5th.: It is Easy to Drift from the Lord
King Hezekiah of Israel lay sick. He was dying. (2nd Kings 20:1)
God told King Hezekiah to get his house in order.
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed hard,
‘I beseech, O Lord; remember now how I have walked before thee in truth,
and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.
And Hezekiah wept sore.” (2nd Kings 20:2-3).
God took pity.
God promised Hezekiah fifteen more years (2nd Kings 20:4-11).
Even though God answered his request with a ‘Yes’, Hezekiah still drifted from the Lord as it is written,
”But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up, therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah, and Jerusalem.” (2nd Chr. 32:24- 25).
Even when God is nice to us, by giving us 'Yes' answers, we still can easily forget the Lord.
The Apostle Paul had this mindset, when he said,
“But I keep my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means,
when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1st. Cor. 9:27).
We need to adapt that same determination to stay close to the Lord.
“Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God. Lest when thou has eaten and are full, then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God.” (Deut. 8: 11a, 12a, 14a)