Wednesday, December 12, 2012

2 Chronicles 28; 2 Kings 16-17: Unfaithfulness in Distress

2 Chronicles 28:22
Amplified Bible (AMP)

22 In the time of his distress he became still more unfaithful to the Lord—this same King Ahaz.


We live in a world full of stressors. Sometimes circumstance-inducing stressors escalate into "mental or physical suffering or anguish" more commonly referred to as distress (thefreedictionary).

King Ahaz was distressed.  

Ahaz became king of Judah at age twenty.  I can't imagine the stress of leading a nation heaped upon one so young.  But, I don't believe this stress needed to escalate into distress.  


From the beginning of his reign, Ahaz "did not do right in the sight of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 28:1)  He was an idolator (v. 2) and went so far as to burn his sons as an offering to these demon gods. (v. 3)


Because Ahaz turned away from God, the Lord sent the kings of Syria and Israel to defeat Judah.  

Ahaz sent a distress call to the king of Assyria (v. 16), but Tilgath-pilneser distressed him without strengthening him (v. 20).

God will discipline those He loves when they do wrong!

Without Holy Spirit's constant refill of spirit, we can become distressed.


Distress can induce us to be unfaithful to the Lord.


Did you ever hear of the saying,  


"What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside of you."   
Wayne Dyer

When faced with life's stressors.  When I am squeezed beyond my ability to endure, I want to exude Holy Spirit's fruit...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self-control.

The only way to manifest these fruit is by consistent interaction with His Spirit.  I would love to report that in every instance of squeezing, these characteristics flowed from me, but that has not always been the case.

What to do?  

Repent, and ask Holy Spirit to fill me again and again.  Grow me, mature me, to the point that each stressor causes Jesus to shine, that each stressor would point the way to The Way

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