Rehoboam died, and his son Abijah succeeded him. Like his father before him, Abijah was a wicked king. He likely grew up in a home that did not honor God and his word. So, he committed the same sins his father Rehoboam committed. Throughout his reign, Judah was at war with Israel, their brothers. Abijah reigned only three years. He was not like David, whose heart had been fully devoted to the Lord (except in the matter of Uriah’s wife). However, for the sake of his servant David, God kept a lamp burning in Jerusalem by giving Abijah a son. The Lord was faithful to the promise he had made to David to keep a man from his line on the throne for all time.

The lamp God raised up through Abijah was his son Asa. Asa would reign in Jerusalem for forty-one years. He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes. He expelled the shrine prostitutes, rid the land of idols, and even deposed his own grandmother when she didn’t repent of her idol worship. Asa was not 100% perfect. He did not remove the high places. And he made an alliance with the king of Aram to fight off Israel, instead of trusting in the Lord. Even so, the Lord blessed Judah in battle. Asa’s heart, like King David’s, was committed to the Lord.
Application: Father, help me to commit my heart to you my whole life. May I devote my life to you and your word.
One Word: Be fully committed to the Lord