Victory Over Sin (1 Kings 14:7–9)

Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9 but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back…
—1 Kings 14:7–9

So I’ll stop there. These verses continue on after this, but what an indictment from God of Jeroboam’s life.

Jeroboam had been entrusted with grace, with an opportunity to lead God’s people. And instead of following God with all his heart and doing that which was right in God’s eyes, he did that which was right in his own eyes. He did evil above all who had gone before him, made other gods, metal images, and provoked God to anger. And did you hear that phrase? Cast God behind his back.

As we hear this, aren’t we driven, motivated to pray that God would keep us from the sins of Jeroboam, which we’re all susceptible to? None of us is beyond sinning in any of these ways. So let’s just pray. As Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Today, we pray, God, please deliver us from the evil that we see in Jeroboam here, that we acknowledge we are prone to in our own hearts. God, please help us to keep your commandments, to follow you with all our hearts. We pray that that would be true of our lives every day and that you would help us to do what is right in your eyes today.

Forgive us, God, for all the ways we are prone to do—and all the ways we have done—things that are right in our own eyes, that seem right to us, seem right to the world around us, that are not right in your eyes. God, help us to do what is right according to your Word. Help us to turn from evil in every way. Help us to turn from all the little-g gods in this world to worship you alone. Help us to flee idolatry, God, we pray. And we pray that it would never be said of us at any moment today, at any moment in our lives, that we cast you behind our backs. God, we pray that you would be at the forefront of our minds, our thoughts, our affections, our desires, our words, our actions, our every interaction with others. God, help us to live with you at the center of our lives today—always before us, living to exalt you, to follow you, to worship you with all of our hearts.

Yes, God, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us specifically, we pray, from the sins of Jeroboam. And as we pray this, Jesus, we praise you for taking all the sins of Jeroboam that are evident in our lives—all our sins—upon yourself. Thank you for dying on the cross for all the ways we have done what is right in our eyes instead of yours, and for not just forgiving us, but for filling us with your Spirit so that we could live in victory over sin today.

So help us to live in this and to spread victory over sin to others around us. Help us to lead people to life in you, Jesus. May you be at the forefront of our minds that we’re speaking about you to people who don’t know about you.

A Prayer for the Mochi People

And, God, we pray for the Mochi people of Pakistan and India and Bangladesh. God, we pray that three and a half million Mochi men, women, and children will be reached with the good news of your grace, of your love in Jesus, your salvation from sin—that they might be delivered from evil and sin and death to experience life and restored relationship with you, even as we pray that you’d help us to live in restored relationship with you today. In Jesus’ name, we pray all these things. Amen.