Month: July 2021

2 Kings 22:3–23:30; Acts 21:37–22:16; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 18:11-12

Before Destruction, Before Honour
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. – Proverbs 18:12

Haughty – disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant;

Humility – the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank.

Oh God, please show me the areas that I have allowed haughtiness to grow like weeds in my life!!!

No King Before Him, Neither After Him Arose Any Like Him
And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying, Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. – 2 Kings 22:10-13

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. But to the king ofJudah which sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again. – 2 Kings 22:14-20

And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. – 2 Kings 23:3

And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. – 2 Kings 23:25

Oh, how I want it to be said of me that I turned to the LORD with all of my heart, and with all of my soul, and with all my might! Please help me, Lord, because I know I can’t do anything apart from YOU living through me. I ask this in the Name above ALL names…JESUS!

Why Tarriest Thou? Arise, and Be Baptized, and Wash Away Thy Sins
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. – Acts 22:1-16

Paul was allowed to address the mob that wanted him dead. He preached the Gospel. Please help me, Heavenly Father, make Your good use of every word I am allowed to speak into others’ lives.

He Shall Be Like a Tree Planted by the Rivers of Water
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. – Psalm 1:1-3

These are great verses when you feel like you are in one of those dry seasons; well, it is for me anyway. I usually can look at my life and ask myself – Have I delighted in the law of the LORD in these last days? Have I spent my time thinking about the things of this world or meditating on the Word day and night? The honest answers to those questions and then taking actions based on those answers will help me to flourish or cause me to continue to wither. Getting into the Word always works – because these Words that begin the book of Psalms are Promises we can count on every single moment.

2 Kings 20:1–22:2; Acts 21:18-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10

Let Every Thing that Hath Breath Praise the LORD!
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. – Psalm 150:1-6

Behold, I Will Heal Thee
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. – 2 Kings 20:1-7

A Strong Tower
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. – Proverbs 18:10

The People Followed After, Crying, Away With Him
And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. – Acts 21:27-36

Paul returned to Jerusalem and met with some of the leaders of the church. They discussed issues involving Gentile believers and the observance of Jewish law. Paul preached the Gospel and that it was available for anyone and everyone who believed on Jesus to enter into relationship with God. So, in the eyes of the devout Jews, Paul had abandoned his faith and deserved to die. When Paul went into the temple, a mob formed. (Doesn’t that sound like today?) The soldiers arrested Paul and carried him out as the people cried, “Away with him.” The Holy Ghost had led Paul back to Jerusalem and Paul would never be a free man again.

There is a lesson for us as we read about Paul’s life and ministry. He shows what becoming Christlike looks like. Paul knew his life was nothing without his relationship with God and he chose to live his life as a living sacrifice to God. If he was to live or if he was to die had no bearing on his obedience or his sacrifice.

Heavenly Father, I come before you today, and I praise You!!! I praise You in this sanctuary this morning. I praise You for Your mighty acts in my life and the lives of those in my world. I praise You according to Your excellent greatness. I praise You with my mouth, my hands, my feet, my dance. May every movement I make and every step I take be an instrument of praise to You. May every word of my mouth line up and be as pure as Your holy Word. May my life as a pleasing aroma. Please help me, Father, to walk in obedience to You and Your Word – a living sacrifice. I love You, my God – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I am nothing without You, and I want nothing today but that You would work in and through me today, Jesus! Use me for Your purposes and Your Glory! In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen! Amen!

2 Kings 18:13–19:37; Acts 21:1-17; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8

Praises in Their Mouth, and a Sword in Their Hand
Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; – Psalm 149:1-6

That All the Kingdoms of the Earth May Know
And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only. – 2 Kings 19:14-19

In yesterday’s reading, the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and sent ten of the ancient tribes into exile. In today’s reading, the Assyrians attempt to overthrow the kingdom of Judah. Assyria’s king Sennacherib sent officials to intimidate them into surrender. The officials taunted Jerusalem saying: “Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? – 2 Kings 18:35.

King Hezekiah took off his robes and put on a sackcloth. He went to God’s Temple and dispatched messengers to find the prophet, Isaiah. Isaiah’s message was that the Assyrians would withdraw because they would hear a rumor of threats from another army. Sennacherib sent a threatening letter to Hezekiah, recounting all of his conquests and telling Hezekiah that Jerusalem would fall next.

Here was Hezekiah, with the enemy there threatening and taunting. Finally, Hezekiah took Sennacherib’s letter into the temple, laid it before the Lord, and confessed his powerlessness. Then – God wiped out the Assyrian army. Sennacherib withdrew to Nineveh, the capital city of his kingdom. There he was killed by two of his sons, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah that we also read in these passages today.  

There is a lesson here for times that we feel intimidated and backed against a wall. Sennacherib’s letter was meant to scare Hezekiah into defeat, but the intimidation was nothing more than idle words next to God’s mighty power. When we find ourselves in these situations, we have a choice—we can believe the threats of the enemy, or we can believe and act on God’s holy Word –  casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

For I Am Ready Not to Be Bound Only
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. – Acts 21:10-14

The Words of a Talebearer are as Wounds
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. – Proverbs 18:8