Dismantle the shrine ...

I have often found it intriguing that there were so many Kings (as recorded in the Old Testament) that seemed to get it so wrong. I am reminded of the quote that suggests, "worse than making a mistake, is not learning from it, and worse still is not learning from the mistake you have seen someone else make." And yet, time and time again we see these men (Kings) rise to such powerful positions, having often observed the self destruction of the one before them (some times more than just one), and yet they carry on the same destructive pattern. This pattern, (or practice) namely being that they did not follow God.

Here is one who appeared to learn, but still didn't carry it far enough:

2 Kings 14:3-4 (New Living Translation)

3 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight,

but not like his ancestor David.

Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash.

4 Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines,

and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

Amaziah it seems did what was pleasing to the Lord, however, he left some remnants of the people's past practices of wrongful worship in place and they were able to continue in these ways, offering sacrifices and burning incense, without any retribution from the King. He needed to dismantle the shrine and failed to do so.

What a reminder to us that when the Lord frees us from something that has previously entangled us, we need to remove that aspect (or even the remnants of it), from our lives, so that we are not tempted to go back to it at any time, possibly in a moment of weakness. That something, whatever it might be, can have no place in our lives. We must eliminate the possiblity of either getting caught up in again, or having others affected by it.

"Lord, help me to rid from my life those things that You have freed me from. Help me to dispose of them so that I cannot be enticed into the practices of old that are harmful and destructive to my relationship with You, and with others. I desire to be wholesome and to live a holy life. Help me by Your Spirit to do that victoriously."