2 Chronicles 11:4,5
‘This is what the LORD says: “You shall not go up nor fight against your relatives; return, every man, to his house, for this event is from Me.” So, they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam. Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah.’
I would imagine that the king’s ego is still bruised, and he is spoiling for a fight. I’m sure he feels he has failed as king and wants to restore the kingdom. The prophet shares today’s verse with him. He listens and obeys.
This is a positive for the king. He is obeying the Lord. I don’t think this will be his life pattern, but we’ll take this an event at a time.
The king grew up privileged. Endless wealth and opportunities. He probably thought reigning as king would be simple. Then the shock of reality hit. He’s learning that he bears great responsibility. It’s not as easy as in his early years. My daughter refers to this experience as adulting. Things are bigger and the responsibility is greater.
The lesson here is to look to the Lord and obey. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” To fear God means we respect Him and listen to His words. The king is doing so.
This circumstance has God speaking to him. What do we do if we come across a decision and don’t know what to do? We seek Him. That means we pray, read His Word and wait, if we don’t have an answer.
The first action is to pray. John 16:24 says, “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” God wants us to ask. I can recall a friend say that he didn’t think God wanted to be bothered, but that we should be self-sufficient. There’s a little truth to that, but much error as well. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God would prefer us to be in constant communication; always praying.
The next step to fearing God is to read and obey the Bible. This is much more than being familiar with a book. It does tell us how to live. God was merciful to us in giving us ten negative commands. This opens the rest to us. It’s quite freeing.
The bible is more than a text to read in that it is God’s Word and it’s alive (Hebrews 4:12). The parable of the sower explains it. As we read and hear His Word it’s planted in our hearts, and it grows. If we respond to it (obey) there is growth, if we ignore it or disobey, it dies.
These are personal connections God makes with us in our hearts. This is where Christianity is different than other religions. God wants to interact with us. He makes particular passages come alive and He ministers to our hurts or challenges us with growth. If we listen and obey, we grow, if we ignore our connection with God lessens.
When we obey our connection with God gets closer and our fellowship sweeter. I can sense Him. He has delivered me from so many trials. I have come to trust in His Word. I’ve also disobeyed or ignore His prompts. There is a decay. Psalm 32:3 says, “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.” It’s not pleasant.
What causes me pause is a lack of understanding. It used to cause me to fear. I’ve since learned that God is good and that I can trust Him. When at that point I toss up a prayer and ask God for peace and clarification. I do what I can and try to ignore my worries. A verse that brought much comfort is Mark 9:24. Jesus is speaking about what happens to those that believe. ‘Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”’
Thank You, Lord, for working with us. Help us to believe. Thank You for working in our lives and predetermining our circumstances. Help us to walk in Your ways.