Daily Devotional for Monday, May 12

Athaliah, the Evil Queen

“And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal,” 2 Kings 11:1.

            In November 1994, the news headlines centered around a young mother who claimed her children had been abducted by a stranger, only to confess days later that she had, in fact, murdered them herself. At the time, I was a first-time mother with a precious, young daughter. My heart ached for those innocent children and their loved ones, while at the same time burned with anger toward the mother. How could anyone commit such horror against her own children? As I matured spiritually, I realized that if not for the grace of God, I could have been that mother. The love of God has made the difference in my life.

            Unfortunately, God was not in control of Queen Athaliah’s heart. She had totally given herself to Satan, following in the footsteps of her wicked mother, Jezebel. When Athaliah’s son, King Ahaziah, was killed, she immediately seized power and appointed herself as queen of Judah. To insure none of her male descendants could overthrow her, she ordered their executions. Horribly, she had her own grandchildren executed. Those children were descendants of the royal lineage of King David. Satan used Athaliah in his attempt to destroy the lineage of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.   

            Satan’s desire is to rule over all of us. However, we do not have to be Satan’s pawn. If that young mother who murdered her children had repented of her sins, God would have forgiven her. If Athaliah had repented, God would have forgiven her. The blood of Jesus Christ paid for all sin. If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you have the Holy Spirit to help you resist Satan, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:7, 8).

REFLECTION

When you refuse to submit to God, you are allowing Satan to rule over you.

Karen Meigs