I started this post in February and had forgotten about it. Today as I prayed for direction, I was taken to Ecclesiastes. I decided I’d write a blog on it, as it helps me understand as I write. For you see, I am not writing but Christ through me. I hope this will help you, if you are struggling in your direction in life or even if you aren’t struggling that you will always remember who is in control.
Here’s what I began months ago and what God has completed today:
Reading in II Chronicles 24 - 26 today brought me some insight that I felt compelled to share. I read about King Joash and Amaziah, and King Uzziah. All of these kings began their reign doing good in the sight of the Lord. Yet what was it that brought them to their end?
King Joash - II Chronicles 24:19 - 19 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
Have you ever been told by a trusted friend that you are going down the wrong path but you did not listen? Maybe it was a family member that saw you making the wrong choices but you wanted to do it your way and you did not listen. Have you ever regretted the fact that you did not listen? Sometimes God sends those people into our lives that can clearly see the path that we are taking is not the correct path. We may argue and disagree with them and pursue our own way or we can stop, think, and most importantly pray that the Lord would reveal to us the clear path. Often times, we find ourselves trying to reason away why we are right rather than listening and discerning the will of the Father. Joash thought he was right and he was not, which led to his end.
Amaziah - II Chronicles 25:8-9
8 But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” 9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
When we step out of our comfort zone and into faith, the Lord will bless us beyond measure. However, more often than not, when we find ourselves victorious we begin to think we were the reason for the victory, forgetting that it is the will of the Father whether to help or cast down. Amaziah seemed to have this problem. He was first fearful but he listened to what the prophet was telling him. He didn't give him some great revelation of what was to come, he simply told him the truth, God was in control. Amaziah eventually forgot what the Lord had done and began worshipping other gods and the result was not pleasant for Amaziah.
15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
King Uzziah fell into this same trap. He was a victorious King who reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. However, his victory was only possible by the Lord’s hand. King Uzziah began to think he knew it all and he was the powerful one. He took matters into his own hands instead of following God’s ways. He defied God’s law by entering a place that he was not appointed to go, the temple. Although he had many going after him and telling him that he was stepping in territory not given to him, he still went and became angry at them for telling hin that he was stepping in a place that he should not go. God allowed him to enter the temple but struck him with a disease that would isolate him for the rest of his life.
II Chronicles 26:16
“But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land.”https://bible.com/bible/59/2ch.26.16-21.ES
Anytime we think that we know it all, that we have control over our lives, when we think we can do anything we want, we step into trouble. God may allow things to happen in our favor or He may protect us from the danger but when our response does not give glory to the One who is truly in control of our lives we will surely face destruction.
Ecclesiastes sums up how we should live our lives.
Ecclesiastes 11:13 - 14
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.12.13-14.ESV
Live your life in a way that will please God, not man, and certainly not for yourself.
Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.3.6.ESV
Ultimately, God knows our heart, just like He knew Jobs heart when his friends tried to tell him why he was suffering. God knew even when Job questioned. As it is in our lives, we need to heed the warnings of Ecclesiastes and make sure our path is pleasing to God, not to man, and certainly not for our own glory.
Seeing Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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