The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 2 Kings 12:3
In cleaning out some things, extreme attention to detail must be used. Everything must be cleaned correctly, or it will end up failing. When a doctor is removing cancer cells from a person’s body, he must remove every cell or the cancer will return very quickly. The problem can re-arise when things are not fully done.
There are many things that need to be cleaned with extreme care or there will be problems later on. Cleaning of water, dishes, food, electronic equipment and more. Each one requires that all contaminants be removed. If some contaminants are left, it can cause sickness or damage to something or someone.
Joash had become king at a very young age and was under the guidance of Jehoiada, a priest. He had done very well in doing what was right in God’s eyes, but he did not remove any of the high places to the false gods in the land of Israel. This allowed the people to continue to offer sacrifices to the false gods on a regular basis.
Although at the time, it did not appear to be a problem, allowing these sacrifices would later keep the people from serving God. It would cause them to walk away from God and bring on His wrath against them.
Believers today will often leave sinful things in their lives, instead of cleaning them out. They will keep watching, or listening to things that do not honor God. These things will open the door to greater sins or a turning away from God completely.
Every believer is to strive to walk in the holiness and righteousness that Jesus provided when He died upon the cross. Sin is to be turned away from. The world will strive to bring small sins in to distract and turn the believer away from God, whether the believer accepts those things or not is the choice to be made.
Examine your life and see how clean is your life. What high places are still set up in your life that do not honor God or can turn your heart away from God?
God can reveal where you have altars set up. There should only be one altar in your life–one to God alone. Jesus paid for your life, now live for Him and remove all altars so you don’t get tripped up later on.
I pray today that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that God will reveal any false altars in your life; that you will have an altar to God in your heart; and that God will strengthen you to turn away from all sin.
Amen amen.