Greetings in the Strong Name of Jesus!!

Abandonment

II Chronicles 24:20 - “Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”   NLT

When my son was about four years old, I was working at the church on a Saturday work day.  Many folks where there, in fact my wife was there as well.  It came time for her to leave and I continued to work.  It finally came time for me to leave.  I got in my car and left for home.  Upon arriving home, I inquired of Kris - “Where is Brent?”  To which she replied, “I left him at church, you were to bring him home with you.”  I was terrified.  I had abandoned my son.  I raced back to the church and found my son sitting on the curb on the driveway his face in his hands.  I grabbed him in my arms and hugged him and told him how sorry I was for leaving him.  He sobbed and said, “I thought you left me.”  My heart was broken as I realized my son thought I had abandoned him.

The Children of Israel once again had left the ways of Almighty God and were worshiping idols when the word of the Lord came to Zechariah.  He simply told them they had abandoned God now God was abandoning them.  Having watched my son’s face and hearing his sobs I can only imagine how he felt.  But in this case God is telling the people He is leaving them.  What a horrible day that must have been.  To be abandoned by God has to be the most terrible thing that could ever happen to someone.  I know of no one whom God has abandoned.  I know of numbers of people, however who have abandoned God.  I pray I am never one of them.  Why did God abandon them?  Because they continually disobeyed the commands of the Lord.

Another thing struck me as I read this verse.  Obedience is equal to prospering.  “Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering?”  This is a great truth.  If we want to prosper, we must obey the Lord.  If we truly want to prosper in our spirit - we must obey the Lord.  If we want to prosper in our efforts - we must obey the Lord.  Be careful not to equate prosperity with wealth - I don’t think they are necessarily the same.  But I do believe the Word when it says God will give us everything we NEED.  I do believe the Word when it says He has already given us EVERYTHING we need for Godliness and life.

It wasn’t enough they were missing out on prosperity, they were being abandoned by God, too.  How about you?  Want to prosper?  Obey God.  Want to insure against abandonment?  Obey God.  I think I will obey and enjoy the fellowship of a close relationship with God and enjoy prosperity.

You are loved, Pastor Roger