I Kings Chapter 21
King Ahab wanted a vineyard from Naboth so much that when Naboth told him NO he cried like a baby. Jezebel his wife, who is very evil, intervened and had Naboth killed so that King Ahab could go down and take Naboth's land. But God spoke through the prophet Elijah saying to King Ahab that he and his wife both would die and be eaten by dogs. King Ahab humbled himself before the Lord and God took his wrath away from him and said that his wrath would come on King Ahab's sons instead. King Ahab and Jezebel were both evil because of their pursuit for false gods.
Jezebel was just plain evil and both her and King Ahab pursued false gods and had no godly value system. It was all about power and lies and deception. Often times, people without the Lord have no value system. They feel free to live however they want. They justify sin because they don't perceive their actions as sin. They feel basically survival of the fittest and leave out love, truth, kindness and Justice. Life is all about self and not the other person.
That's our political world today. That's our cities where killings occur every day. We are prone to selfishness and we need the Lord to set us free. King Ahab seem to get a glimpse of understanding when his life was on the line and God recognized that and had mercy on him. Sometimes it takes a near-death experience before some people surrender their lives to the Lord. Let's not wait for that. Let's surrender everything to the Lord now and hopefully commit to live for him 100%. Let us love others before ourselves putting others before self now by having and living God's truth!
Two of God’s truths in today’s readings touch my heart this morning:
– No matter what we have done, it is never too late to humble ourselves, turn to God and ask for forgiveness. Ahab is our example.
– No matter how long it is, it is our responsibility to stay filled with Word and the Holy Spirit and to be available when the Lord calls us to service. Elijah waited 6 years before the Lord sent him again with a message to Ahab. The Lord takes us through different seasons. It’s all in His timing.
As I read about Ahab and Jezebel, I thought about how selfish they both were without seeming to have any concern about others.
I would like to share today from James 3:13-18.
“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”