DCLM Daily Manna 5 May 2023 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Unrepentant Heart
TOPIC: Unrepentant Heart (DCLM Daily Manna 5 May 2023)
KEY VERSE: “And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD… thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, But hast walked in… the whoredoms of the house of Ahab…” (2 Chronicles 21:12,13).
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 21:12-20 (KJV)
12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:
14 Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
16 Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19 And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
20 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
MESSAGE:
A righteous man died, leaving three sons and a daughter behind. His first son, now heir to most of his properties, decided to undo most of the things his father had done. He took back a property donated by his father to a local church and barred every member of the assembly from coming close to it. Two years after, he was struck with a disease and spent much of his money on the sickness. Worse still, he refused to seek repentance and divine help until he died.
This story captures the life of Jehoram, the son of a righteous father, Jehoshaphat. He abandoned the ways of his father and Asa, two God-fearing kings of Judah before him, but preferred the idolatrous lifestyles of Ahab and other foolish kings of Israel. He killed his half-brothers – which was abominable before the Almighty.
God, therefore, sent Elijah to pronounce judgment on him. His family would be struck with a great plague; he would also be smitten with an incurable bowel sickness, and the Philistines and other strange countries would plunder Judah. After hearing this prophecy, the young man hardened his heart and refused to repent until all these came upon him.
There are many people in our society who refuse to change their ways after God’s pronounced judgment. Because sentence againt their evil work is delayed, they refuse to repent and ask for His forgiveness. They wait and watch until God’s judgment comes to pass.
Like Jehoram, the end of such people is often terrible and their eternal destiny is hell. However, God is not willing that your life should end like that. Things can turn around when you repent and reconcile with God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
One sure way to be stranded is to take God’s warning and entreaties for granted.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Judges 8-10
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
