Day 197: The Point?

1 Corinthians 16; 2 Kings 12-13; Micah 3

Paul's final instructions in 1 Corinthians are "keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong. Show love in everything you do." These are a wonderful, encouraging words! Very simple instructions for how to live life from a man who knew how to live for The Lord.          
          
The Old Testament seems so bleak sometimes. It is simply ruler after ruler failing to follow The Lord, either completely or just a little. Every once in a while there is a leader that does good, but not good enough. It is easy for this to to depress me--when are they going to get their act together?! Or, I can look at those who do please The Lord and try to follow their example. The point of all this, I suppose, is that despite the failures of the homo-sapiens, God still loves, still has a plan of redemption for his people.

Also in Kings, there is a ruler who disobeys The Lord. But when he is under great duress and pressure, he prays to God for relief. He remembered The Lord in the difficult times, but not when times were good. What is amazing is that despite how this man had treated The Lord, God still answered his prayer and brought relief! How great is the love of God! Let's get in the habit of lifting up prayers both in the good times and the bad.

But, today we also read from Micah that "someday you will beg The Lord to help you, but he will turn away because of your sins." If we don't try to serve The Lord with all our hearts and turn from our sins and stop praying only when we need something, it says that God will eventually stop listening. The Lord wants our every day, he wants our hearts, our devotion. We were made for him. He wasn't made for us, to just take out of our pockets when we need them. Let's start devoting our lives to him; he deserves it!