II Chronicles 36:21 To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Important Daily Habits
It is usually not a good sign to see smoke coming from your tires, but that is what I’ve seen more than once as I’ve “RVed” around the country in revival work. Years ago my dad-in-law showed me how to pack the bearings so my tires would not cause the heat and friction that comes from wheels that are not maintained. It was a horrible feeling one day when I saw smoke coming from my tires and realized that my bearings were shot because I had not maintained them. I pulled over and, not being much of a fix-it man, took what seemed like five hours to do emergency surgery to fix my RV.
Sometimes people do the same thing with their own bodies. They must have some kind of medical procedure because they have not maintained their bodies. Now all of us eventually fall apart, but the bottom line is that those who ignore important things with daily habits will eventually be forced to deal with them as emergencies. That’s exactly what happened on a national scale with God’s own people.
The Bible says of these rebellious people, “And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending, because he had compassion on his people…” In other words, very often and very early God sent His prophets to warn His people. But “they mocked the messengers of God…till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees.” God’s people ignored God’s prophets, God’s warnings, God’s mercy, and God’s grace. So God allowed Babylon to conquer them “to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.”
The Jews had been given instructions that there were to be periods of rest, sabbaths. They were to focus on God during these times. The Bible says that these people rejected God’s sabbath until the land was desolate, and then, as long as the land was desolate, the land kept sabbath. God forced these people to slow down, to stop, to think, and to rest. People who don’t take the time to daily take care of things that are important will eventually have no choice but to deal with them as emergencies.
Don’t you think that maintaining your relationship with God is a lot better than facing some disaster in five years? Don’t you think that expressing gratitude for what He has already given is better than waiting until your back is against the wall and you feel like God is distant? Maintain the things that are most important every day with habits you build into your life. Maintain your relationship with God and with the people whom He has put into your life.