Tuesday, August 30, 2022

And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 15:8

There are three words that interest me in this passage of scripture. Those words are “courage,” “removed,” and “repaired.” These words draw my attention, because I believe they are so integral in our journey of renewal.

1. Courage: The passage says that Asa took courage. This means that he became firm, strong, or strengthened. He was resolute in his decision to renew his commitment to God. He did not sway to the right or left. He knew it was the thing to do.

2. Removed: Asa knew that renewal required removal. Sometimes along the way, our relationship with God grows stale, and we allow all kinds of things to cause distance between God and us. The Word of the Lord states that Asa removed the detestable idols from the whole land.

3. Repaired: The Bible says that Asa repaired the altar of the Lord. Sometimes when we get busy with our idols, we allow the altar (place we meet God) to be in disarray. We abandon it for our own agendas and idols. When we repair our altars, we give the place we meet God the time and attention it deserves.

PRAYER: Lord, give me the courage to remain resolute in my decision to renew my commitment to you. There have been some things that I have allowed in my life that I need to remove. Give me the grace to identify those things that need to be let go. Finally, give me what I need to repair our broken relationship. I have allowed the place and space of our meeting to be overgrown with worldly things. Purify and repair our special relationship. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.