As I read these chapters today, I couldn't help but think about what day it is.
It's the Fourth of July.
A day when we celebrate the freedoms that were fought for by generations before us.
And while I'm grateful for that freedom, these chapters reminded me of another kind of freedom.
The freedom to choose.
There's a lot happening in 1 Kings 14 and 15.
Jeroboam's family begins to fall because of his rebellion. Rehoboam continues leading Judah down a dangerous path. Egypt invades Jerusalem, and the gold shields Solomon once made are replaced with bronze ones. Then Asa becomes king, and instead of simply accepting the spiritual condition he inherited, he begins tearing down idols and leading the people back to God.
As I read it, one thought kept coming back to me. Every generation has a choice. One generation can leave behind faithfulness.
Another can leave behind compromise. But every generation still has to decide who they will serve.
Asa could have looked around and said, This is just how we've always done things. Instead, he chose obedience.
Sometimes we confuse tradition with faithfulness. There are traditions worth holding onto because they're rooted in God's Word. But there are other things we've just inherited from the people before us like mindsets, fears, preferences, ways of doing church, even family patterns that were never God's design in the first place.
Following Jesus has always required us to ask one question, Is this God's way or is this just the way it's always been?
Asa chose to follow God, even when it meant removing things people had grown comfortable with. It wasn't easy. It wasn't popular. But Scripture doesn't remember him because he preserved tradition. It remembers him because Asa's heart was fully devoted to the Lord.
I love that. That's what God has always been after. Not perfect people. Not people who just repeat what the generation before them did. But people whose hearts are fully His.
Today, as we celebrate the freedom we have as a nation, I'm also thanking God for the freedom we have in Christ.
The freedom to break unhealthy patterns.
The freedom to leave compromise behind.
The freedom to choose obedience, even when it looks different from those who came before us.
Maybe your family didn't leave you a legacy of faith. Maybe your church experience left you with traditions that need to be examined in light of Scripture. Maybe you're the first one to truly follow Jesus with your whole heart. Then be the one who starts something different. Be the generation that doesn't just pass down traditions. Pass down a life that is fully devoted to Christ.
Every generation has a choice.
What will we choose?
Love Pastor Mandy
Ark of Hope Ministry
Daily reading 1 Kings 14-15
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