DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: "Like Father Like Son"

Text: 1 Kings 15:1-24

Abijah began to reign in the place of his father Rehoboam. He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him (verse 3) but for David's sake, he was spared and his posterity preserved. 

Reading from 2 Chronicles 13, it is evident that Abijah knows about the lord. He is well aware of his mighty power and his promises to the children of Israel. So he boasted in the lord's name unto Jeroboam and the lord confiscated Jeroboam and all Israel in battle on that day. 

He knows about the lord but he didn't know the lord. There is no personal or intimate relationship between him and God. His father had none, so he couldn't bequeath him any. All the idols and devilish worship with all detestable practices his father instituted continued unfettered during his reign. 

Then came Asa.  Verse 11 promises that "Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the lord as did David his father".  He took decisive steps to cleanse Jerusalem and Judah. He began the cleansing right from his home. His own mother was deposed of being  queen because of her idolatry. The temple sodomites were outlawed and all the idols his father made were removed. His heart was perfect with the lord. Although Asa, in his later days, would put his trust in man rather than God (2Chronicles16)  verse 14 records that "Asa's heart was perfect with the lord all his days."

What can we make of these two genealogical renditions? Father, according to the bible does not start and end with our own direct father. Abijah was likened to his direct father Rehoboam, while Asa was likened to his great, great, grand father David. It took four generations from David for God to find another person in David's line who walked in the footsteps of David. 

We all have a choice to make. To belong to the party that fights God's cause or to form an alliance with Satan. Solomon was brought up by "Christian Parents" so to say (David and Bathsheba) yet he sold himself to the flesh. Asa had no good precedence but he chose to follow the directions of the prophet Azariah  (2 Chronicles 15) to do right and turn away the anger of God from Israel. 

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Today, the bible is open to everyone. The message of the kingdom of God is being preached in every language. If we belong to a family of believers, that is an advantage for us. If we have non Christian parents, we can decide for ourselves based on the truth we receive daily on television, radio, Internet, itinerant preachers etc, to make a choice of where to spend eternity. 

Jesus has died to reconcile man with God. He has sent out an open invitation "come to me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden light". Will you continue to struggle with sin when Jesus can give you power to live above sin? Come to him today. Confess your disobedience to him. Ask him to forgive you. Invite him into your life. He will come in and give your life a whole new meaning. May God bless you as you come. 

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