Peace And Rest In Our Homes
“…for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace.” 2 Chronicles 14:6 Amplified Bible
Charles Galloway was an author from the 19th Century and he made a very insightful observation that remains true today. He said, “Any religion that fails to purify the home is powerless to elevate the nation”. If we fail to make things right in the Lord in our homes, we will never be able to change the heart of the nation. The good news is that Word empowers us to make dramatic and positive changes in our households. I would venture to guess that at some point in the last week you spoke a desire to have peace and rest in your home. Most households are severely lacking in both areas, because of the fast-paced culture we live in. But if you long for peace and rest in your home, you can have it!
2 Chronicles Chapter 14 shares with us the story of King Asa. And it says that his action led to a time of unprecedented peace and rest for the nation of Judah. If we apply to our homes the principles King Asa demonstrated, we too can enjoy peace and rest in our homes. So, what did Asa do to bring in this time of blessing? Well, in verses 3 and 4 we learn:
“He took away the foreign altars and high places and broke down the idol pillars or obelisks and cut down the Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah]. And commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers [to inquire of and for Him and crave Him as a vital necessity], and to obey the law and the commandment.”
The King made a concerted effort to remove from the people all the things that took their eyes off of the Lord and placed them on the things of the world. It fostered a renewed hunger for God and the people of Judah sought God and craved Him in their lives as a necessity that could not live without. Think about the things in your household that may distract family members from the Lord and a craving for Him in their lives. I am not suggesting that you remove the TV, but in our home, we have endeavored to remove any programs that might be contrary to the things of God. What about what is heard and read in your home? Do these things divert family members away from the Lord? I am not suggesting that we go back to the pre-media days of the 1800’s, but we should consider what things we are allowing into our homes.
It goes on to say that as Asa removed those things and built up the nation in the Lord, the result was Judah enjoyed rest for ten years and peace for 20. Verse 6 says “And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had to rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace.” How welcome would a time of peace and rest in your home be? If we follow the example of Asa we can experience that.
Are you doing all you can to establish peace and rest in your home?
J Todd Hostetler