Hope Restored

As I read 2 Kings, the drama continues to unfold concerning the nation of Israel. Over and over again, they have been warned by God to keep his commandments and to follow His ways; to worship Him only and to not follow after other gods. However, they rejected God’s decrees and the covenant He made with their forefathers. They followed worthless idols and they became worthless themselves. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them to not do as they do and they did the things God had forbidden them to do. The people of Israel, including their kings, forsook all of the commands of the Lord and they continued to cast idols. They bowed down to all of the starry hosts and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and sorcery. They sold themselves to evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They were taken captive by Assyria and were exiled there. Things were not looking so good for the nation of Israel—not even Judah.
During this hopeless time, a young man named Hezekiah became King of Judah. This twenty-five year old man was a non-conformist. Rather than practicing the evil and rebellion of the kings before him, he chose to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed high places of idol worship, smashed down sacred stones and altars for idol worship, cut down Asherah poles and broke the bronze snake that the people were bowing down to worship. Hezekiah was serious about CHANGE! He trusted in the Lord and did not cease to follow Him. The result: the Lord was with him and he was successful in whatever he did.
During Hezekiah’s reign in Judah, they were attacked and captured by the Assyrian army. The Assyrian supreme commander mocked Hezekiah and blasphemed against the Lord, attempting to make Hezekiah look like a fool. He even tried to convince others that Hezekiah was a liar who was not to be trusted. But the word of the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah: “Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with a sword.” (2 Kings 19:6-7) Hezekiah’s response to the threats and blasphemy was to encourage people to pray for a remnant to survive. He eloquently expressed his worship to the Lord during this time of anguish: “O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord and hear; open your eyes, O Lord and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. …now oh Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:14-19)

The Word of the Lord came once again to the prophet Isaiah who foretold the fall of the Assyrian army. This stiff-necked, arrogant nation was going to not survive the wrath of God. Concerning Assyria, Isaiah spoke these words: “I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and I will make you return by the way you came.” (2 Kings 19:28) And concerning Judah: “Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above—for out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and out of Mt. Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (2 Kings 19:30-31)
That night the angel of the Lord put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. This story is so inspiring to me, because it once again demonstrates the absolute power of Almighty God when all seems hopeless and futile. God, fueled by His infinite love for His people, was mighty to save and brought great deliverance. He sought vengeance upon a stubborn and arrogant nation who was mocking Him. God was faithful to honor Hezekiah’s obedience and Hezekiah was faithful to honor God’s decrees. If God is for us, who can be against us? Our God is a God of restoration and hope. He continually works to restore His glory in us on a daily basis. What a great and mighty God we serve!

A Little Jug of Oil

In today’s Bible readings, I was impressed with how all of the Scripture passages flowed together with consistency even though they were written at different time periods, and were penned by different authors. Of course, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Word of God is consistent because the Spirit of God is the One who inspired the writers of the Holy Scriptures. It is the Spirit of God who speaks to us today, and breathes life into His Word as we take time to read it. I witnessed God’s Spirit at work today as I read 1 Kings 17, 1 Peter 4 and Psalm 52.
I have always been touched by the story of the widow of Zarephath. She was a poor woman, barely able to care for herself and her son. However, the Lord commanded the woman to be hospitable to Elijah; to feed him and take care of him. The story goes like this: “So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?’ As she was gong to get it, he called, ‘And bring me, please, a piece of bread.’ ‘As surely as the Lord your God lives’, she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.’ Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’ (1 Kings 17:10-14)
This story demonstrates the abundant resources of our God when we are spent and have nothing else to give. Many times in ministry and with my family, I have been tired and worn out, feeling like I had nothing left to give. My resources had run dry, and yet the needs of those around me continued to demand more of me than I felt like I could give. But God has always provided ways for me to give out of my emptiness and He took my “little jug of oil” and multiplied it supernaturally. He wants us to depend on Him so that He can provide us with strength that we do not have. This principle is confirmed in1 Peter 4: 9:11: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
In Psalm 52, David presents a stark contrast to those who are dependent on the Lord for his provision. He is disillusioned by the fact that the wicked prosper and gain power by destroying others. He speaks of them harshly: “Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold, but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” (Ps. 42:5-7) David knew that their strength was temporary because it was not provided by God, but rather by their own power. Unlike the wicked men, David endured many days of anguish and called upon the name of the Lord out of his own emptiness and desperation. Yet, as the widow of Zarephath experienced, he also witnessed the faithfulness of God to give out of his vast resources when he only had a “little jug of oil.” He concluded Psalm 52 with this glorious truth: “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.” (Ps. 52:8-9) God took David’s little jug of oil and caused him to be like an olive tree, the very source of the oil. What a beautiful picture of God’s ability to provide! Let us not forget to place our hope in God’s strength to do mighty works in our midst!

Jesus What a Friend for Sinners

As I read through the book of 1Timothy 1 this past week, I was particularly impressed with verses 13, 14 and 16. These verses reminded me of the vast mercy and infinite patience of our Lord as He continues to pour out His love out on those still walking in darkness. Paul admitted his own frailty and painful past as he reflected upon his own life in his letter to Timothy: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1Tim. 1:13) Not only does God pour out his grace, but He also throws in a couple of bonus gifts: His faith and love! The faith that He supplies will allow us to grasp how high and wide and deep His love is for us, then we will be able to further understand His abundant grace. He knew that we needed help “wrapping our minds” around this concept so He offered some assistance! Paul continues in his letter to Timothy by saying, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” It occurred to me this week that we, who are followers of Christ, are living examples of the patience of God in order that others might believe Him. His work in our lives is a manifestation of His unlimited patience and others will see it and believe! This is truly miraculous. It is no wonder that Paul ended this particular discourse with an incredible benediction: Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17)
Jesus came to free the captives, to redeem and restore all that has been stolen from us, and to bind our wounds when we were helpless in our own sinful, ignorant unbelief. He came to seek and to save those who were lost. Jesus was and still is a friend to sinners; and now He is saving, helping, keeping, and loving us. He also promises his loving presence with us until the end of our days on earth. Hallelujah what a Savior!

Jesus What a Friend for Sinners
Jesus What a friend for sinners!
Jesus lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior makes me whole.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end!

God You Are!

Psalms 46:10 tells us to “Be still and know that He is God.” Part of that process involves consciously thinking about the different aspects and characters of God. I am amazed at how quickly I can forget what I read in my Bible if I don’t continually keep it before me. In the first chapter in the book of James, we are instructed to “look intently” into the Word of God so that we are not like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and forgets what he looks like. “Looking intently” means that we need to focus on the Word of God in such a way that it makes an unforgettable impression in our hearts and minds. Years ago, a friend encouraged me to read through the Bible and look for different aspects of God’s character. I began to make a list of all of the wonderful qualities of God that I had found in His Word, and before I knew it, my stress level went down significantly and my faith was increased. It makes perfect sense for us to focus intently on the Word of God and praise Him for his incredible characteristics. As I made a list of the characteristics of God, I would recall back to Him those attributes and say, “God, You are faithful” or “God ,You are my Redeemer.” We can also simply say, “God, You Are” because He is the Great I Am! This past week, I focused on God as my Deliverer. Here are some wonderful verses that proclaim God as our Deliverer. May He bless you today with these Scripture passages:
Psalm 34:4-7
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him, he saved him out of all of his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him. And he delivers him…
Psalm 91:14-16
“Because he loves me”, says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. “
Isaiah 46:4-5
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. To whom will you compare me or count me as equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
2 Cor. 1:8-10
We do not want you to be uninformed brothers about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. In- deed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
2 Sam. 22:17-20
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Thank you Lord, for being our Great Deliverer!