Today’s 333 Devotional: “Is God Unhappy with the Church?”

As I was reading 2 Chronicles 19 the thought struck me, “Are we experiencing God’s wrath against the church?”

“Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore, the wrath of the Lord is upon you.” (2 Chronicles 19:2)

This was God’s word to Jehoshaphat, King of Judah when he allied himself with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel. And if this wasn’t bad enough, to add insult to injury Jehoshaphat said, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.” (2 Chronicles 18:3)

While it’s true that the people of Judah and the people of Israel were Jewish, that is where the similarities stopped. Israel no longer worshiped the Lord God; rather they worshiped false gods, and Ahab did greater evil than all the kings before him, serving the gods of the Sidonians (1 Kings 16:30)

Judah, however, worshiped the Lord God, and Jehoshaphat followed the Lord and His commandments, even sending priests to teach the people God’s Commandments.

But he made this alliance. They then went to war and Ahab was killed, but God spared Jehoshaphat and brought him back safely where Jehu the prophet met him, and this message of rebuke was given.

The church has found itself in Jehoshaphat’s position, and while good has been found within the church, the church has begun to ally itself with those who do not follow God’s word and who hate the Lord.

We see this as the church has left behind Biblical teaching aligning itself more and more with psychology and New Age teachings, not to mention going against God’s word and sanctifying as holy what God has called sin.

To the church in Ephesus Jesus said, “You have forsaken your first love … Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come