A LOYAL HEART

I just could not get it.

What was the difference between David, who messed up in a big way multiple times, and the other good kings, who were obliterated for doing one thing wrong?

What made David different?

Then I found my answer in 2 Chronicles 25:2,

And he did was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart. (NKJV)

This passage is speaking about Amaziah and his reign in Judah, but it spoke so loudly to me in response to my question.

When many of the good kings messed up, even if only once, they rejected the correction of the Lord.

They got angry and responded in rebellion.

When David was corrected, he humbled himself before the Lord.

He had a loyal heart.

We can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

To What is our heart loyal?

Looking good in front of others?

Convincing everyone, perhaps even ourselves, that we have it all together?

We can do them all for the right reasons.

Trying to please and honor the Lord.

It is easy to do right when it carries little consequences or inconvenience.

What about when we need to do right after we have done wrong?

When the Lord chastens us,

which we pray He does as it is a sign of His love for us,

how do we respond?

To What or Whom do we find our hearts loyal?

Our flesh or our God?

Like David, we are going to blow it.

We are going to mess it up at some point in time.

The test of our heart can come when we are corrected by the Lord.

Are we loyal to our flesh and demand we have done nothing wrong?

Are we loyal to Christ Jesus and repent then and there?

A work in progress, yes we are.

In that progress, let us (and believe me I mean ME in a big way) be deliberate in turning our hearts toward the Lord.

Let us deliberately raise up within ourselves loyal hearts to Christ Jesus.

He is deliberately loyal to us.