Tues., 12/20/16 Devotion (2 Chron. 24:18a)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Chronicles 24:18a, where we read these words:

"Therefore they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols . . . "

This verse (above) pretty well sums-up the religious life of all professing Christians. So long as we stay close to the Lord, and hence in His "house," we are fine, safe, and secure. But just as soon as we abandon the Lord, and leave His "house," we end up worshipping wood, rocks, sticks, and dirt.

What a contrast: on one hand, we have communion with the God who creat-ed all things, and has re-created His saints in the image of Jesus; and on the other hand, we end up bowing down to things infinitely lower than ourselves. Let us all recognize the key and critical importance of staying in God's "house," the holy church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Puritan quote of the day: "As there was but one ark to save the world from drowning, so there is but one Jesus to save sinners from damning.” —Thom-as Watson, in, "A Body of Divinity"]