Are We Drifting Away?

711 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel,” Again. This isn't the first time that God's anger was aroused against His people. The King James uses the word “kindled.” Think about that. Kindling isn't a raging fire, but it's the first step. It's the start of a fire, the awakening of a fire if you will. Therefore, Israel had done something that awakened the wrath of God. We aren't told what caused this kindling, but one thing we know about the character of God is that He is “slow to anger.” The phrase “slow to anger” as it concerns God is found six times in the New King James Bible. Joe 2:13 says, “So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. This admonition to “return to the Lord,” would speak then of a drifting away by the people. This drifting away is a common problem of the church especially in times of peace and prosperity, and this is what the people were experiencing at the end of David's reign. There is an old English proverb that says, “idle hands are the devils' workshop.” This proverb is born out in several places in Scripture. For instance what did the people do in their idleness while waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain? They fashioned a golden calf and worshiped it. And was not the way paved for David to sin with Bathsheba through his own idleness? Pr 6:10 says, “ A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep- 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. The church in America has been blessed with peace and prosperity. Has this led to spiritual idleness? Have we drifted away from the Lord? Are we basking in His grace while ignoring those things which His Word tells us to do? Has His anger been kindled? These are questions worth pondering for the sake of ourselves and our children.