Abiding in the Lord - II Chronicles 23-24 and John 15
We are bad about neglecting our relationship with the Lord. If we do not make our relationship with God the priority of our lives, we will drift away from God. That is why the Bible tells us to "abide" in Him. Living should be a constant knowledge of God's presence and a constant dependence upon Him.
When Joash became the king, he was only seven years old. He depended on the priest, Jehoiada, for guidance, and he followed the Lord for many years. His main focus seemed to be restoring the physical beauty of the Temple and its utensils. Then, when Jehoiada died, Joash listened to his worldly counselors, and he departed from the Lord. The reason is not stated in the Bible, but it could have been a lack of abiding in the Lord. He could have depended on Jehoiada, and focused on the physical outward things, and neglected his relationship with God. That is the downfall of many people. I have seen it in church over and over. People replaced the Lord with other good things. They depend on the pastor, instead of having a close relationship with the Lord themselves.
John 15 is the classic passage on abiding in the Lord. If we don't abide in Him, we can do nothing. That is a radical statement, but it is true. Anything less than abiding in Him and His Word does not bring joy and fulfillment. How is your joy? It is a gage of your abiding. When we abide in the Lord, there is much joy. Even in the story of Joash, there was much joy when they were focusing on the Lord and the covenant. If we do not have joy, we need to start abiding in Him. That means we need to be still and talk to God in prayer. We need to read His Word and meditate on it. We need to do what He tells us. Then, we are abiding, and joy is a by-product. I pray that each of us will have the joy of the Lord in our lives.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 25-27 and John16.
When Joash became the king, he was only seven years old. He depended on the priest, Jehoiada, for guidance, and he followed the Lord for many years. His main focus seemed to be restoring the physical beauty of the Temple and its utensils. Then, when Jehoiada died, Joash listened to his worldly counselors, and he departed from the Lord. The reason is not stated in the Bible, but it could have been a lack of abiding in the Lord. He could have depended on Jehoiada, and focused on the physical outward things, and neglected his relationship with God. That is the downfall of many people. I have seen it in church over and over. People replaced the Lord with other good things. They depend on the pastor, instead of having a close relationship with the Lord themselves.
John 15 is the classic passage on abiding in the Lord. If we don't abide in Him, we can do nothing. That is a radical statement, but it is true. Anything less than abiding in Him and His Word does not bring joy and fulfillment. How is your joy? It is a gage of your abiding. When we abide in the Lord, there is much joy. Even in the story of Joash, there was much joy when they were focusing on the Lord and the covenant. If we do not have joy, we need to start abiding in Him. That means we need to be still and talk to God in prayer. We need to read His Word and meditate on it. We need to do what He tells us. Then, we are abiding, and joy is a by-product. I pray that each of us will have the joy of the Lord in our lives.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 25-27 and John16.