Mon.’s Devo - It Pays to Be a Good King

Read 1 Kings 15:25-17:24, Acts 10:23b-48, Ps. 134:1-3. Pr. 17:9-11 With great responsibility comes great accountability. Jeroboam reaped what he sowed and was killed on the battlefield by one of his own men, Baasha. To fulfill prophecy, all of Jeroboam’s family was killed also. Meanwhile, Asa was ruling in Judah. Baasha was a bad king so when he died his son, Elah only reigned two years before he was killed while drunk by Zimri. Zimri killed off all of Baasha’s family. Note: it was not safe to be royalty back then…unless you follow God. Asa, a follower of God, was on his twenty-seventh year of reigning in Judah while Israel’s kings were dropping like flies. Zimri only reigned seven days. He was burned in his own palace by his own people. Israel was split in allegiance: part for Tibni, and the other for Omri, who had Zimri killed. Omri’s men won and killed Timbi. Asa has now reigned thirty-one years. Omri was more evil than all the other kings before him and when he died, Ahab, his son reigned. Asa is on his third-eighth year. Ahab surpassed them all in idolatry. He married Jezebel and started worshipping Baal and Asherah. It was in Ahab’s reign that Hiel started to rebuild Jericho. His firstborn died the day they laid its foundation and his youngest son died when he set up the gates just like was prophesied by Joshua. (Joshua 6:26) A few years ago a man with three sons tried to rebuild Jericho. His firstborn died when they laid the foundation and he stopped building it. The Word of God is eternal; years don’t make it lose it’s power. In the midst of this sinful generation, God raised up Elijah who prophesied a drought and sustained a widow woman with flour and oil supernaturally. He also raised her son up from the dead by breathing life into him. Where sin abounds, grace does even more! In Acts, God blesses the Gentiles that are hungry with His Word through Peter and His Holy Spirit. Lord, thank you for Your Holy Spirit. May we promote love today by covering another’s offense.