READING: 1 Kings 15-17, John 6:60-71
As you read today’s Old Testament reading, it’s hard to miss the vast number of kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord. Abijah. Nadab. Baasha. Elah. Zimri. Omri. Ahab. It’s hard to believe that God had any patience at all with His people when you read this list.
On the other hand, the name of King Asa clearly stands out—because he was different: “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done” (1 Kgs 15:11). He expelled prostitutes, got rid of idols, and even deposed his grandmother from her position. His heart was “fully committed to the Lord all his life” (1 Kgs 15:14). That’s quite different from the other kings.
The personal question for me today is: do I so live for God that others recognize something different about me? Even if everyone else around me were to reject following God, would I choose in His grace to stand alone? I pray the answer would be yes.
PRAYER: “Lord, give me that kind of commitment and faith.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Evaluate your own life with depth and honesty. Does your life look like God or like the world?
TOMORROW’S READING: 1 Kings 18-20, John 7:1-24