The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.

2 CHRONICLES 15:17

This morning’s devotional sent a bright beam of light straight to my weakest spot as though God is holding a flashlight, pointing it into a dark corner and saying, “This. You need to clean this up. And soon!” I’m sharing it here not so much for you–more for me. I’m going to need to find this again and again as a reminder that God knows what I’m doing, or not doing, that He has spoken to me about this before.

Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right.

Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn’t matter much.” The fact that it doesn’t matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, “I know I am right with God”— yet the “high places” still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God.

Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless— you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes’ effort.

The Failure To Pay Close Attention, From My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession.

from Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1465 R

Ouch! That hurt. I have found that having God shine a bright light into the dark corners of the soul is often surprisingly painful. But I know, without doubt, when He shows me a dirty little corner (or a high place) it’s is always for my own good. That takes me back to “choose this day.” So.o.o I’m off to do some spiritual cleaning.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

Philippians 1:9-10 RSV