According to the writer of Kings, Abijah was not fully devoted to God, at least not like David who is upheld throughout the book of Kings as the exemplary man of God. The Chronicler, however, focuses on a moment in Abijah’s life when he did rely on God. Given the assessment in Kings, Abijah’s view of his own devotion is somewhat exaggerated. But despite his spiritual conceit Abijah did trust in God. And it seems that God was eager to demonstrate his willingness to help his people if they turned to him in faith, however faltering that faith might be. God wants to demonstrate his faithfulness to you, but the faithfulness of God can only be seen in times when we trust God and especially when the stakes are high. This was the case in the battle between Abijah and Jeroboam. Outside of these kinds of moments God is still faithful, but we tend not to be sensible of that. It is like turning a torch on in the middle of the day. The light of the torch shines, but you don’t see it. It is only when it gets dark that you notice the light of the torch. God wants you to see the light of his faithfulness, but you need to be prepared to stake everything on him, in particular when the stakes are high. Are you willing for God to lead you into situations where you will have to trust him more? In these situations you will also see his faithfulness more clearly. No matter how you have failed, God will show you his faithfulness if you trust him.
What do you need to trust God for today?
Read 1 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 13
