1 Kings 15:9-15 - Spiritual freedom

Scripture:

1 Kings 15:9-15
9 So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah.
10 He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.
12 He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made.
13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
14 But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.
15 He brought into the house of the Lord the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils.
NASU


Thoughts:

Asa is the son of Abijam (1 Kings 15:8) who was the son of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:31), the son of Solomon (1 Kings 11:43), who was the son of King David.  Since Solomon's fall, the royal line has been in sin.  At last in Asa, there's a ray of light in Judah's line of kings!  Asa walks with the Lord (verse 11).  He removes most of the evils begun by his forefathers (verses 12, 14), and even his own mother (verse 13).

Asa's story is such an encouraging example of how each of us can choose the spiritual path that we walk on.  Though our descendants may not have walked with God, we can by His grace.  No one is destined to walk in the fallen ways of their descendants or trapped in their false religion.

It is also such a wonderful example of how God does not give up on people.  You would think that the kings of Judah were history, but God was able to reach Asa, and he responded. 


Prayer:

Thank You Lord Jesus, that no one else decided my spiritual life for me.  I'm so thankful You give all of us the freedom to choose, and that I chose life in You.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.