‘…they continue practicing the former [habits]…’ 2 Kings 17:34 NKJV
God said, ‘…they continue practicing the former [habits]; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow…the law…which the Lord…commanded…’ (2 Kings 17:34 NKJV) Understand this: any habit you feed will strengthen its grip on your life. Ask anyone recovering from addiction; we only become willing to change when we hit the bottom. Prodigals don’t come home until they’ve lost everything! But that doesn’t have to be your story. Your heavenly Father is waiting to welcome you back. You are a child of the Most High; captivity is unnatural for you. You’ll never be free until you despise (hate) your chains. Whether you’re bound by alcohol, an unhealthy relationship or a life that’s out of order, your circumstances won’t change until your mind is released from the grip of old thought patterns and renewed by God’s Word (Romans 12:2). So start putting in place new habits, for what you do consistently, you become permanently. Begin the Bible-reading habit. Put it first on your ‘to do’ list or you won’t do it faithfully. ‘…for [these words] bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning…’ (Proverbs 4:22 NLT) Set a specific time for prayer, otherwise everything else will crowd it out. In prayer God will tell you how He feels about things. Can you afford to live without His input? Attend church regularly, support it with your money, exercise your spiritual gifts and begin to invest time and energy into relationships that sharpen and strengthen you spiritually. God will say things to you in His house that He won’t say anywhere else. Your daily habits are carving out an irreversible future. If you want to know where you’re headed—examine them!
SoulFood: Exo 1–3, Matt 5:13–26, Ps 42:1–5, Pro 1:20–27
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©