R³ Devotional - Day 177

“The Slow Drift”
No one wakes up one day and decides to completely walk away from God. It’s usually much quieter than that. A soft voice of compromise. A small sin brushed aside. A moment of silence when we should’ve spoken. Apathy where conviction once burned. That’s how it happens—a slow drift. That’s the story of Israel in 1 Kings 16. Reading this chapter feels like watching a slow-motion car crash. You want to look away, but you can’t. Each king is worse than the one before. One murders his way to the throne, another leads the people into idolatry, and the one after him repeats the same sin “Jeroboam had committed”—words that appear like a broken record throughout the chapter. Then comes Ahab. He doesn’t just continue the evil of his predecessors; he exceeds it. Boldly. Publicly. Without shame.

And we wonder… how did it come to this?

Ahab's reign is the tragic result of a nation that had been gradually lowering its standards, generation after generation. Sin didn’t begin with Ahab; it was just no longer hidden by the time he came along. The foundations had already been weakened by years of disobedience, tolerated sin, and spiritual forgetfulness. What God calls evil, Israel had come to call normal. That’s a terrifying place to be, not just for a nation, but for a person. Because what happened to Israel can happen in our own lives.

As I read 1 Kings 16, I feel a gentle yet firm nudge in my soul: Where have you started to drift? Not just in the obvious ways, but in the hidden ones—the quiet places in my heart that no one else sees. It’s easy to shake our heads at kings like Ahab, but what if I’ve allowed my own versions of compromise to settle in?

• What if I’ve begun to treat conviction as optional?
  
  
• What if I’ve excused small sins because “they’re not hurting anyone”?
  
  
• What if I’ve grown more comfortable with the world than with the Word?

Sometimes we don’t realize how far we’ve wandered until we stop and look around—and it’s not home anymore. The slow drift away from God can be reversed, but it starts with honest repentance and a renewed hunger for holiness. Here’s the truth: We all live in a culture that, like Israel, is constantly redefining morality. It’s tempting to lower our standards to match the world’s comfort rather than uphold God’s calling. But we are not meant to blend in; we are called to be set apart. God’s people aren’t meant to live by what’s popular. We’re meant to live by what’s true.

The warning in 1 Kings 16 is not just for kings, it’s for each of us. The good news is, while sin may have a slow drift, repentance can begin with a single step.

So take it.

Today.

Ask yourself today:

• Am I still sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction?
  
  
• Are there places in my life where sin has become too comfortable?
  
  
• Where have I allowed compromise to settle in—either in actions, thoughts, or habits?
  
  
• How do I respond when the Holy Spirit convicts me? Do I justify, ignore, or surrender?
  
  
• Are my spiritual standards being shaped more by Scripture or by what others around me tolerate?
  
  
• Who am I influencing, and what are they seeing in me?

Prayer:
Father, You are holy, and You’ve called me to be holy, too. But I confess that I haven’t always taken that calling seriously. I’ve allowed some things in my life to stay that don’t belong there. I’ve compromised in places I used to be convicted. I’ve followed the easy way instead of the faithful way. Please forgive me.

Thank You for Your patience. Thank You for not giving up on me when I drift. Stir in me a deep desire to live differently, not for appearances, but out of love for You. Help me walk in obedience, even when it costs me. Guard my heart from subtle sins. And if I ever begin to drift, draw me back to You with a love that I can’t ignore. In Jesus' name, Amen.