2 Chronicles 14:1-5. When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years. Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands. Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense altars from every one of Judah’s towns. So Asa’s kingdom enjoyed a period of peace.
You have erected so many altars and shrines. You have put so many things before me. You enshrine those things that bring pleasure, fame, fortune, safety, longevity….. You are no different than the people in the days of David. The only difference is that, in the land of Judah, the altars and shrines were visibly dedicated to the foreign gods and goddesses. In your day, many of these places of worship are disguised and not readily recognizable as altars. Yet, they are. When you seek money instead of trusting me to provide, you are worshipping at that altar. When you seek fame instead of seeking me, you are worshipping at that altar. When you seek pleasure above all else, you are worshipping at that altar. When your focus is on your looks, your age, your image, instead of me, you are worshipping at that altar. When you seek power instead of acknowledging and respecting my position, you are worshipping at that altar. Whenever you place anything before me, or in the way of your relationship with me, you have enshrined that thing and it becomes a place of worship. Look at your life carefully. Find all the altars you have constructed. Tear them down. Now. They are places of weakness, places where your enemy can slip in and do real damage to your relationship with me. I do not tear them down for you. I will help you if you sincerely seek my assistance, but it is you that has to carry out the destruction and clear your life of evil. (2022)
Amanuensis 