31 Mar 2026 7 min read Blog

A Life that Remains

Hey yall,
I pray that you have been well. Ya girl has been doing alright. Not bad, simply growing. During this season God let me know that I would be learning another side of Him in a new way. He said, “The way you’ve known me and interacted with me in the past, is not the way you will hear from me or see me move in this season.”

(Just when I thought I had finally become an expert on connecting with God 😉).

God revealed to me that He has been coming down to me, but now it is time to come up to Him. Meaning being more disciplined in my Bible readings, praying in the Spirit, being still and meditating on His word, letting go of control, and ultimately waiting on Him when I don’t feel Him near.

See. I like the God who speaks. I like the God who is near. I like the miracle worker God. I’m uncomfortable with this God. The God who remains silent and requires me to have faith and trust. The God who has been offering me comfort without solutions...

I can see some of the puzzle pieces, but I can’t tell if the picture is going to be the sky or the ocean. Knowing my God, it may be neither and rather something far more beautiful… Whatever He’s doing and however He’s doing it, all I know is I am with Him. Not by my own strength or power but because Jesus claimed me as His. He does not lie, and I find safety and security in Him.

So even though it’s uncomfortable, I’m learning to sit with Him and get to know Him in this new way. And as I’ve been sitting with Him, I’ve found myself learning about kings and what their lives show about relationship with God.

The Pattern of Kings

King Asa was David’s great great grandson. King Asa started off his reign strong honoring God and promising to stay near Him. He reformed the whole country and God proved to be on his side¹. However by the end of his life, instead of turning to the God that once helped him win battles, he automatically made treaties with other nations without consulting God². Then at the end of his life when he became sick, he consulted with his physicians and did not consider the Lord³.

Then his father Abijah. During a battle, he was getting attacked on every side. Abijah reminded the people of who God was and His covenant with the lineage of David. He called on the Lord when the situation seemed hopeless and the Lord delivered him and he won the war⁴. However, the Bible still says that Abijah "committed the same sins as his father before him and was not faithful to the Lord"⁵.

So now let’s talk about his father Rehoboam. Rehoboam hits the ground running pretty unwise and ruthless. He faced consequences for his actions, but the Bible says he humbled himself and realized he wasn’t living for God. Because he softened his heart, God had mercy on him⁶. However, the Bible still says he was an EVIL king because he did not seek the Lord with all his heart⁷.

Let’s go up to his father, Solomon who prayed for wisdom and God allowed him to be the wisest man on earth. Solomon knew better. He knew God. And the Bible says that in his old age he began to worship other gods. His heart was not completely faithful to the Lord his God who had appeared to him twice⁸.

David's Shift

Finally, let’s talk about his father, David. We often note how even in sinning against God and being disciplined by the Lord, David was called "a man after God’s own heart⁹". But even being a man after God's own heart, scripture shows a shift in his heart's posture.

After David’s adulterous affair, the murder of an innocent man, the loss of his own son, and being disciplined by the Lord¹⁰, David was not the same. Prior to that, he often sought God, asking Him what to do and asking if he would win¹¹. He was fearless taking on Goliath and in other battles. He trusted God.

But then came a season where it seems like he may have gotten comfortable or was no longer dwelling with God in the same way. I say this because it’s one thing to fall into sexual temptation, but it’s another thing to remain in sin long enough to plan and carry out murdering an innocent man. David appeared so blinded to his actions that God had to send the prophet Nathan. It was only through Nathan's correction that David’s eyes were open to his own sin¹⁰.

After that, the Lord disciplined David. We then see a version of him that becomes more passive and permissive within his family¹² and even in moments concerning his kingdom, like when Shimei cursed him and David accepted it as possibly being from the Lord. We also see moments where he acts without first seeking God, like when he ordered the census.

It’s not that David stopped loving God, but the weight of sin, loss, and discipline changed how he moved. Something in his nearness to God shifted. He was no longer seeking and dwelling with Him in the same way. It appears he moved from "boldly partnering with God" to more quietly "submitting to whatever God allowed".

Us Today

I don’t mean to be depressing in sharing these stories, but these stories shed light into our lives today.

I think about how easy it is to become numb to God and comfortable in the flesh.
How easy it is to forget to dwell with Him through mundane years.

I think about how many people lose heart after a season of discipline.
Who return to our own vices after we humbled ourselves and received forgiveness.

I think about those who depend on material blessings and knowledge.
Those of us who forget to depend on the God who gave us everything.

So many fall.
So many lose endurance.
So many stop fighting the good fight.

but Christ

Unlike the men of old, we have what they always needed.
We now have a Savior. A keeper. A sustainer.

I’m not gonna be cliché with it because I’m over Christian clichés.
But stick with me.

Jesus said,

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away… It is God's will that I not lose anyone He has given me.” (John 6:37, 39)

Jesus often used sheep metaphors to describe His relationship with His people.

He said,

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, he will leave the ninety-nine to search for the one that is lost… Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents more than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:4)

And another sheep metaphor:

“My sheep know my voice. I call them by name and lead them. They follow me because they recognize my voice. They will never follow a stranger.” (John 10:4)

In that same chapter, Jesus calls Himself the gate to the sheep pen. He describes protecting his sheep, leading them, and giving them a good life.

These scriptures describe to us Jesus’ role:
to keep us from getting lost, to lead us to repentance, to protect us, and ultimately lead us to a life in him.

At the same time, they show us what our response should be:
to come to Him, to repent, to learn His voice, and to follow Him.

It is our dependence on Him, and our faith in His power, that keeps us to the end.

Knowing Him

And that’s why dwelling matters. We have to stay close enough to recognize His voice.

Just how we know the voice of our mother. If she called from a blocked number and simply said "hello" we would know it was her. Or When I take Brielle to the park. There can be a bunch of kids yelling “mom," but its all noise until I recognize HER voice. Sometimes a voice is close enough that I pause and listen a little harder just to be sure.

The only way we learned their voices was through the time we spent with them. The different emotions they speak through- joy, anger, fear, or sadness. Even the shifts between morning voice, distracted voice, or when they whisper. Without even seeing them, we can tell when others are around that they can't speak in front of. They begin to speak in code that you recognize, but the other doesn't....

That’s what dwelling with Jesus does. It keeps us familiar with His voice.

So when He calls us to rest, we recognize it. When He’s warning us, we catch it. When He’s leading us, we follow.

We stay close so we can recognize Him. And we trust Him to do what only He can do as our Shepherd- guide us, protect us, and keep us.

Calling Out

Just like the kings before, we are human. Even in our best efforts, like sheep, we wander and get lost. Though it is his job to find us and lead us, it really helps when we call out.

When we don't know what we are doing we can say, “Dad I’m lost, come find me.”

When we don't know where to start, "Can you help me, because I dont know how"

When we are losing hope, “I don’t have strength, provide it.”

When we begin to question, “I am confused, help me."

When others hurt us,“I don’t know what to do with this pain, show me.”

And when we feel He is being silent, “Father help me wait on You and trust Your timing.”

If you feel far from God, tell Him that too. He is not waiting for you to fix it. He is the one who does the work.

Whatever the season—mundane, scary, exciting, slow, busy—I’m learning the importance of simply dwelling with Him.

My Prayer

“Lord never allow me to fall away. If I get distracted, do whatever You have to do to bring me back, no matter how many times it takes. Do it quickly. Always keep my heart in a place that wants You.”

The truth is we can’t keep ourselves. We are trusting Him with that power, because only He has the ability.

Not “Christian cliché,” but honestly… I wouldn’t have this message in me if He didn’t lead me to dwell with Him in the silent times.

I am not disciplined on my own. I can’t even force myself to read my Bible without Him. I get bored so fast and feel disconnected—I have no attention span, I’m addicted to YouTube shorts, and my dopamine is off.... But I tell Him, “Lord it’s boring, help me read Your word”.... and here you guys go… through his power...this post.

I pray we dwell with him always.
I pray that not one of us is lost.
I pray that unlike the kings of the past, we seek Him in everything.
I pray we all endure until the very end.

— Briana Breathes

FOOTNOTES