King Ahab was one of the kings that ruled Israel after the Lord split the nation into two (Judah and Israel) because of their rebellion against Him. The testimony of Heaven concerning Ahab was: “Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him…And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1Kings 16:30, 33). With such damning testimony, one would have expected God to cut his reign short and given his seat to a more worthy fellow. But the Lord didn’t! God gave him ample opportunities to repent of his ways and live for Him. Severally, we have done and said things that should make the Lord deal with us accordingly but in His mercy He kept us. You might argue that you have tried to please God by living a righteous life as much as you can. This is great! But that thought alone negates the Grace of God on your life and it’s a sin. That was the trap Job fell in when he felt he had (in his good conscience) served God as righteously as possible and was therefore justified in his argument with God. So many are in the shoes of Job; they justify their words and actions by what they claim to believe in. This ‘belief’ when investigated is rooted in self as it was with Job!
Friend, in your journey as a child of God, you have come to see and understand the things that displease God, how have you fared with that information? The information you have, how has it impacted your walk with the Lord? King Ahab knew Who God was but chose to listen to his wife’s evil suggestions that continually led him away from the path of God. She succeeded because something was wrong with his desire for the things of God. So many wonderful children of God, truly desire to serve God in holiness but their ungodly appetite for the things of this world has caused them to muddy God’s word with their actions. So many, their looks and attitude are dictated by the world system yet they claim to be teachers, prophets, pastors and good children of God: “They profess to know God but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient and disqualified for any good work” (Titus 1:16)! These are comfortable with the things of the world and desire above all to be loved by the world; whilst trying to hold on to the things of God. They forgot when the Lord said: “I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). In fact such rate and measure their successes by the indices of the world. This should not be as it negates God’s word.
Our God is holy and to serve Him acceptably must be by His own terms and not ours: “Therefore dear friends, since we have such promises, we should wash ourselves clean from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, making our sanctification complete in the fear of God” (2Corinthians 7:1). Let us live lives that will bring praise to the name of the Lord and further His Kingdom. We cannot harbor self and the love of the world in our hearts as children of God whilst we seek to speak and act as children of God. It is a matter of time before this terrible lie catches up with us. Friend, as we await the Soon Return of our King, Jesus Christ, let us make up our minds, by His grace, to live to please Him alone! God bless you.
