Changed desires!

It is through an intimate knowledge of God and His will that we know how to live this life.


June 19

Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: The Arameans have said that the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the plains. So I will help you defeat this vast army. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

1 Kings 20:28

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Changed desires!

The Aramean King Ben-hadad is determined to defeat King Ahab and conquer Israel.  God previously had defeated Ben-hadad’s forces and sent them packing.  The Aramean king’s advisers explain why a smaller Israelite army had been able to defeat a stronger military force.  They told the king that it was because the battle had been fought in the hills and the Israelite gods were stronger there.  Their suggestion was to move the battle down onto the plains where the Israelite gods would be weaker.

It is fascinating to see the unbelieving mind at work in a text like this.  As believers we might even scoff at the ignorance of comments like these.  For some, myself included, I can still remember thinking thoughts that were similar to the suggestions of Ben-hadad’s advisers.  To them the LORD was similar to the gods that they worshipped, which means they weren’t gods at all.  Because these gods were not all-powerful, there were places where they were weak or unconcerned.  They believed that by changing the circumstances they could change the outcome.

People still think and act the same way.  If some plan or desire is not fulfilled in the way that they think it should be, they will change the circumstances thinking that something new will change the outcome.  The problem with that type of thinking is that it takes God out of the equation.  The most important part of the verse that we are looking at today is the last part.  God’s reason for giving King Ahab the victory in this battle that was coming was so that he would ‘know that I am the LORD’ says God.  God does the things that He does in our lives so that we will come to know Him better and better.

It is through an intimate knowledge of God and His will that we know how to live this life.  There may be times when God wants us to change the circumstances so we can experience a different outcome in our lives.  More often I think God wants us to change the outcome we desire so that He can change the circumstances.  Many people have the wrong understanding of God and His will and this misunderstanding is reflected in the way they are living their lives.  They will change spouses, jobs, churches, or friendships every time something doesn’t go the way they want.

God is at work in your circumstance attempting to show you more of who He is.  Until you recognize this and submit to His plan in your life, you will continue striving after one thing or another and never find what you are seeking.  Get to know Him better through your particular circumstances and then ask Him what, if any, changes you should make in your circumstances.  Jesus, help us to let You be God in our life.

Daily Bible Reading:
Read: 1 Kings 20:1-21:29; Acts 12:24-13:15; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 17:16
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