By Ginny Jensen
For those that have been reading the Bible through this year, your reading plan may have recently had you in the books of Kings and Chronicles. The kings were described as “did evil in the sight of the Lord”, or “did right in the eyes of the Lord”. Sometimes, there would be additional descriptions indicating that the king did right in the eyes of the Lord, but did not completely turn away from the idol worship. In 2 Kings 14, Amaziah began his reign in Judah. Verses 3-4 (ESV) describes him: “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father… But the high places were not removed, the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.”
Repeatedly reading the descriptions of how the kings reigned, you may have asked, what has changed throughout the generations? What were the high places that were built, used for worship, destroyed, and re-built? The status of these high places were determined by the king and his obedience, or lack thereof, to the Lord.
A New Testament example could be the rich young man who came to Jesus asking how he could have eternal life (Matt. 19:16-22). The young man was confident he had fulfilled the law. Then Jesus challenges him to give his riches to the poor but he is unwilling. His wealth was a high place for him.
If Jesus asked you the same question, what would your response be?
Consider what things you hold on to that distract you from Him.
- Is entertainment a high place?
- How about consumerism? Do we need the most recent gadget? Is the mall a favorite place?
Often the “high places” in our lives have become so familiar that we turn to them automatically. Be challenged today to take time out and consider your habits. Each habit could be a high place if it does not draw you to the Lord. What high place do you need to remove from your life today? He invites you to accept His grace to do so.
“Drive far from us all wrong desires and incline our hearts to keep your ways: Grant that having cheerfully done Your will this day, we may, when night comes rejoice and give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” – The Book of Common Worship
Resources:
- What is the significance of high places in the Bible? (Got Questions)
- Read the Bible
- How to Create a Personal Retreat
- Ask For Prayer
- Join WorldVenture Facebook Group
Discussion:
Share the link of this blog post to your social media with an answer to this question…
- What habits are you working on changing in your life?
Photo by Shreyas shah on Unsplash