The first thing must always be first!

“He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD” (2 Chronicles 12:14).

Rehoboam was the son of the king of Solomon, the king of Israel. Solomon began his kingship in the right way by honoring and obeying the Lord. However, later in his life, he sought many foreign wives who turned his heart away from the LORD God of heaven, and he started serving idols and making temples for them to please his wives. The wisest man ever lived on the face of the earth was influenced and corrupted by his ungodly alliance and yoke with foreign wives who served the idols. God warned Solomon that most of his kingdoms would be taken away from him after his death because he did not seek the Lord later in his life.

Now after the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became the king. Our daily insight today says about him, “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.” Basically, Rehoboam went with the inclination of his own heart. Bible says in Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction.” Beloved, today’s insight warns us if we do not set our heart on seeking the LORD, we may also end up doing evil. Not seeking the LORD means end up doing evil.

When Rehoboam became the king, the people in the nation came up to him with a request to lower their work burden and taxes. His father, Solomon, when he became king, he prayed and sought LORD for wisdom to rule the nation and to judge between good and evil, instead of long life, wealth, and honor. God loved because he sought Him and granted him wisdom and a discerning heart. But Rehoboam when he faced with the first major decision when he became king, he did not seek the LORD. Instead, he sought people’s advice first instead of God’s advice. He should have sought the Lord first. He asked counsel of older men. They advised him to grant the petition of the people and speak to them kindly.

However, he did not like the advice of the older man and turned to his peers and young friends. His peers advised Rehoboam to make people’s live harsher by increasing the work burden and taxes. Rehoboam followed the foolish advice of his peers. People who came to him for help left there upset and angry, and this is how the kingdom was divided into two as the LORD had already planned -northern kingdom called Israel and southern kingdom called Judah.

Beloved, the Bible says we need to seek the LORD for his help and counsel first. We need to seek the face of the LORD in prayer before we even go to Godly people for their counsel or advice. First thing First. Of course, a Godly person, a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, who loves the LORD and the Bible can give us valuable Godly counsel from the Bible. But first, before anything else, we should seek the LORD in prayer. This is for small and big decisions in our lives. We need to ask Him in prayer, LORD what do you want me to do? Do not just follow the intuitions of your heart. Following the intuitions of the heart without listening to the LORD and His Word in the Bible is dangerous. Bible says in Proverbs 28:26, “Those who trust in themselves (means in their heart’s thoughts) are fools.” Bible says our hearts are fallen and tainted with sin, evil, and wickedness. Luke 7:20 says, “out of a person’s heart come evil thoughts.” Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things.” Then how can we follow the intuitions of our hearts?

The reason for Rehoboam’s failure was this-he did evil. Why did he do evil? Because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. Is this not God’s warning for us today?

Beloved, did you set your heart to seek the LORD continually? If not, first set your heart to seek the LORD. Seek Him in prayer every day and all day for His guidance, advice, and wisdom. Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 “do not lean on your own understanding,” Instead “trust the LORD with all your heart, submit to Him all your ways and He will make your paths straight.”
Do not fret or sweat as you wait for Him to act on your behalf. Understand God knows better than you and He has better and superior plans for you even though sometimes it may not make sense to you in the short term. Psalms 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.” The LORD shall bring it to pass. He will ‘it’ to pass- your desires and God’s glory in our lives and you will end up glorifying God because He brought it to pass.
Beloved, all these words above would be meaningless if you still do not know Christ Jesus personally. I am not talking about religion. I am talking about a personal relationship with the Son of God, Jesus, who died, buried, and rose again for the remission of our sins and grant us eternal life in heaven. Accepting Christ Jesus as your savior and Lord is the first step to seek the Lord in prayer and to obtain all God’s blessings.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I want to seek you every day and all the time. Help me to lean on you, Lord. I do not want to lean on the intuitions of my heart or anyone else. I give my heart to you fully and completely. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord because I believe he died and rose again for all of my sins. Please save me. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”