Life Without God

Life without God leads to chaos and defeat—stay close to Him and keep Him at the center of your life.

“He burned the house of the LORD … every great house he burned with fire. So all the army of the Chaldeans … tore down the walls around Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguards, led into exile the rest of the people.”—2 Kings 25:9–11 NASB

When the Temple was dedicated by King Solomon, God’s presence was so strong that “the priests could not stand to minister.” Everything seemed perfect. The nation was at peace. Their borders were secure, and they had abundance. After seven days of festivities, “they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts.” They had every reason to celebrate—God was in their midst! (1 Kings 8).

Yet, 300 years later, everything had changed. The northern kingdom had been eliminated. Then the Babylonians defeated the southern kingdom, Judah. Jerusalem had been burned, its walls broken down, and its people carried into exile. What had happened?

We see the answer when we read this last chapter of 2 Kings. Other than references to “the house of the LORD,” God is never mentioned. He was not a part of their lives.

Little by little, they had forgotten God and His Word and rejected His commands. Generation after generation, they had become more polluted by the nations around them, even embracing their pagan gods. The result was fear and chaos, disorder and defeat.

How easily we can be like these Israelites, filled with compromise, attracted by worldly success and power, forgetting God’s Word.

Learn from the Israelites’ experience. Place God in the center of your life and keep Him there. Choose to obey Him, serve Him, and dedicate your life to His Kingdom.

Reflection Question: What steps can you take to keep God at the center of your life?