Down A Bad Road

 Joash became king when he was just seven years old; a child with much to learn!  He had been hidden for his first six years.  The mother of the previous king, who was angry because of her son’s death, threatened his life.  She became vindictive and revengeful, wanting nothing more than destroy the “seed of Judah.”  But God had a plan.  He had promised the Messiah would be from “the seed of David.” 

 Because of this forced seclusion, Joash grew under the competent tutelage of the Priest Jehoiada who loved the Lord!  This became a very positive influence on Joash that enabled him to lead in the way of The Lord all the years Jehoida lived.  But something happened after the Priest died.  Satan used the princes to distort what Joash had learned, causing Joash to execute the man who would have become the next king.  He let his guard down, turned his back on the God he had served and chose to go down a bad road.

            I know a young woman who years ago made the decision to go down a road her parents cautioned against.  The road brought a whirlwind of pain, sorrow, discontent, tears, and upheaval on several fronts and just plain misery to all parties involved.  Even now, those choices still haunt her family.

No one deliberately makes bad choices.  At decision time, the person is often caught up in themselves so they become self-serving or angered about something so they become vindictive. Sometimes they or confused because they’ve been given bad advice.  Satan is really good at putting people in our paths to give bad advice.  He places his “demon angels” in strategic places when he knows our vulnerability.  This vulnerability is very apparent when we hedge a little on the truth, doubt God’s Word, allow peer pressure to alter what we know is right, or make us desire things or people we are not supposed to have!

Now the idea of having someone killed seems very dramatic.  Yet, King David did the very same thing when he wanted Bathsheba!  And David was considered “a man after God’s own heart!”  He was a noble man who loved God, served and worshipped him, yet even he made a bad choice.  He paid the price, as well, as we all do when we sin.  It’s inevitable.  David was repentant, but he still had to deal with the consequences.

          Sarah made a bad choice when she told Abraham to go to Hagar when she doubted she could have a child.  Lot chose the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, Aaron allowed the people to bring all their gold and make a golden calf, Jonah chose to not go to Ninevah, the Prodigal son chose to collect his inheritance and go to another land, Judas chose thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus, and there are others; godly people who made bad choices. 

        Do you think this could never happen to you?  Are you certain you would never do anything so horrible as any of the mentioned bad choices?  Satan is all around us and has many guises and ways to tempt us in ways we might never imagine.  What road will you take?  To whom will you listen?