Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. (Therefore the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly.) ~ 2 Kings 13:4-5
And you would think that it all turned around completely from this point forward, right? I mean, faced with the oppression of the enemy nation, the king humbled himself and turned to the One True God (Yahweh), AND GOD RESCUED THE KING AND HIS PEOPLE!
But if you keep on reading after verse 5 you will see that "Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam..." (That is unfortunate, to say the least.)
The truth of the matter was that the king seemed to only be thinking of the personal safety of himself and his people in the moment, but his heart was a looooooooooooooonnnnnggg way from God's perspective and plan. In reality, the king was more concerned about his own sense of right and wrong (morality), his own self-preservation (therapy), and his willingness to only call upon God when needed without an ongoing right faith relationship (deism).
Today, we call this Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. And it is NOT possible to hold this view and have this lifestyle and think that we will be able to live out the transformed life of faith in God's promises. The only way to do that is to find that all of God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen" in - and ONLY IN - Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 1:20). And then to live with the hope of Christ in His new covenant life, trusting in Him as the Truth (Who is also the Way and the Life).
Come to Jesus and taste and see that the Lord is good and His lovingkindness lasts forever.
Thristy for the spiritual quenching that only Christ can provide and praying for you to seek His living water,
~ Pastor Sean and Tess
PS - Take time today or this week to spend a few extra moments with God in prayer and celebrate His goodness in your life and His grace that He wants to show through your life.