A Foolish Thing (2 Chronicles 16:9)

 


Monday, July 1, 2024


Psalms 1; 2

2 Chronicles 16

Titus 1


Observance: Coming of the Light, first missionaries to the Torres Strait (1871)


A Foolish Thing (2 Chronicles 16:9)


I think we all hope that, as we get older, we also get wiser. The Biblical command is for the young to listen to the old, ideally so that the wisdom of years is passed on to the next generation. But is it possible that we might go the other way; that we might become foolish as we age?


King Asa had a turbulent experience in life. He had his ups and downs. His first major decision as king ended up upsetting the northern kingdom and throwing them into rebellion against them. But then he learnt from that mistake, and listened to and trusted in the Lord.


This listening and trusting held him in good stead when he was threatened with the enormous invasion of a million men, when the Lord won him a mighty victory against an army that outnumbered his own more than two to one.


But now in his latter years he seems to be changing his attitude. Another northern rebellion has popped up, and it would seem far less serious an issue than the first invasion, and compared to the Cushite invasion, a boring distraction. The Lord has done greater works against greater enemies. These guys should have been a pushover.


But Asa, for whatever reason, did not stick to what worked in the past; he did not keep to the wisdom he learned from practical experience. He looked for help by petty politicking and bribery instead of prayer. He became foolish.


The encouragement we find in this story is an encouragement to keep working on our own development into wisdom. Asa had done some wise things, and was rewarded with many years of peace. But something happened in those years making him foolish, and his life ended in ignominy. We can’t afford to sit on our laurels; the journey is still ongoing, and we have plenty more to learn.


What is your most recent spiritual victory? What is the next one that God is leading you towards? How will you keep your fire, your internal desire to grow further into God’s wisdom, burning?


Source of all wisdom, send me your Holy Spirit to encourage me to be always excited to learn from you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday, September 12, 2022

  Monday, September 12, 2022 Psalm 33 Habakkuk 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:1-14 In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. The lectionary has taken us from the beloved disciple to one of the most beloved of Paul's epistles: Ephesians. Paul must have loved this church very much: we get a sense of his fondness for them and their shared sense of purpose and worship just from the introduction. In what is likely just an introduction to a letter in the style of the ancient Roman world, Paul has managed to squeeze in the entire, wondrous story of God's work of redemption. Paul has framed it the way it ought to be framed: in a pastoral, encouraging tone. He has three main points here (remember, Paul proceeds logically to build up an argument, unlike John who circles around his main point). First: God intended to save us before the world was formed. Think back to the first l
Read more

“Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.”

  Monday, September 11, 2023 Psalms 28; 29 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 Acts 26:19-32 Observance: Deiniol, bishop (d. 384) “ Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.” The great many blessings of being under the protection of the blood of the Lamb fill our hearts with joy and peace. To have the Almighty Creator of the universe, the One who sits above the flood, filling the temple of our being with the cloud of His presence is what it truly means to be human. Every day is filled with adventure; every night turns to the rest of the victor. Certainly there are chains: sometimes they are physical chains, the suffering of being a Christian among people who do not love the Lord. Sometimes they are spiritual; the attacks of the powers of the air who try to distract us from the One we love. But they always fall away. Our Rock of Ages always frees us; always brings us out of the pit of despair. A won
Read more

Monday, September 19

  Monday, September 19 Psalm 45 Nahum 1:15-2:9 Ephesians 4:17-28 ...be renewed in the spirit of your minds... It is far too easy to read some of these Pauline lists of virtues and vices and feel like we have gone back to the dark days before the Reformation. The idea that if we behave ourselves then we can call ourselves “good people” is pagan, not Christian. Paul feels very strongly about how Christians behave, he “affirms and insists” upon it. But it is because of what has already happened that we should mind our step, not because of where we are going. Christ's resurrection is many things, but one aspect relevant for Paul's teaching this morning is that it demonstrates to us the radical new reality in which we now live. We too have passed (spiritually) from death to life; therefore, we experience a “renewal of our minds”. Instead of treading water until we die, we live lives. Everything now makes sense: God has spoken, so we have logic. God made us in His im
Read more