SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 22
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Ahaziah also followed the evil example of King Ahab’s family, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as Ahab’s family had done. They even became his advisers after the death of his father, and they led him to ruin. [2 Chronicles 22:3-4]
Every person has a choice; we choose how we respond to hardship, temptation and opportunity.
Though we can be victimized by people or circumstances, we are not victims.
But like a muscle, the exercise of the will can be made strong or weak.
Ahaziah was not a victim, he was exercising his choice-muscles, but not in a good way.
He was choosing to surrender his life to dangerous, foolish advisors, and they led him to ruin.
This last line, “they led him to ruin”, is sticking with me.
It makes it sound like he was a victim, that others did this to him.

And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. [Matthew 6:13]
In the prayer that Jesus taught us, He includes a line about not being led into temptation and rescuing us from the evil one.
The fact that we pray this prayer shows that we have an active part in this prayer.
We need to want this, to seriously resist those that might lead us into evil.
We cannot naively hang out with those that encourage us to do wrong, and seek them as advisors – and then ask God to protect us from their bad influence.
We are asking God to help keep us strong in the face of the negative influence of those around us, to strengthen our resolve to do what is right and resist what is wrong.

Ahaziah chose his path, and therefore his consequence.
We may find the painful bowel disease harsh, but we should not see this as arbitrary justice.
We live in a sinful, messed up world; our bodies also experience the curse of sin.
God is restraining all manner of ‘consequences’ in our lives, but He does not stop them forever; eventually the effects of sin take their toll on us (we all die from some form of physical decline).
But at times, God will remove His restraining hand; sometimes He does this for a higher purpose, not because of the sin of an individual (like when He allowed Jesus to suffer and die physically).
But sometimes He does it as a form of temporary judgment, allowing those who reject Him to experience the consequences without His hand in their lives.

This passage is an encouragement and warning to all of us: stay close to God and resist sin and immorality!
God’s hand is able to use us and help us and bless us!
But life against God, life lived in defiance of God, life lived without the hand of God is painful, and leads to ruin.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. [Matthew 6:13]

PRAYER:
Lord, help me to see that my choices are a part of my consequences. Thank You for Your restraining hand in my life, but help me to have a restraining hand in what I do, who I listen to, who I follow!