The People Still Had Not . . .

II Chronicles 20:33

The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

Asa's son Jehoshaphat devoted his heart to the ways of the Lord, and he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah (17:6). He also sent his officials to teach in the towns if Judah, sending with them Levites and priests, taking the Book of the Law with them; they went to all the towns of Judah and taught the people (17:7-9). Then he appointed judges in each of the cities in Judah to administer the Law and to turn the people back to the Lord (19:4-11). And when Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir got together and made war on him, Jehoshaphat sought the Lord, and set men to sing praises to the Lord ahead of his army, and God set ambushes and destroyed them (20:1-30). And still the people did not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

Even after the reigns of both King Asa and King Jehoshaphat, who both were "good kings" and tried to turn their nation Judah back to God, the people still were stubborn and willful and clung to their false idols, replacing the "high places" that had been demolished. 

O my Father, please send us your Asa, to show the way to America, and even a Jehoshaphat to reinforce Your ways among our people. Even if the people refuse Your ways, and are determined on rebuilding the false, weak idols, we need strong leaders to show us the right way; and no one will have any excuse when Jesus returns to claim His kingdom and rule for 1000 years and forever.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!