God’s Way

God’s way is always better than our ways.

“The Levites left their pasture lands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam … had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. He set up priests of his own for the high places.”—2 Chronicles 11:14–15 NASB

When the ten tribes of Israel broke away from Judah, they did not just form their own kingdom. Their first king, Jeroboam, even decided to form his own religion. It was deceptively like the faith of the patriarchs, but Jeroboam interjected dangerous new initiatives “of his own.”

He was determined that the people of Israel would not look to Jerusalem or to God’s priests. He sought to break people’s loyalty to their past and even to God’s laws. He staffed his religion with those who were loyal to him, and the priests who were truly following the Lord were forced to leave Israel.

As these faithful priests left Israel and settled in Judah, they reaffirmed their loyalty to God and His laws. As a result, Judah was strengthened. But sadly, Israel moved further and further away from God. They had turned their backs on Him, rejected His servants, and refused to obey His laws.

Today, many are like Jeroboam: disloyal to God’s ways, rejecting His messengers, interpreting God’s Word in their own way, dismissing anything that displeases them, and determining their own standards and moral code, even mocking those who seek to obey God and believe in His Word.

Fill your mind and heart with God’s Word. Believe it. Obey it. Don’t give in to compromise but determine to follow God. In every situation, declare that Jesus is your Lord. Seek first God’s Kingdom, not your own.

Reflection Question: What areas of compromise do you need to remove from your life?