Have you ever bought a piece of property, or a home, or just a closet in your own home and you had to “clean house”? I’m talking about getting rid of all the junk, excess, or just plain ole unwanted stuff.
When summer time approaches, this school-teacher mom starts going through closets, rooms, and any other place I can find to simplify things a bit. When it is all said and done, “Ahhhhhhhhh!” I feel at PEACE and happy. But, unfortunately it doesn’t take long for those once peaceful looking areas to become cluttered and disarrayed again.
This is how King Asa’s life was in 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14 in today’s “Walking in the Word”. Check this out:
“Asa became the next king. For ten years into Asa’s reign the country was at peace. 2-6 Asa was a good king. He did things right in God’s eyes. He cleaned house: got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed the sacred stone pillars, and chopped down the sex-and-religion groves (Asherim). He told Judah to center their lives in God, the God of their fathers, to do what the law said, and to follow the commandments. Because he got rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace. Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah. God kept the peace.” 2 Chronicles 14:1-6.
Notice what Asa did:
- Did things right in God’s eyes
- Got rid of anything not related to the One True God.
- He told everyone else to get right with God and make Him the center of your life
- He said to follow the law and The Ten Commandments.
Notice what happened:
- Because Asa did these things, there was peace in the land.
- He built up a good defense system
Okay, now let’s forget about the cluttered closets in our home and move on to the clutter in our lives. I took each bullet point above and found a scripture or two to back it up:
- Romans 12:17, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”
- Deuteronomy 6:18, “Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight”
- Colossians 3:8, “But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.”
- Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (That’s making Him the center of your life.)
- John 15:10, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
- 1 John 5:3, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,”
See! And notice that I did not saying anything, it was all from the word of God. And there’s plenty more instructions like those where they came from.
Is this difficult to maintain this lifestyle like my closets were a challenge to keep organized with a family of five? YES! Even Asa had difficulty. Later in his life, his faith shillyshallied (you like that word, don’t ya?). He ended up doing a foolish thing and ignored God and even turned to non-Godly sources for help. Because Asa did this it says, “The eyes of the LORD go around looking in all the earth for people who are faithful to him so that he can make them strong. Asa, you did a foolish thing. So from now on you will have wars.” 1 Chronicles 16:9. It wasn’t too many years later when Asa got a disease and died.
It be a challenge to keep your life at peace and uncluttered. No one is perfect. But it’s a challenge that is worth the glory on earth.
1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”
Keep the peace. Keep God in the center of your life and follow His commands.
Blessings to you!