"In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord."
-- 2 Chronicles 28:22
Somehow I think that the person who started that saying "two wrongs don't make a right" read this sentence in the Bible first. I guess since King Ahaz wasn't getting his way, he decided to go ahead and really finish destroying his relationship with God.
It's difficult sometimes to wait for the Lord. We are human. We want it now -- whether it is safety, revenge or healing. God has perfect timing. We don't. It doesn't stop us from stamping our foot and trying to get what we want on our own.
Ahaz decided that God wasn't going to help him. Or maybe that God just wasn't going to help him fast enough. So Ahaz decided to offer sacrifices to other gods. He rationalized that since those gods had helped his enemies, maybe they would help him. Oh my. That was a really dumb thing.
But aren't we guilty of the same thing? We know that the Bible says vengeance belongs to God but still we want that satisfaction for ourselves. We try to destroy, or at least seriously hurt, any person we think has wronged us. We don't wait for God to handle it.
Or we grow desperate because we don't have money to buy food or pay rent, mortgage or utility bills. We call out to God but we don't see His hand at work. We panic. We steal. We lie. We turn away from the God who loves us. We move so far away that we don't see the help He planned for us.
Maybe we lose faith when illness strikes. We want immediate healing for a loved one. The suffering tears us apart. How could a loving God allow such a thing, we ask ourselves. We harden our hearts and turn away from the peace and salvation that He offers as we weather the storm.
I could go on and on. Bad circumstances don't justify desperate acts that lead us away from God. I don't know why bad things happen. Only God knows the answers. Maybe we are being tested. Maybe other people made choices (that free-will thing rearing its head) and we are suffering the consequences. Whatever the reason, He will save us. Maybe not in our time or even on this earth but He is there with us in that storm.
Don't be like King Ahaz. Wait for the Lord. Stay faithful to Him, no matter the circumstances. He will provide all you'll ever need.
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