Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 2 Kings 21 and Psalm 138

Repentance, revival, and reformation among God’s people are not permanent conditions. Each generation, each leader and each individual has the responsibility to choose which God we will worship and which King we will serve. This is seen with great clarity in the way the new king, Manasseh, took Judah swiftly downhill into sinful idolatry and wickedness, despite the righteous rule of his father, Hezekiah. He re-initiated the worship of Baal and Asherah, which had held Israel and Judah captive for generations prior to Hezekiah. He also led Judah into the “astrological” worship which was the kind of religion practised by the Babylonians, whose Empire was now on the rise.

As outcomes of his worship choices, Manasseh sacrificed his own son to Molech; he invited direct demonic oppression by practising divination, seeking omens, and consulting mediums and spiritists; and he introduced the worship of Asherah (which included sexual rituals with temple prostitutes) right into the courts of the Temple of the LORD. Darkness descended on the land under Manasseh, where previously there had been so much light.

It’s worth repeating: Repentance, revival, and reformation among God’s people are not permanent conditions. Each generation, each leader and each individual has the responsibility to choose which God we will worship and which King we will serve. Who do I choose today? On Sunday, in our local Church, we sat under the truth of Colossians 3:1-17. Using Paul’s analogy in that passage we could ask: Which clothes do I choose to wear today? Will I choose to die to my old self, take off the old clothes and put to death the practices that belong to the earthly nature? Will I choose to live as God’s chosen one, holy and dearly loved, and clothe myself with the attitudes and actions appropriate to a child of God?

Holy Spirit, move me to make the right choices today, for my own sake, and for the sake of my family, my community and my Church. Lord Jesus, You are my King. LORD Almighty, You are my God. I will worship and serve You and You alone! So be it. Amen.