Provoking God or Pleasing God
King Ahab of Israel was famous for being evil, and thus provoking God. (I Kings 16:30,33) I know it is not pleasant to think about provoking God, but it is necessary. If there is one thing we don't want to do, it is to make God mad at us and to provoke Him to be against us.
Ahab worshiped the idol Baal, and he led many other people to follow idols in various ways. He married Jezebel, a very wicked woman, who was also a follower of Baal. He sinned more than any king of Israel before him. This shows that he did not just do what others had done, but he went farther in his rebellion against God. All of these things are things which will definitely provoke God against us or against anyone who dares to take that path.
Of course, the opposite is also true. We can please God by doing His will and following His path. It pleases God when we marry a godly believer who will draw us closer to God. When we decide not to follow the crowd and do the things of this world, we are pleasing God. In fact, when we choose to do even better than our parents and predecessors, we are very pleasing to God. Instead of sending His anger against us, God will send blessings.
The choice is up to each of us. Will we provoke God or please God?
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 17-19.
Ahab worshiped the idol Baal, and he led many other people to follow idols in various ways. He married Jezebel, a very wicked woman, who was also a follower of Baal. He sinned more than any king of Israel before him. This shows that he did not just do what others had done, but he went farther in his rebellion against God. All of these things are things which will definitely provoke God against us or against anyone who dares to take that path.
Of course, the opposite is also true. We can please God by doing His will and following His path. It pleases God when we marry a godly believer who will draw us closer to God. When we decide not to follow the crowd and do the things of this world, we are pleasing God. In fact, when we choose to do even better than our parents and predecessors, we are very pleasing to God. Instead of sending His anger against us, God will send blessings.
The choice is up to each of us. Will we provoke God or please God?
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 17-19.