High Places

Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days.

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father; he did according to all that Joash his father had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
(Excerpts from 1 & 2 Kings)

Do you notice a trend in these passages?
Why were these high places not removed from the land of the kings who served the Lord God?
Is there a right and a wrong way to worship the Lord nowadays?
How can this be applicable to us today, are we leaving “high places” untouched in our Christian lives?
Are we doing right in the sight of the Lord according to those around us and their standards(like those kings) or according to His life in us?
We have an advantage that these Kings never did. We are Christ Jesus’ inheritance because of what He did and we have an inheritance found in Him (His Spirit to guide us and overcome the world around us.) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 So let us shed these “high places” (anything that hinders us from fully surrendering our lives to Christ Jesus) for we are not our own but we have been bought with a price more precious than gold or anything else for that matter. We are His inheritance. Yep, even when we were at our most sinful and wretched He wanted us soooo much that He died for us!