From Bad Can Come Good

“And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.” (1Ki 15:11 AV)

There is always good news in the midst of bad news.  God is able to raise a godly seed in the midst of an ungodly environment.  Since David, Judah has not had a godly king.  Asa’s grandmother was Solomon’s wife, Maacah the Ammonitess.  She was not of Jewish lineage nor culture.  Because of her influence, Solomon and his son Rehoboam introduced high places, groves, and idol worship to Judah and Benjamin.  We also learned that Rehoboam allowed his mother a throne in the throne room to reign along side him.  This woman also influenced a culture of sodomy into the nation.  Asa was raised in the worst possible environment.  Yet, the LORD was able to raise him up as a godly young man.  The fact of the matter is, God raises up godly seed from ungodly circumstances as a rule; not as the exception.

Every time a soul is saved from an unsaved home, God raises a godly seed from an ungodly situation.  This is quite obvious when a church works with the less fortunate.  Bus ministry reveals just how horrible a situation a child can be exposed to.  When the LORD get ahold of a child in such a situation and that child accepts Christ, God raises a godly child out of an ungodly situation.  We are led to believe that the only hope of God raising and using a soul to be used to God’s glory is if they are raised in church and a godly separated Christian home.  That is not true.  In fact, some of the greatest preachers are those who came for bad situations.  It is often those who God changes the most that make the greatest impact on God’s church.  Not that godly circumstances are necessarily a bad thing.  On the contrary.  But we have to remember that God can use anyone.  Regardless of the circumstances from which he comes.

Heaven forbid if we qualify a man of God based on his pedigree.  Grade point average, societal decorum, or outward giftedness is not necessarily the mark of God’s hand on a man.  Rather, his passion and integrity for the things of God are his affirmation.  He may come from a broken home.  The God we serve can overcome the effects of all those things and make a man who will stand in the gap against all that is wrong.  This man came for the results of ungodly choices.  He was victimized by those who rebelled against God.  This is what drives his passion. Truth supported by life experience.  This is a man God can use.