He Bore Some Scars

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Reply and let me know where you’re reading from. I’d love to know.

If you ever want to start a fun “fight” with other believers, ask how we should start the day – slow or get up and go? For me it’s slow, Italian roast coffee (with sissy cream), Bible.

The other day it was 2 Kings 16 that slowed me down and got me thinking – a lot! 

And speaking of fights, ask how we should “worship” and you’re likely to get one.

But this isn’t about music.

It’s much bigger, far more consequential, common and too close for comfort. It might even sound familiar. For Ahaz it sounded like this:

Worshipping God wasn’t his thing, yet he led God’s people and a family (v. 1-2).

Doing wickedly was his thing, and others were getting hurt (v. 3-4).

When in trouble, he trusted himself more than God’s word. He even got results (v. 5-9).

He sucked others into his ungodly schemes (v. 10-11).

He worshipped what, when, where, and how he wanted (v. 12-15). Can you even imagine the gall of this guy?

Let’s be honest. Some bear God-given titles but have no heart for God. They prefer to worship at an altar they have built because they find doing it God’s way boring.

 Idolatry starts in the heart, doesn’t it?

But here’s the thing. Those he led, those under his care, and those he was responsible for needed revival and spiritual leadership desperately.

And he couldn’t care less.

Now there is a bright silver lining in the cloudiness of this story (v. 20).

A son stood up who had enough, saw enough, suffered enough, then said “enough”!

Children didn’t always die in the fires of sacrifice to the gods. Hezekiah could be the son from v. 3.

He bore some scars from his father’s sin and self-centered life. But what he did next is not what you’d expect.

You can choose what you do with your past even though you can’t change what was done.

Like Hezekiah, you can refuse to follow in the sins of your fathers (family, friends, associates), make better choices, worship God and cause a revival that makes headlines!

You can too! (You’d have to read 2 Chr. 29 for the rest of the story)!

Start with a cry for revival like this one in Psa. 85:6-7.

But crying isn’t enough. People make insincere or lazy prayers all the time.

When you mean business, you’ll get busy. We call this kind of worship repentance and it never gets old.

Revival requires action mixed with vengeance like this 2 Cor. 7:8-11.

Revival moves you in a new and godly direction, like this 1 Th. 1:9-10.

Revival refuses to pass the next generation through the fires of idolatry but it does start a fire and burns the idols (whatever the cost) like these people did in Acts 19:18-20.

Revival says, I’ve had enough and invites God into doing something about it.

If you’re ready for revival, you’ll get no fight from me!

Now get a cup of coffee, don’t be in a hurry and have a talk with God about it. I’m cheering for you!

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