2nd Kings chapter 1.
The king of Israel was injured and bedridden. He sought a false god to see if he would live rather than seek the God almighty. As a result the prophet told the king he would die and he did because he did not seek God almighty.
This passage reminds me of two things.
1. God does love us and wants to help us in our needs. Unfortunately we live in a world where we are consumed by all kinds of issue that come up regularly. As a result we are quick to seek other avenues for answers before we even think about talking to God. If we could just understand how much God loves us then we would be so quick in sharing every issue we have with him first so that he could direct the answer he wants.
2. God wants a relationship with us. I know this, but I don't always live like I believe it. Once again, it's easy to be captivated with the things of this world so that I find myself investing in things and people and not in the Lord. It's too easy to get distracted by things or people so that I don't invest in the relationship enough for it to develop and become stronger. To really have a developing relationship with God is to want to spend time with him in prayer and Bible reading. It's wanting to communicate with him throughout the day over everything. It's where I end up sharing everything with my best friend Jesus. So God help me love you more than anyone or anything. Help me develop a relationship with you so that you are number one in my life. And help me take everything to you in prayer.
The very strong message I got from this chapter is, if you seek false gods your fate will be death. If you don’t turn to God in life through prayer, worship, and thanksgiving you will not live. I can see two ways you will not live. One way is you will not truly fully live on Earth while living for false gods. Walking through life with priorities and distractions that are not faith based and serving the Lord will lead to a life not truly lived, but stuck in unhappiness, negativity, and no fulfillment. The second way, is if we spend our lives worshiping or consulting false gods, there will be no place for us in eternal life, the Kingdom of Heaven with God. At some point we have to decide who and what we want to worship and devote our time to. The king of Israel was gravely mistaken and it didn’t matter how many men he sent to get a different answer, it always was the same: because you have done this, consulted a false god, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. Certainly you will die!
I pray we all can remove the false gods in our lives that are causing us to stay where we are. That our message from God will be, rise up, walk beside me and live.
I thought today about how it was wise of the third captain to take a different approach when he went to Elijah after what had happened with the other ones during the first two attempts to have Elijah go to Ahaziah.
I was reminded of Proverbs 19:23-25.
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.”
I’m sharing four parodies by ApologetiX that fit with 2 Kings since we are beginning this new book today.
Elijah is a parody of Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys.
https://youtu.be/UAQ96Y_u50k
Taken Up is a parody of Shake It Up by the Cars.
https://youtu.be/mrKA6UwZvgg
(I Just) Died and Arose is a a parody of I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew.
https://youtu.be/b8GECMloZj0
Bad Case of Leprosy is a parody of Bad Case of Loving You by Robert Palmer.
https://youtu.be/WmojNNN4iz4