Tuesday, July 21 2020 Devotional
“And he [Abijam] walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”
1 Kings 15:2-4
Abijam, the great-grandson of David, reigned in Jerusalem beginning in 913 BC, 57 years after David’s death. Abijam was not one of the good ones. In fact he was so bad that in His mercy, God cut his reign short; he died barely three years into his reign and was replaced by Asa, a faithful king who reigned for 41 years.
Yet even Abijam’s short reign was evidence of God’s faithfulness to His beloved servant David. Even as a mere place-holder (and not a good one at that) he served to keep the throne for the descendants of David, because God had promised that the Savior would come through this royal family.
God honors those who honor Him, even after they are dead and gone from this earth. At many Christian funerals we’ve heard a statement at the end of the obituary: “Blessed be his memory,” or “Blessed be her memory.”
The Bible says “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15), and “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." (Revelation 14:13)
David wasn’t perfect; far from it. Even as He reminds us of David’s faithfulness, God has to say, “except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” The “little matter of Uriah“ involved adultery, murder, and a coverup until the Lord brought David back to repentance. But although there were severe and painful consequences in David’s life, even that sin was forgiven and God considered David “a man after His own heart.”
That gives us hope because we aren’t perfect either. But God's forgiveness is so overwhelming for us, as it was for David, that He assures us, “God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints....” (Hebrews 6:10)
Dear Christian, leave a legacy that honors God, and God will honor you. His blessing will be on your children and great-great-grandchildren, and on those who remember you in this life.
Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for your mercy and grace in accepting me, forgiving my sins and shortcomings, and creating a good thing out of my life. Help me to honor you in all that I do, while You give me breath, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles