So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” (1 Kings 12:28)

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Today we look at how fragile the kingdom of Jeroboam was, which fell into idolatry and pride. Fearing the loss of his kingdom, Jeroboam built altars of golden calves and established pagan priests. Despite God’s warning through a prophet, Jeroboam persisted in his disobedience, leading Israel further away from the Lord.

Jeroboam’s story is a powerful example of how fear and pride can lead us down a path of disobedience and idolatry. Faced with the possibility of losing his kingdom, Jeroboam took matters into his own hands.

Instead of trusting in God, he built altars to golden calves and appointed pagan priests, leading Israel into idolatry.

Jeroboam’s actions remind us of the dangers of trying to control our circumstances through means that dishonor God. His fear of losing power and influence led him to create a false sense of security through idolatry.

This, in turn, drew the people of Israel away from the true worship of God and incurred divine wrath.

In our modern lives, idols may not be golden calves, but they can take many forms – money, power, relationships, or even our own ambitions.

When we let these things take precedence over our faith in God, we fall into the very same trap as Jeroboam. We must constantly examine our hearts and remove anything that stands between us and our worship of God.

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Daily Questions

1. What fears drive you to make decisions that go against your better judgment?
2. What idols do you have in your life that take you away from God?

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1 Kings 12:26-30

And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David; if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their Lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your God’s, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. And this thing became a sin, for the people went to the one at Bethel and to the other as far as Dan.

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Daily Prayer

Protect us Lord from the moments in our lives when we want to go back to the golden calves and false idols that held us captive to limited beliefs and ungodly behaviors. We confess that whatever success You’ve blessed us with isn’t a sign for us to take our feet off the spiritual gas pedal and abandon the very principles that have elevated our lives, and brought peace and understanding to everything we do.

The sins of Jeroboam will not be copied in our lives. The rejection from Godly wisdom and alignment will not be the action we take when we’re confronted for compromising our standards. When we are faced with tough choices we will be like Josiah, the descendants of David, and we will bring down anything that isn’t in alignment with Your Word or Your ways.

For the rest of our days, we will keep our minds and hearts focused on the main thing and that will forever be You! In Jesus’ Name.

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Reflection

Reflect on the idols in your life that may be drawing you away from God. Are there areas where fear or pride is leading you to make choices that dishonor Him? This week, identify one idol in your life – something that consumes more your heart and time than it should. Make a conscious effort to reduce its influence and spend more time in prayer and worship, seeking God’s guidance.

Pray for the wisdom to recognize the idols in your life and the strength to remove them. Ask God to help you trust in His provision and guidance, especially when faced with difficult decisions. Seek to honor Him in all that you do, keeping Him at the forefront of your heart and mind.