"The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works." Psalm 33:13-15

There is a shaking in the lives of God's people to loose them from idols and tear down their high places of worship. God is going after the intent of every thought that has exalted itself above the knowledge of Him. Thoughts that have been entertained, evaluated and eventually taken people captive. We have thought the idols have been destroyed, but we are still worshiping in the high places! Hearts must be directed toward God. Only God knows the place of the altar where we worship.

The plumb line of the Lord's has been dropped into the world, and all of creation is being measured according to His justice and righteousness. The cry in the spirit is for justice and righteousness to reign in the land, but it is the people who live in that land that determine the ruling power and influence by their hearts.

Looking at the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah in 2 Chronicles 17-20, we find an excellent example of how removing idols out of our lives is not enough. We must remove the high places they hold in our thoughts and hearts to be delivered and our hearts need to be directed toward God. The king's heart took delight in the ways of the Lord and originally did remove the high places and wooden images from Judah. He prospered in the land and the fear of the Lord was on all the kingdoms that surrounded Judah. So Judah had peace. But He allied himself with Ahab, the king of Israel, by his son marrying Ahab's daughter, Athaliah. Eventually the high places were restored and the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on them.

The word says how can two walk together unless they agree? When Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab, he showed a high place within himself. An altar that belonged not to the Lord, but to another. The Lord never called Jehoshaphat to walk with the wicked and those that hated Him. Because Jehoshaphat had areas in his life that took a higher place than the plans of his God, the people followed by reverting back to their places of worship and King Jehoshaphat lost favor with the Lord for the people had not directed their hearts toward the God of their fathers.

What is the first step of a high place being established in our heart for the eventual act of idolatry? Being out of God's rest and carrying burdens He has not given to us.

In Jeremiah 17:21&22, The Lord commands Israel to not carry burdens on the Sabbath day. It was to be a day of rest. In the new covenant according to Hebrews 4:1-11 we are to enter His rest, to hear His voice and not harden our hearts. To believe and enter into the promise of His rest. And to fear not doing so, lest any of us seem to have come short of it!

Why is the rest of the Lord so critical in our walk in the Spirit? Look back to Jeremiah 17. Following the warning on carrying burdens on the Sabbath day, the Lord takes Jeremiah to the potter's house in chapter 18. The vessel is marred, so the potter starts again, and makes it into a new vessel. The message was that the vessel had to obey the potter and rest in His hands as He re-fashioned him on the wheel. Israel's response." That is hopeless! " Much the same response we give the Lord when He says, " Be still and know that I am God." When it's time for Him to re-fashion us. Israel walked according to their own plans and obeyed the dictates of their heart. What followed that decision is found in chapter 18 verse 15..." Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways." What follows unrest and rebellion? Idolatry!

Idolatry is met with the wrath of God, though it is always His heart that we turn from our wickedness and live! In Amos chapter 4, we find five ways that the Lord comes to draw us through circumstances in our lives, to cry out for Him and repent from our ways, seeking Him and life.

1. Verse 6, He gives us cleanness of teeth, hunger-famine! What we had been eating for bread has been removed from our lives to create a hunger, so that we will seek Him out, and be fed the bread of life. If we do not return to Him, we move on to verse 7&8. Thirst!

2. He will withhold the rain! We become dry-parched and search for a new well for our thirst. We wander from city/meeting to city/meeting until we find water. But we are not satisfied, for we have not searched for Him, just to wet our thirst. We have still not returned to Him.

3. Verse 9! We work, we plant and our garden increases! We must be doing okay with God! Look! Our vineyards are ready for harvest! But suddenly the frost comes and ruins our garden. And the locusts have devoured the vineyard and trees! The fruit of our labor has come to nothing! But our hearts become harden instead seeking Him out and we return not unto Him.

4. Verse 10! A plague after the manner of Egypt is sent and our young men are killed with the sword. Our future and our strength are removed. And the evil stench of our wickedness rises to our nostrils. We start to choke on the choices of our lives. All of this to draw us to the reality of our desperate need for a Savior! To turn us from the captivity of Idolatry. To reveal clearly the high places where we worship! But woe, if we still do not turn.

5. Verse 11! We find ourselves in the fire of destruction! But if we repent, we will be like a firebrand plucked from the burning! Many firebrands are on their way into the kingdom. Because of the great deception that is rampant in our society, it will take the fire of the Lord to bring people to their acknowledgment for a Savior. To throw down their idols and remove the wicked high places of worship that held them captive. To those who remain stiff necked...verse 12." Prepare to meet your God..."

The Lord cries out, " Seek Me and live! " To change our homes, cities and nations, we must change our hearts. We must direct them toward God and worship only at His altar and high place. Psalm 36:7-9 says, " How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures, for with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light."

Seek Him and live! Choose life...increase your light through His light!

Great Grace!

Deborah Voetberg Women Of Influence www.judges5.com judges5@qwest.net