Sun.’s Devo - God’s Ways are Perfect

Read: 2 Kings 13: 12-13; 14-15:5; 2 Chron. 25:25-26:21; Jonah 1-4
Today is a long reading. You have probably noticed that the book of the Kings is the short version of the kings but the Chronicles add some of the details. For example: today we read in the Kings that Amaziah defeated he Edomites and then went on to attack Israel only to be defeated. In the Chronicles we learn the details behind why he was defeated. Amaziah started his kingship honoring God. He killed only the men who had killed his father. When he hired some Israelites to fight with him against Edom, he listened to the advise of the prophet and sent them home instead. The fighters from Israel went home furious that they had been shamed and not allowed to fight. They should have been happy they got payed for doing nothing.
Amaziah fought Edom and won but he brought the idols back that they had worshipped and started worshipping them himself.
In his pride, he thought he could now defeat Israel. God sent his prophet back to him but this time he refused to listen. Even Jehoash, Israel’s king tried to convince him that this was not a good idea, but he was determined to fight. This time he was fighting against God. He was killed in battle and his army lost. The wall was demolished and the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God were seized.
After Amaziah died, his son, Uzziah became king. He did what was pleasing to the Lord until he, like his dad, let pride blind him to truth. He went into the temple and offered incense on the altar. Only the priests were allowed in the Holy Place to burn incense. He was struck with leprosy.
In the midst of all the stories of the kings we have the story of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh to call them to repentance but instead went the opposite direction because he didn’t want to obey. So we see that the kings were not the only people that struggled with obeying God’s way. Through a series of bizarre circumstances, Jonah learned that God’s ways are perfect and right and it was not up to him to tell God how to be God.
Lord, let us not be drawn away into pride and forget the most important things in life. The most important of those being that You are God and Your are the main thing. Only You are worthy of worship and adoration.