Whole Heart

Mr. Bill has lots of stories to tell, but he’s not really a story-teller.  He’d rather sit and listen to others.  Yes, this drives me nuts sometimes.  A strategist at-heart, I know there’s method to this tactic and I know what it is: he’s often giving the talker “just enough rope to hang himself.”

 

An Old Testament record in the life of an Israelite king tells of how erratic one can be in sincerity toward Almighty God.  King Amaziah, son fo Joash, wisely listened to God’s prophet prior to battle and soundly defeated the Edomites; his next act was to set up idols [seized in battle] and worship them.  “Therefore the LORD was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet who said to him, ‘Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?’” (2 Chronicles 25:15).  Mr. Bill tells of those who will come to ask his advice on a particular matter, then do the opposite.   We see this in our Christian lives at times: we turn to God in times of turbulent waters then turn away in calmer seas.  Here’s what Scripture says of King Amaziah in V.2, “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.”  Read it again, “a whole heart.”  “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).  This commandment is repeated in Matthew, Mark, and Luke!  Because God is from everlasting to everlasting, so is every one of His attributes (characteristics, traits) including His Goodness.  It is true, there will be times of plenty and times of leanness, but God is God of them all and He is steadfast-sure-solid.  Let us live unto the LORD with a whole heart – a whole heart!