City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read; ‘People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.’”

2nd Chronicles 30:6-9

Exegesis

The Israelites had lived as captives or refugees of the Assyrians. Although they were free of them, they still followed their captor’s ways. Hezekiah, King of Judah, called for a revival in the Name of the Lord. Unlike his father, Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29:2), and wanted to unite the Israelites and lead them back to God.

Application

“We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man…We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.”

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity p 28-29

To get on the right path, one has to go back. It does no good to keep going on the wrong path hoping it will lead to the right one. Direction, not intention, determines destination.

The Principle of the Path, by Andy Stanley, p 95

One can intend to go to New York, but if their direction is west, they will end up in California. They have to swallow their pride and go back to reach their intended destination.

What does it mean to go back?

• Assess the current location
• Ask how you got there
• Aim in the right direction

Prayer

Dear Lord, please forgive us when we go on the wrong path. Help us to walk in Your Way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.