SUBTRACTION NOT SUBSTITUTION

Today's reading: 1 Kings 14-18

"He banished the shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols his ancestors had made." 1 Kings 15:12 NLT

King Asa can be applauded for taking a stand against idolatry and attempting to draw the people of Israel back to God.

He tried.

He really tried.

He cleaned house, he straightened things up and he set about restoring godliness.

But the thing is...

What we're all guilty of...

What never works...

When it comes to the heart, it's never about subtraction, it's about substitution.

If we take something out of our heads, hearts, lives (subtraction), it will be filled in with something else.

Asa didn't institute God worship as a substitute for idol worship.

Everyone is made with a deep down desire to worship. A desire to worship some thing or some one.

While King Asa's attempts were noble and nationwide, they were short lived and soon the people turned back to what had previously held important places in their hearts--idols.

We all need to fill in God things in the places we're pulling out godless things. We need to begin godly habits where we remove ungodly habits.

It takes effort, but it's about substitution, not subtraction.