to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is Jesus’ love for me and that I will know Your love in the deepest places of my heart. I pray this so that I will live a life worthy of You, Lord;  that I will please God in all I say and do; and that I may know the Lord better every day and live more faithfully as I grow closer and closer to Jesus…Amen.