Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD’s favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before (4-5).
‘Good enough for times of trouble,’ that’s the thought that crossed my mind as I read these sentences. The Lord is good enough to call out to in times of trouble, but once the crisis passes (because the Lord helps you) you return to you old ways. This almost sounds like the times of the Judges.
The northern kingdom of Israel never learned her lesson. She never was able to get out from the error Jeroboam laid upon her when he set up a rival priesthood. Even though the Lord kept calling out to Israel, sending the prophets Elijah and Elisha, Israel never turned away from her idolatrous ways.
I find it curious that Jehoahaz turns to the Lord when everything else fails him, but apparently he only wants an escape from the present pressure. He is not willing to begin serving the Lord.
I see this in contemporary life as well. In a time of national crisis, 9/11 for example, church attendance swells. However, as the weeks and months go by and life returns to normal, people return to their old habits and church attendance returns to what it was before the crisis.
Similar things happen on a personal level. A family crisis occurs, cancer, finance, etc.,and people reach out to the church prayer chain or show up in worship. But, again, when the crisis passes the old ways return. God is the great fixer but the idea of truly worshipping Him rarely enters the picture.
Now of course there are exceptions but in the main, this scenario proves true over and over again.
Even believers are susceptible to ‘increased devotion’ during times of crisis, which does not last after the crisis abates.
God is pressing me this morning to look at my own life. Do I do these things? Do I treat the Lord as a ‘fixer’ or ‘blessing back’ someone I turn to when I need a blessing but the rest of my time God is somewhere relegated to the back of my mind?
Lord, I don’t think this is the case, but I don’t want to be too presumptuous… Search me, show me, reveal to me any places or situations where I treat You less than Your Sovereign Majesty deserves.
Lord, I love You. Direct my ways that I might serve You effectively. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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