“Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him…”

1 Kings 16:30

“[Azariah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.”

2 Kings 15:3

During this Fall Season, as the leaves change color, and one by one, quietly fall from the trees, we have been reading our way through First and Second Kings. Hearing of Queen Elizabeth’s passing and King Charles III ascending the throne made these stories more real to us. As each king is mentioned in Scripture, the length of their reign is recorded, and also whether they did “what was right or evil in the eyes of the LORD”. Some reigns were short (7 days for Zimri), some were long (55 years for Manasseh); David and his son Solomon each reigned 40 years. But none made the record 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign over Great Britain! However, one fact is true for all sovereigns, past and present: Their reigns eventually come to an end, and all of them die.

Actually, the same is true for you and me: Our lives are fleeting, and this Fall Season reminds us that as happens to the leaves, we too will fall and return to dust. If a short paragraph were to be written of our lives, would it include the words “did right in the eyes of the LORD…”? Some good kings had good fathers, others had very bad ones. Some bad kings had bad fathers, others had good ones. Each had to choose their own way in life, and regardless of our own upbringing, we too are free to “choose whom we will serve”, the LORD or any of the “pagan gods” around us (success, riches, pleasure, popularity, academia, career…) or even setting up ourselves as the “supreme god” in our lives. Some kings of Israel and Judah tried syncretism: wanting to serve the True God AND other popular gods of their day – and it didn’t work for them, just as it won’t work for us.

So may God find us faithful, and whether we are a King or a Queen, may we “do what is right in the eyes of the LORD”, loving and joyfully serving Him alone. He deserves our loyalty. More than that, He deserves our love, because He first loved us, and paid on the cross what He thought we are worth. How much is He worth to us? That is the real question!

With a hug from us both and from all the Beacon Team,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn