July 1
2 Kings 18:13-19:37 | PS 149:1-9 | Prov 18:8 | Acts 21:1-17
How much must be removed from us before we finally realize that it is God we must place our hope and trust in? God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Everything else can. There is nothing wrong, in fact it is a beautiful thing to have a wonderful spouse, beautiful children and grandchildren, a good job, and a comfortable income. It is pleasant to have good friends, and be able to take relaxing vacations. God is a guarantee, He doesn't change. He is present both for your time on earth, and for eternity. Sadly, many of these worldly pleasures will not last. Marriages fail. Health can fail. Children and grandchildren may disappoint and rebel. Jobs can evaporate overnight along with the money that comes along with it. Many falsely see this as God's punishment for this or that. Never forget God loves each and every one of us. He created us. His desire is for us to be in a relationship with Him, knowing that this is the only relationship which can literally save us for eternity. The depths of that love should never be minimized in that He even sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to make the way for us. What do we have to lose before we realize that God is who we really need?
So important are the events described in 2 Kings 18-19, that they are repeated, almost verbatim in 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-37. To fully understand the depth of the situation, the Assyrians have not only wiped up the surrounding nations as though they were nothing, but they were the original terrorists, inflicting unthinkable torture on those they conquered. Hezekiah first responds to the threat of the Assyrians in typical fashion, by trying to buy them off, then by forming worldly alliances, both of which failed, as he placed his trust on things rather than God. The messenger of the Asyrian king, then makes a grave mistake, he threatens and minimizes the One True God,likening Him to the surrounding false gods that other nations had placed their trust in, as we read in 2 Kings 18:30-35, "nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ’... Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ”.
We see the response of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19:14-19, "And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord... Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God...Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.” Hezekiah placed all of his trust on the Lord, literally laying the threatening letter at the threshold of the temple. The response was complete victory, supernaturally provided by God. God wants to bless us. He loves us and desires us to be His dependent children. He will remove certain things from our life, even good things, in order to finally place our trust in Him. He will never force Himself or overpower our free will to love Him. He knows, we often don't know what it is that we need. May we place our trust in Him, and never forget that His love for us supersedes the love of all others.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: