The High Places

When you read about the ancient kings of the Jews, many were evil and followed the pagan practices of other nations.  From time to time, a good king like Asa would come into power who "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done" (1 Kings 15:11).  They would turn the people back to God, expelling the shrine prostitutes, taking down the Asherah poles and fully their lives and lead their nation to the Lord.

And yet, over and over again is would be said of those good kings that they "did not remove the high places" (vs. 14). The high places were elevated worship sites, either on a mountain or raised place in a valley where sacrifices were offered on altars other than the altar God ordained in the Temple.  Often the sacrifices were made to pagan gods and idols.  In any case, the worship reflected a self-determination rather than a God-dependence.

The high places left undisturbed in ancient Israel are akin to those things of tthe world and our own self-determination we leave in tact when we commit ourselves to the Lord.  We come to Christ, repenting of our sins, turn and follow his ways - but not in everything.  We may very well leave some high place in tact.

You've committed everything to God except the high place of materialism.  You go to church and worship God but you hold back giving the way you know you could and should because their are nice things you really want or you trust more in your bank balance than in God's blessings.

You daily feed on God's Word, digesting its truth and filling yourself with the mind of Christ.  Except that you have not torn down the high place of gluttony.  You eat when you are sad, when you are glad, when you suffer a loss, when you experience a gain.  Whether celebrating or sulking, you turn to the high place of consuming food.

You've given your heart to the God of heaven and you seek to serve him daily.  You desire to love as Jesus loves and lift up others in acts of ministry but the high place of your sexual appetite is still in tact.  Pornography, prostitution, lustful thinking, questionable sexual behavior of whatever stripe.  you are committed to the Lord but the altar of adultery or fornication has not been torn down.

You put in your high place, whatever it is that you simply cannot give up for God or that things that you keep in place to turn to from time to time instead of God's mercy and grace.  Whatever it is, it is something you know is ungodly and/or competes with God's will for your life.  The high places are real and they are difficult to give up.  However, they are just the places where Satan works to pull you away from the Lord.  Ancient Judah and Israel constantly were turning away from God and back to idolatry largely because they did not tear down the high places.

What are your high places?  How can you go about tearing them down?  What help do you require?  What decision do you need to make?  Who do you need to consult with?  How does you devotional life need to be altered?  How can you tear down your high place?  Jus' Ask'n.