September 7th - Reflection

2 Kings 18:9-18 (NRSV)
Transgressing the covenant

In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against Samaria, besieged it, and at the end of three years, took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria, settled them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant - all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; they neither listened nor obeyed.

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. King Hezekiah of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear." The king of Assyria demanded of King Hezekiah of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the doorposts that King Hezekiah of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Fuller's Field. When they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder.

Reflection
They didn't turn to God! They didn't turn to God in prayer on the approach of the enemy. They needed help and they didn't turn to God! All they did was use the blessings God had given them in the past to feed the hunger of the foreign king.

I do the same at times. I don't turn to God when I need help. Pride and arrogance take over and I figure I can handle this on my own. I don't even involve a little prayer to God. Selfish attitude overtakes me and I become the god of my own world. I don't turn to God and things don't quite work out.

Why? Lessons in the past demonstrate how futile this is. I sin and then for a while it takes me to notice that in my sin things won't really work just right. Then I turn from my sin and turn to God. I'm thankful that God has been patient with me and takes me back. Then I work on that trust and faith and obedience and sin.

Prayer keeps me in communion with God. Reflection on the Word...prayer alone and in community with other believers...worship and putting the Word to action. Focus and face my Savior and how he would live my life, are central to learning how to live in God's grace. Turn to God. Face God and involve God in even the smallest of decisions of life. Be intimate with the Savior and let him into all the places of your life.

Prayer
Lord, forgive me when I turn away. I want to be your friend, your son, your brother and your disciple. --- Amen