“So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord...also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.”

In 2 Chronicles 12, we read that the Egyptians took away the gold shields in King Solomon’s palace. To keep up an appearance, his son, King Rehoboam, made shields of brass. These shields were a phony, a cheap trade-off. Rehoboam cared more about his image than the truth.Perhaps you’ve thought of something in your life that has replaced the real thing. Some person, habit, or compromise has taken the place of the “gold” of God’s will, purpose, and destiny for your life. When we make that fateful swap, we ultimately settle for what looks good on the outside while knowing deep down it’s not God’s best. But we need to remember that the moving of the Holy Spirit is more important than how people see us. If we’re concerned about what the world thinks, we’ll trade gold for brass.This trade-off process can happen easily. We’ve all done it. But the good news is that our God is merciful and continually calls us to His highest. So if you have felt the gentle nudge of His Spirit to get your gold back, remember that God will help you recover what was stolen.

Heavenly Father, nothing matters more than Your best and highest. We give You the brass, the cheap substitutes that have replaced Your best for us. Thank You for gracing us to let go and reach for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.