June 30

2 Kings 17:1-18:12; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 18:6-7

God really does not require that much from us. Think of it like a business arrangement (not that it is). God gives us life, health, strength, the ability to prosper, a purpose, destiny, and everything we could ever need. All He asks is that we worship him and obey him. To worship Him is to put Him first. To obey is to do what He says to do.

If you balance the scales, it appears that all God has given us far outweighs what He requires of us. When you look at what God did for Israel as a nation, His request seemed so insignificant. Put me first and do what I instructed you. At every turn, they did the exact opposite; with the end result being that the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into exile in Assyria. Because God is gracious, He gave Israel opportunity after opportunity to get things in order but they never did. I suspect that when the Assyrians came, the Israelites wondered, “Why is God doing this to us?” when in fact, God had been warning them.

You don’t have to miss what God has planned for your life. If you have been receiving warnings from God, please heed them. Don’t frustrate His grace. He loves you too much to just let you walk into trouble without a warning. Make whatever adjustments you need to. There is too much at stake.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 2 Kings 18:13-19:37; Acts 21:1-17; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8