There's ALWAYS Going To Be A Winner

Sometimes all the bloody battles and gore of the old testament really sink in deep.
Today was one of those days where I could't just skim over it.

It seems as though there was always somebody fighting somebody or killing somebody or spearing somebody or chopping somebody's head off...sheesh!

You know what I realized today, though?

There is ALWAYS going to be a winner.

In 2 Chronicles 12:1 Rehoboam had just secured his kingdom (read, God had ALLOWED his kingdom to be secure because of his wise choices and humility toward God).  At first his heart was soft toward the Lord's leading and instruction.

Of course it was, he was earnestly trying to make sure his kingdom was secure.  He wanted the Lord's favor.  He knew he needed God on his side if he was ever going to make it.

But in this first verse in chapter 12 it says, "When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him."

He got arrogant and self-confident and turned away from the Lord.
But since he had established his kingdom, the "kingdom" followed him and they followed his lead, becoming unfaithful to the Lord as well.

You can guess what happened next...the Israelites, God's chosen people, were overtaken by the Egyptians.

The bad guys won!

Sometimes (not all the time, but in this kind of situation) the bad guys win because we let them (because of our own disobedience).
We make a choice to establish our OWN kingdom rather than the kingdom God has blessed us with and that opens the door for the bad guy to win.

I don't want to rely on God only when I feel as though I NEED Him.  I want to rely on him on the mountain top too.

God has given me a kingdom to lead (this Colony).  Sometimes I don't feel like it is established (bless the 2014 snowpocolypse(s) that resulted in 5 energetic children to be trapped in a house for days on end...need I say more), but it doesn't really matter anyway.  It is the kingdom God has given me and it is my responsibility to lead them well.  I don't want the bad guys to win a single battle on my watch!

PS-A few verses later Rehoboam and his people humbled themselves and the Lord regained some of their dignity.  If the enemy has won some of the battles in your kingdom, don't believe the lie that it's too late to make a change...

PPS-SPOILER ALERT~I am NOT the perfect kingdom leader.  Yes, I have lost some battles in my kingdom, and I'm sure they aren't my last, but I know who wins the war and I am determined to put up a fight to the end, AMEN?!