Fully Committed To The Lord
September 03, 2014 | By Chuck
As I study through the book of I Kings I find this phrase once in a while that continues to grab my attention. The phrase is "fully committed to the Lord". King Asa was described as one who "was fully committed to the Lord."(I Kngs.15:14) Not every King is described with this phrase. Kings Nadab and Baasha were both described as Kings who "did evil in the eyes of the Lord."(I Kngs.15:26; 15:34) It seems that each man who is appointed King over either Judah or Israel is described with one of these phrases. I think we get the idea of what kind of person each King was by the phrase used to describe him. "Fully committed to the Lord" is a phrase that gets my attention. To me, it begs a deeper look and better understanding. Several of the Kings were not described this way because they "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." In the context and time frame of I Kings, being "fully committed to the Lord" meant there was no other God in the heart and mind of that particular King. The King who was "fully committed to the Lord" was opposed to idol worship and at times even destroyed the high places and altars to the false gods. Being "fully committed to the Lord" meant living in accordance with God's law and not allowing anything to come before God. What about Christians today? I realize Christians are committed to the Lord but are we "fully" committed to the Lord? If you are "fully" committed to your spouse then there's nothing that can come between you two. In the same way, Christians who are "fully" committed to the Lord will not put their relationship with Him in jeopardy for anything. A Christian who is "fully" committed to the Lord is one who puts the Lord first every day and in every way. Simply put, the Lord always comes first to the Christian who is fully committed to Him. Remember the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."(Mt.22:37) Let's strive daily to be "fully" committed to the Lord. Chuck Ball