Topic: A Double Loss! [Sunday January 17, 2016]
Text: 2 Kings 1:13-18
Key Verse: “And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die” (2 Kings 1:16).
There are some inevitable things humans are often afraid of and will, as much as possible, try to avoid or at the best, push forward. One of such inevitable things is death. Nobody wants to face this reality of life. Many people will do whatever is in their power to avoid it. But the truth is, whether it comes today or much later, it will certainly come.
What is best for us to do therefore, is to be ready for it. King Ahaziah had taken seriously ill, owing to a domestic accident he had in his palace. Becoming so concerned over his state, he wanted to know if he would recover from his ailment. He was obviously afraid to die. But instead of asking counsel from God, he sought after Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. Sure, he had no confidence to approach God because of the life of sin and wickedness he had lived. Sin robs one of the boldness to approach God’s throne of mercy. Unfortunately for him, Elijah confronted his obstinacy and gave him a message that he would die. But instead of seizing this as an opportunity to cry unto God for mercy in repentance, he chose to fight God by fighting the man of God.
On the long run, he died. His was a double loss; he lost here on earth and in eternity! There are certainly some things in life that are actually unpleasant and discomforting which we want to find solutions to. We may be struggling with life-threatening sickness, financial burden owing to joblessness and economic hardship, delay in childbearing, etc. We should be very mindful how we seek solutions to these problems. It is important to ensure that we do not succumb to the pressure of seeking solutions away from God. Whatever the situation, we must remain true to Him. Those who run away from Him to seek solutions elsewhere, end up compounding their problems. They suffer a double loss!
Thought for the day: There is no true help outside God.
Bible Reading in one Year: Exodus 1-4
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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