2 Kings 15

2Ki 15:34-35 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. (35) However the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.

We see this statement appear twice in this chapter, “However the high places were not removed.” The high places were the places of worship for false gods. This is a very miserable time for Israel. As we read through the chapter we find every king enslaved in evil. There are two exceptions. The first king mentioned, Azariah, did what was right in the sight of the Lord. The last king mentioned, Jotham, also did what was well pleasing in the sight of the Lord. The one problem was that they left the high places open for business.

Gang, we cannot have any high places in our lives. We need to lose control of our lives, and allow Jesus to control it. Satan will find the weakness in our lives, and exploit it. He will attack it in hopes that you would place something in a higher place in your heart than Jesus. Satan is a terrorist who will not play fair. But Jesus is God. He is our Strong Tower, where the righteous run into, and are safe.

How do we get rid of the high places in our hearts? How do we overcome these habitual sins, these great desires, this greed, and this bondage? You have to repent. Repenting is the act of making a 180 degree turn and not looking back. The 180 degree turn is usually the easy part. The problem is we are very capable of making another 180 degree turn and being right back where we were. Therefore, to refrain from doing this, we are to repent with confession to another brother. Confess your faults to a brother or sister who can hold you accountable. That way, when you go to turn back to the sin, they are there to point you to Jesus. Burn the high places. Live completely for Christ because his desire for is peace, and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11).