KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, July 06, 2018
Chapters: II Kings 14, II Chronicles 25
Message: God Will Not Be Mocked
Hello My Friend,
I watched a program that a woman calling herself a transgender, believing that she was created the wrong sex and had undergone surgery to make herself a man. The audience applauded her for being so brave. When have we become a society that praises those whom not only reject, but mocks God by insulting His very creation? I’ll tell you when, the second Eve bit into that piece of forbidden fruit. The devil has been finding ways since God created man to discredit Him, but one day God will get the vengeance. There use to be a time that when a person said they were a Christian that they were respected now, when you say you are a Christian you are persecuted for not believing those horrendous lies. Let me tell you, the world is in their glory right now, they think they have won this battle against God. However, they do not know God, but they will, and He will get His glory, and so will we who stand by Him. “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:” – II Thessalonians 1:7-8.
A relationship with God begins with Jesus Christ, if we know Him as our Saviour, He will transform us into His image as we walk with Him daily. The key to a lasting and strong relationship with God is more than just our faith in Him, it is having a perfect heart toward Him. When David was king he may have gotten into sin, but he never blamed God nor forsook Him when confronted about his sins, that was not always the case after he died. In fact, none of the kings of Israel, and very few of those in Judah had a perfect heart for God since David. In Judah, after Joash was killed, his son, Amaziah reigned, he walked with God, but not with a perfect heart, which meant his heart was not solely set upon Him. In the beginning he did very well as king, but he never really trusted Him completely, when facing a battle with Syria he literally paid Israel to bring their army to assist him in the battle, but that was not what God wanted, He did not want him turning to man for help, but Him.
“Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father. But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.” – II Chronicles 25:3-9.
“The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.” We think we have to fight our battles on our own, but Jesus is with us, and He will help us. Sure, He even wants us to fight our battles on His terms, after all, He does know the best way to handle a situation, if we trust Him and do as He asks we will get much more than we could ever imagine. And we do not ridicule those who go against God, but we do not have to agree or live with them. In fact, God commands that we not be yoked together with them. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – II Corinthians 6:14-16.
“and they shall be my people.” Do not think that God will be mocked by those who take advantage of His good graces or turn away from Him at the drop of a hat. We who are saved may be His people, but He will judge those who do not have a perfect heart for Him. Jesus said it best when He described how man responds to the Word of God, which is like a seed, we being the soil that it is planted in, there are those who have not been planted in soil at all, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.” – Matthew 13:9. Amaziah may have appeared to be a Godly on the surface, but since he did not have a perfect heart for him it was easy for the devil to manipulate him. Now, after Amaziah’s victory over Edom he made a grave decision that would be the death of him, he saw the idols in Edom, took them, and began to worship them. Not only did Amaziah lose sight of God, he also got filled with pride, so much so that he thought he could take on any nation, including Israel, he sent for Jehoash and a civil war broke out, and lost his life.
“Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face. So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.” – II Chronicles 25:14-17,21-23.
“that he brought the gods of the children of Seir,” What possessed Amaziah to even looked at these and grab them is beyond question, but since his heart was not perfect with God it was easy for the devil to entice him with these false gods. By then he was too arrogant to face the Almighty for confronting him about it, and therefore, lost his life because he would not put away the false gods. God is so merciful that He gives all an opportunity to repent and turn away from the false gods and turn to Him, but mercy has a time limit for the lost, if He sees no sight of repentance it will run out. And, in case you wondered if the saved can turn from Him and lose their salvation, they cannot. However, mercy only goes so far for them as well, He will save that soul from hell, but He will not stop that body from any judgment it will receive unless it repents. Jesus knows the life we are living after we are saved, and He will call those out whom are living wickedly. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” – Revelation 2:4-5.
God truly does everything He can to get us to give our entire heart to Him, the trials, the afflictions, the joys, and even the tears are placed before us so that we are the best that we can be through His power. Although most of Israel revolted from God, they were still His people and He still loved them just as much as He loves all His people. He tried time and time again to get the current king to listen to Him, once in a while He was able to do that, such as the case with Jeroboam.
“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher. For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.” – II Kings 14:23-27.
“For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel,” Israel represents God’s people who are in the world, Judah represents God’s people in His church, how corrupt must it have been in Judah that God helped Israel and not them? God saw the affliction of Israel, it grieved His heart to see their state and how they just ignored Him. As much as we like to believe that God picks and chooses those He wants to be saved before they are even born, the truth is He rather see everyone saved. Does He know who will get saved? Yes, of course He does, but He never messes with anyone’s freewill, we all have a choice. Sadly, many will reject Him, their hearts will be turned away, and when the do finally believe it will be too late. “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” – Luke 13:25-27.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.” – II Kings 14:26.
Today’s Prayer: God, As much as I love You, I know that my flesh is weak and has a way of desiring things that could give me a less than perfect heart for You. I want to live all my days here on earth with You in it, following You through every challenge, trusting You to lead me through every battle, and listening for everything You have to say to me. Lord, give me Your power, wisdom, mercy, and grace, strengthen my heart, make it perfect for You. Let me not become too boastful or forget to acknowledge that You are the source to every blessing and talent I receive, and let me not get caught up in the cares of the world, only looking forward to the amazing life I will have when I see Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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