Arrogant Disobedience

I remember things about child rearing that was a bit tricky. For example, there were times when the children made stupid decisions and there were other times when they were clearly rebellious.  The tricky part was knowing which they were. I was trying to be patient and help them grow when I determined that they simply made a stupid decision. On the other hand, if I felt that they were being rebellious, I responded differently for sure.

There were different kings in Judah and Israel.  Some followed the Lord, and some didn’t. The Lord made Himself available for sure to each king. He also offered the counsel of a prophet to help guide the king. Some kings were arrogant, and some were humble. King David stands out because He was humble and obedient to the Lord. Check this out….

¹Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. ² Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly. (2 Chronicles 25:2 NLT)

He followed Johash, who had become king at 7 years old.  Amaziah was still a young man. He followed the footsteps of his dad but rebelled earlier in his reign as king. An event happened in the life of Amaziah that made it clear how things were going to be under his rule Check this out….

¹⁴ When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them! ¹⁵ This made the Lord very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, “Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?”

¹⁶ But the king interrupted him and said, “Since when have I made you the king’s counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!”

So the prophet stopped with this warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel.” (2 Chronicles 25:14-16 NLT)

I’ve learned that the Lord will speak to me when I come before Him in humility.

I’ve learned that the Lord will help me when I come before Him in humility.

I’ve learned that the Lord is for me.

I’ve learned to trust Him and seek His heart.

Who do I think I am that I can do anything without the Lord’s Presence in me? I am full of hot air if I think I am “all that and a bag of chips”!

I want to consistently lean in and listen as the Lord provides counsel and leadership for me. I can be a good leader if I’m a good listener to Him and a devoted follower of Him. He Leads and I follow His Lead and that will make me an effective leader to others. This takes humble obedience which is the opposite of arrogant disobedience.

Pressing On!

Dwayne