An answer to me when faced with “that sin which
so easily trips me up” . . . the courageous heart . . .
3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his
father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but
sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according
to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute
to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6
His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. . . .
2
Chronicles 17:3-6Have you ever wanted to do something that you knew God didn’t approve of -- Something that you had no doubt is against His word and His will for your life? Well I stand in that position right now. I know that it is against His word . . . no doubt about it. Yet even knowing that it is against His word, and would undoubtedly bring a level of destruction to my life – remember the payment for sin, going against God’s word is death – I feel a strong tug to doing it. Okay, more than a tug. I feel like I am being dragged along by my own desire. In all truthfulness I want to do it. I feel like I almost need to do it. Others do it so, why can’t I? He will forgive me, right? So what’s the big deal! Let’s go and . . . .
I guess God is a chump. He let’s all of us get away with SO much
stuff. All we have to do is come back to
Him, confess and He forgives. He turns
our whole life around. He makes all
things new. We have a fail-safe life where we can do pretty much anything we
want as long as we punch that forgiveness ticket.
And yes God will forgive us. . . . no joke.
Not being sarcastic here. God will forgive us when we confess and repent. He washes us white as snow. He pays the price . . . the death. So how does God keep from being the all time
biggest chump?
Consequences
There are both bad consequences and good
consequences to our actions. Here we see
the good. Let’s examine Jehoshaphat to
see how he got such good consequences. From
reading we see he did not seek other gods (Baals) and he did not follow the
evil practices of those around him, in particular his own brothers and family
(remember Judah and Israel were brothers).
Okay so I do not do bad stuff. And how many of us worship Baals in
today’s time anyway? I guess that not
doing all those things will grant me favor with God. The good consequences, right? NO.
It was not just what Jehoshaphat didn’t do
that brought him good consequences it
was what he DID do. Jehoshaphat: 1)
Sought the God of his father; 2) Walked
in the commandments of the Lord; and 3)
“His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord.” Let’s pause here. It is this last phrase that leaped off the
page for me. “His heart was courageous
in the ways of the Lord.” See I have been
seeking the Lord. I have walked in his
commandments (being tempted to do something is not a sin, not the same as doing
it . . . I am dealing with the temptation at this point, not the completed act).
However all said, It was that last phrase that hit me hard. Why?
Do you know what I was doing when I read
this passage? I was seeking the Lord to
walk in His commandments. . . . well sort of.
At the time I read this passage I was asking God for some special
dispensation or permission to do this particular sin. I was telling him this is just too hard to
fight. I was telling him, you made me so
you knew I would be like this. You know
how frustrated I am with waiting to see your hand come around and take care of
this need and desire for me. You gave me
this flesh, this desire built in so it really sucks that you do not seem to be
doing anything about meeting it. So why
can I not just take care of it myself?
If you are wondering if you really understood
what I was saying I was doing when I read this passage you did. In short I was asking God to grant me
permission to do the hell I wanted to do.
See I know one thing for sure . . . if He says its okay to do, He can
not punish me for doing it! Yes it is a
little twisted. I guess that is why God
was a little coy in the answer:
“His heart was courageous in the ways of
the Lord.”
Let’s pull out the key words/phrases:
His – translated mine.
Heart – translated very core of my being; everything
which I am in reality; the exact internal place of my unique existence; what I
love the most; the source of all my beliefs and understandings.
Courageous – translated brave; not deterred
by danger or pain.
“Ways of the Lord” – translated as not just what He says to
do, and not just the doing it, but the doing it in the way and spirit that He
would do it.
SO . . . . applying
these words in the verse to my question:
The very core of my
being – everything which I am in
reality; the exact internal place of my unique existence; what I love the most;
the source of all my beliefs and understandings – must be brave; not deterred
by danger – danger real or imagined or pain real or imagined, created by me or
others – in not just doing the word, but doing it in the way and spirit that
God would do what He would do.
In short I must take up the courage, the willingness to go
through the pain to do from my core what God says should be done, how He says
it should be done, in the spirit He says it should be done.
Speaking to myself (feel free to insert your name where mine
appears): Peterson you do not have
permission to do the deed, but I do encourage you to have the courage to live
out the best that I designed you to be.
And if you lack motivation, just look a little back in the verse at the
consequences for being, in your heart, courageous in the ways of the Lord:
The Lord will be with you . . . The Lord will establish your
kingdom in your hand . . . And those under your charge will bring you tribute
(gifts of gratitude, respect or admiration) . . . and you will have great
riches and honor. (all from verse 5).
Hmmmm . . . Looking
around me, I seem to be a little lacking in many of these consequences. I
think in my heart I will be courageous in the ways of the Lord. So brothers and sisters I won’t be giving in
to that temptation!
Thanks Lord, I understand.
Got Word?
Love yah
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