Fasting Devotional – Day Fifteen Text: II Kings 14:1-4; 15:1-5 Written by: Shannon Hall Thoughts
Amaziah was generally a good king: “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” He did this by following the example of his father, King Joash. But like his father, he did not remove the high places, and people continued to offer sacrifices there. The thing that strikes me the most here is that Amaziah had a pretty good example to follow in his father, but Joash was not perfect, and Amaziah found himself repeating his mistake.
How often do we model our Christian walk after the people closest to us rather than seeking what the Lord wants? By watching people instead of seeking the Lord, we can find ourselves unconsciously repeating their mistakes and having the same high places remaining in our own lives. And because the people we’re following appear to be “good Christians”, those high places are often more subtle and difficult to identify as barriers to our relationship with God.
Challenge
What are some high places in your life that are so subtle you didn’t even notice them? One that I’m already aware of is watching TV. It’s not something that’s obvious to everyone, but I know when it’s starting to become too important in my life – a sort of high place where I worship at the altar of entertainment and distraction. That’s why my husband and I always fast from screens during these 21 days. It helps us to refocus our hearts on the One who deserves our time, attention, and devotion. I challenge you to ask God to help you identify those subtle high places in your life and ask Him how He wants you to eliminate them.
Prayer
Father, thank you for giving us great examples and mentors in the faith that we can look up to. They are a wonderful blessing from you. Help us to remember, though, that you are our guide and perfect example. May we seek your will always and open our eyes to those subtle high places we don’t even know are there. We want nothing to get in the way of our total devotion to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!