It Doesn't Take Everyone

It Doesn't Take Everyone...OK hold on and let me explain because I struggled with this too. But it's true.

    Sometimes I look around at the world and my heart breaks. I see confusion where there used to be conviction. Compromise where there used to be courage. People calling good evil and evil good. Churches afraid to preach the whole Gospel. People walking away from the faith. Families falling apart. And there are days where I wonder, Lord, where are we headed.

   When I started 2 Kings 10–11this morning I realized they probably asked the same question back then. A nation that once knew God had become so divided. Corrupt leaders were on the throne. Idolatry had become normal. Truth was unpopular. People had grown comfortable with compromise. And those who remained faithful were becoming fewer and fewer.

                           Sound familiar?

    God kept drawing my attention to the people nobody was talking about.

One woman.

One priest.

One little boy.

    While everyone else was focused on the throne God was focused on the remnant. While evil was making headlines, faithfulness was quietly being lived out behind the scenes.

One woman hid Joash.

One priest protected God's promise.

   For six years, they stayed hidden and faithful.

   We spend so much time talking about how dark the world has become. But darkness has never stopped God before. In fact, throughout Scripture, some of God's greatest moves happened when things looked their darkest.

Israel was enslaved in Egypt and God raised up Moses.

The nation drifted from Him and God raised up prophets.

The cross looked like defeat but three days later, the tomb was empty.

    God has never been afraid of the dark.

 And He's looking for people who are willing to be faithful to him even in the dark times.

   Yes, I believe we are living in difficult days.

The Bible tells us not to be surprised by that. But I also believe with everything in me that God is still changing hearts. I've seen Him do it. I've seen marriages restored. I've seen addictions broken. I've seen bitterness replaced with forgiveness. I've watched Him change my own heart in ways I never thought possible.

     I don't believe our hope is in politics. Or culture. Or whoever sits on a throne. My hope has never been in the White House. It's always been in the empty tomb.

    Revival won't begin because everyone suddenly decides to follow Jesus. It begins the same way it did in 2 Kings.

                            With a remnant.

   With ordinary people who quietly refuse to compromise. With people who pray when no one is watching. With people who love God's Word. With people who choose obedience over popularity.

                  Before the nation changed,

               A few people quietly obeyed God.

     I believe that's still how God works today.

Because history has shown us that God has always done extraordinary things through a faithful few.

"Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people that they would be the Lord's people." — 2 Kings 11:17 (NLT)

   So it's not about How do we save this nation.

 It's Lord, let revival begin with me. Change my heart and let my faithfulness and obedience spread like fire through those around me. Let hearts be changed and turned back to you and Let your Glory Fall on us again.

Love Pastor Mandy

MandiesDandies / Ark of Hope 

Daily reading 2 Kings 10-11