High Places

"The high places however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there."

As I read through I and II Kings I see over and over again, "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord"...king, after king, after king.

Every once in a while, the broken record is punctuated by "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord"...but it's followed by "the high places, however..."


As I read it for what seemed like the bizillionth time yesterday, I almost said out loud - for Pete's sake - was no one paying attention??  Did no one get the message that those high places were bad news?

The answer was no, at least, not until Hezekiah.

It's been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result. In this case, the same thing was NOT doing anything about those insidious high places.

For 800 years!!

Talk about insanity!

But haven't I...you...all of us...done the very same thing?

I haven't been ignoring things that are abhorant to God for 800 years, but I've been a Christian for more than 40 and sometimes, the same 'ol, same 'ol just won't go away. I can still worry about money. Can still say unkind words. Have jealous thoughts. Be prideful. Get angry.

Yeah, those high places, while I try not to worship there as often, they can still woo me to burn a little incense on the altar now and again. But they're bad news. They need to be removed.

Thankfully, we have a way to combat them.

When the smell of incense comes wafting down, ask God to remove that high place. Crush that altar. Tear down the thing that stands as an idol in our lives.

We may need to do that more than once.

We may have to ask Him to do that many times. But He is always faithful to meet us in our place of need when we earnestly seek Him and desire to do what's right.

2 Kings 18:5-7a says "Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him, he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him, He was successful in whatever he undertook."

For all eternity Hezekiah will stand out as a king unlike any other. A person who saw that it wasn't enough to do what was right, but who actively sought to root out what was wrong.

I know I want to be like that. I want people to see that there's something different about me. And it all starts with tearing down those high places.

Maybe this is your prayer too...

Lord, you know everything about me. You see those idols in my life. The things that are harmful to me. The things that stand in the way of living life to the fullest in you. They may seem insignificant, but like a tiny grain of sand that can irritate the eye to the point where vision is blurred and the way forward is unclear, even the smallest of sins can trip me up. Remove them. Keep my focus on you. Help me never cease following you. Take away the temptations of the high places. Tear those altars down. Thank you that you hear my prayers and are faithful to your promises. Amen.

Too busy for worship?

I sat down to my computer this morning to check emails.  I had been up late writing them as I put the finishing touches on the food portion of the plans for our Kids Camp outreach this coming week. 

My mind was racing as I mentally checked off:

• who I needed to see and talk to this morning
• what I needed to get accomplished
• what I was making for breakfast
• what I had that didn't need to be ironed so I could run out the door.

Then I saw my friend's Sunday worship song post...the beautiful Natalie Grant song "Your great name". 

I clicked on it and began to listen.

In front of this electronic beast that consumes so much of my time and in a way, I confess, has become an idol in my life, I suddenly stopped what I was doing and closed my eyes.

I lifted my hands as I sang along "Jesus...Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us...Son of God and man, You are high and lifted up...and all the world will praise your great name."

I wish I could say today is an exception, but far too many Sunday mornings are spent on the business end of ministry rather than in worshiping the one we say we're doing it to the glory of. 

Slipping into a pew, out of breath, and with a distracted mind is NOT worship.

Are you like me today - rushing around serving Him...or serving yourself...to the point where WHY you're doing it or WHO you're doing it for is lost? 

Reminds me of an old Larnelle Harris song "I miss my time with you":

"There he was just waiting, in our old familiar place
an empty spot beside him, where once i used to wait
to be filled with strength and wisdom for the battles of the day
I would have passed him by again, but I clearly heard him say 

I miss my time with you, those moments together
I need to be with you each day and it hurt's me when you say
you're too busy...busy trying to serve me
but how can you serve me when your spirit's empty
there's a longing in my heart wanting more than just a part of you
it's true...I miss my time with you

What do I have to offer, how can I truly care
my efforts have no meaning when your presence isn't there
but you'll provide the power if I take time to pray
I'll stay right here beside him and you will never have to say..

I miss my time with you"

You have the ability to do something amazing...come before the King of the universe and commune with Him.

Take time BEFORE the service this morning to quiet your heart and still your mind.  

Come to Him with a worshipful spirit.  Everything else can wait. 

If He's given you those service opportunities, He'll work out the details and bring things together, but first, He wants to meet with you, fill you with His power, and that will strengthen you to do what He's called you to do. 

By far, it is the most important thing you'll do today.