When all is going well, we pat ourselves on the back and arrogantly think “how blessed we are by God.”  When all is going downhill and the struggles overcome us, we think “why is God doing this to me.”  It is our human nature to flip from side to side but it is not necessarily righteous thinking in God’s view of abundant living.  A wind-tossed, flipping thought life is an exercise in futility and stunts our spiritual growth. Let’s grow forward!

It took me a few years of being a shallow thinking follower who used to often flip this script with God until God allowed struggles in monumental, temporary setbacks in life to bring me humbly to my knees in surrender to the God who is in all the details of our lives.  It is in the details of these circumstances that God goes to work in us, molding and shaping us, as He builds our faith resolve, teaches us that nothing escapes His notice, while showing us who He is—Sovereign.

God clearly shows us in miraculous ways that He has not left the building of where our soul is housed.  God is always at work—not to please us and give us all we want—but for us to realize the relentless love God has for us which He knows we need.  God’s compassion is as relentless as His love for us and along with His mercy. God shows up in glorious ways that we cannot deny! He is God—the One who never gives up on us.  God wants His best for us. When we surrender all to Him; He shows us the glory of His work in us that transforms us to be more like Him.  The more we realize the depth and breadth of His love the more we grow in our unconditional love for others as well as our relationship with God.

Love God. Love Each Other.  A revolution that has the power to transform our world!

We were made to worship God alone. We were created to trust and obey the One who knows us better than we know ourselves.  He calls us by name and knows how many hairs are on each one our heads! (Luke 12:7) He sees our hearts and knows what’s on our minds. Nothing is hidden from the One who made us and wants HIS best for us. 

If we have learned anything at all in our study of all the kings whose kingdoms came and went throughout history; we discover that “God looks over the earth for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” What God says, happens. What God promises will always be fulfilled.  When our hearts are committed to God; nothing holds us back in our pursuit of God. 

God fully supports and strengthens the kings whose hearts turned to God. We also learn that the committed seek God before doing anything of significance— “we must inquire of the Lord.”  They learn how God works and trust His ways.  Because of their devotion to God; committed kings begin to show His character traits of seeking justice, loving mercy, while walking humbly with God.  (Micah 6:8) Most of all they listened to God’s prophets with respectful, honoring faith in God. Then they immediately obeyed God—in all the details. If they did not; they would live with the consequences of their own decisions. Kings who defeated the enemies of God were fully committed to God.

How committed are we to God who gave us Jesus—our Deliverer, Savior, and Lord who God declared the King of kings and Lord of lords?  How fully committed is our heart for our King Jesus? Our belief and commitment will always be reflected in our behavior sooner or later when our lives are hard pressed. 

2 Kings 13

Jehoahaz King of Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. ² He 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. ³ So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.

⁴ 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. ⁵ 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. ⁶ But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria.

⁷ Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time.

⁸ As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁹ Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoash King of Israel

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. ¹¹ 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.

¹² As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ¹³ Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

¹⁴ Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

¹⁵ Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. ¹⁶ “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

¹⁷ “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

²⁰ Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. ²¹ Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

²² Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. ²³ But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

²⁴ Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. ²⁵ Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Under the domination of Syria, Israel became helpless. The Israelites lost the power to rule themselves and degraded their belief in God by corrupting their religion. That’s on them!  They refused to rid their land of all that was detestable to God—shrines and poles erected to worship other gods and accept the sinful ways of those gods!  Yet, when Jehoahaz prayed to God for the first time in 17 years, God listened.

“God’s compassions; they fail not.” Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us that God’s love, mercy, and tenderness are constant, unfailing, and renewed every morning.  It is NOT TOO LATE to flip the script of our being and doing!  Turn back to God who is ready to forgive and freely support us with enthusiasm!  His tender mercies and unending grace—all because of His relentless love—are waiting to be had, depended on and cherished! 

So, run to the Father, who is running after us with open arms to embrace us. In return embrace the grace He offers with a decidedly committed heart!  Be renewed and transformed daily by surrendering to Him in all the details of life. God loves the details of our lives! He loves being with us always! God even sings over us! (Zephaniah 3:17) You will be amazed daily by His loving, glorious works in all of us who are/were sinners saved by grace.  Yes, grace wins, every time! Don’t allow the enemy to confuse or distract us for this is Truth.

God always listens to a person who sincerely repents and returns to a life of obedience. God wants more than just an outward show of faith. He seeks true devotion.

Lord,

Thank you, Father, for these lessons that help us see the errors of our ways. Thank you, Jesus, for being the One who made a full pardon for our sins. Thank you, Holy Spirit for guiding us to all that is Truth. I’m yours. I surrender all. And I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen