The Godly Kings of JudahSample

Reviving Obedience

When we talk about obedience, I immediately think about the first word my children spoke: NO! As they developed their vocabulary, it didn’t matter what the question was; no was the most frequent answer. I could count on their initial response as a no when trying to steer them to obey. But soon, they learned it was better to say yes and be obedient rather than risk the consequences for their behavior.

The older I get, the consequences of not being obedient scare me to death! As we read about the kings of Judah, we discover that so many of them didn’t follow through with their whole hearts. It is easy to look at their lives and point a finger as to why. Many obeyed God, but only half-heartedly. They still kept the high places of idol worship, and that decision became a snare to the nation they were leading. This happened as they acquired more wealth and success; they became dependent on their resources rather than God.

This was true of King Asa: “The high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days” (1 Kings 15:14). God, in His mercy, still notes that Asa’s heart was with Him. But not removing the high places had implications for generations to come.

We can be stubborn, just like King Asa, with habits we’ve erected and justified, thinking they won’t hurt anything or anybody. High places. We all have them. And just as God asked Judah and Israel to tear them down, He asks us to do the same. He has one reason—so we can experience revival in our soul and worship Him alone. Revival keeps us soft and tender to the voice of Jesus and brings peace. Revival brings healing to our relationships and changes the landscape of generations.

Reflection: What if we work hard to go further in obedience to God, so generations watching and following don’t become trapped by our high places?