Evil Through Omission
2 Chronicles 12:14, "And he (Rehoboam) did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD."
Today chapters 10-12 speak of the life of Solomon's son, Rehoboam. He began his rule by following poor counsel, this caused the kingdom to be divided. He then fortified the cities in Judah, and once he had accomplished what he thought would bring safety to his kingdom, the Bible says, "And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him." (12:1) Later in the same chapter we find the words of verse 14, "And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD."
Our heart is easily swayed and misdirected, therefore we need to be careful in our daily life to not allow it to stray away from the Lord. We are given the warning in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." What Rehoboam failed to do caused him to fail. He didn't guard his heart, so he failed in seeking the LORD.
Our relationship to the Lord is the most important part of our life. Everything we purposefully do can be attributed to the condition of the heart. One Reformers Unanimous principles states that "every sin has its origin in our heart." Sin is a heart problem. Failing to seek the LORD is a heart problem. It isn't a circumstantial problem, it isn't a time issue, it is a problem with the heart.
One commentator states Rehoboam lacked earnestness and consistency. This led to other failures in his life, such as a failure to pray, a failure to be faithful in his worship to the Lord. The same patterns can be seen in our lives today. Often, we fail through omission! Be careful, and make certain to prepare your heart to seek the LORD. The idea of the Hebrew word translated "prepare" is to make stable while remaining determined.
May each one of us make sure to prepare our hearts to seek the Lord. For our omission, if we aren't careful, will become our failure.
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. How would you rate the condition of your heart today?
2. What are you failing to do that is harming you spiritually?
3. Is there something you need to change in order to guard your heart?
4. When are you determined to read your Bible and pray daily? today