I Thought I Was Done with This

Have you ever thought you had dealt with a particular sin only to find that the same sin had shown up again when you least expected it? I have. On more than one occasion, I thought I had forgiven someone and later realized I still held a grudge against that person. I've also declared myself free of everything that caused me to overeat, only to discover that I can still eat half a pint of ice cream in one sitting when I'm upset (please don't judge me, I already repented).

My reality and the reality of King Asa from the Bible is that unless we are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure all the doors of our hearts are closed to the enemy, he will keep coming in and out of our lives. King Asa was a good man who, at the beginning of his reign, proposed in his heart to do what was right before the God of Israel.

However, when I read about him in the Bible, I thought it was odd that in 2 Chronicles 14, we read that he removed the foreign altars, destroyed the high places, and cut down the Asherah poles that were in Judah, but we see he does it again in 2 Chronicles 15. I wondered why he did not finish the job the first time until I read verse 16, which reads:

King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, broke it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 15:16.

One thing is to deal with your issues, and another way more difficult is to deal with issues within your family. King Asa's grandmother was an idolater. She worshiped Asherah, the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. I know someone who always says, "Jesus is in my heart, but Adam is in my bones," meaning it is hard to eliminate family traditions, beliefs, or sinful ways.

Nevertheless, unless we are willing to destroy ALL the altars we have built to sin in our hearts, we will never enjoy the full blessing of God in those areas. Sometimes it is necessary to step on a few toes and even to say goodbye to a few people to get rid of sin entirely and forever.

I know it is difficult to let go of family resentments, to put distance between you and some people, or to deal with the pain of the past, but my friends, life is too short not to do it. Take some time this week, examine your hearts, and destroy anything keeping you from completely obeying God. No matter how hard that is, I promise it will be worth it.