2Kings19-25; 1Chronicles 1-3

Our problems are God’s opportunities. God answered Hezekiah’s prayer and delivered Judah by sending an army to attack the Assyrian camp, forcing Sennacherib to leave. Prayer shouldn’t be reserved for church or in desperation, but for daily guidance. Hezekiah’s prayer, “O Lord, 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.” (2Kings 19:15) This prayer is a good model for us to approach God honestly, without fear, but we must come to him with respect for who He is and what He can do. God replied to Sennacherib’s taunting words of arrogance, for he believed his kingdom had grown because of his own strength. “This is the word that the lord has spoken against him: ‘Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In the days of the old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass…But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me…Because you rage against me I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and make you return by the way you came.’” (2Kings 19: 22, 25, 27, 28) The Assyrians treated captives with torture and cruelty, and the Lord was saying the Assyrians would be treated the way they had treated others. It is arrogance to think we are solely responsible for our achievements; God as our creator, rules over people and nations.
The Lord said, “For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors; the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this…I will defend this city and save it.” (2Kings 19:30, 34) If a tiny spark of faith in one’s heart remains, the Lord can rekindle a fire and turn it into a roaring blaze. Ask Him to rekindle a blazing fire of commitment to him in you. Do you ever feel like you are just getting by day to day; in essence passing time awaiting death? Have you lost the will in your heart to fight for vitality and happiness? Only God can inject his power and strength to give you new life, purpose and true happiness. God can change ANY situation.

The Lord said, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.”(2Kings20: 5) Things brings great comfort in knowing that God feels our pains; understands it beyond our comprehension and wants to heal our hearts, replenish our souls and keep us close to Him. He is such a tender and loving God. Have you ever cried out within your gut and felt like no one could possibly understand how you feel and help take away your pain? In this state, try taking the focus off yourself and surrendering your heart to God; pray to Him and ask him to take it away; tell Him how much you love Him; you will find a rest and peace deep within your heart that allows you to pull forward. I’ve experienced this and it is the truth; for yourself, nor another, can take away your deep rooted pain.

Manasseh was an evil king and angered God with his sin. His sin involved occult practices: sorcery, divination, consulting mediums and spiritists. These acts are strictly forbidden by God because they demonstrate a lack of faith in him and opens the door to demonic influences. Fortune-tellers are a dangerous game to play. Don’t condone occult practice with your desire to know your future; trust in God, for only He knows the truth in the future. The other people are counterfeits of God’s power and their roots are a system of beliefs completely in opposition to God.

Few kings in those times were faithful to God and followed his commands. Josiah was a king who was only eight years old when he began to reign and lived a life founded in God’s truth and love and therefore had favor with the Lord. With just one reading of God’s word, he changed the course of the nation. We have the word at our fingertips, and yet some many people are unaffected by the truths found in God’s word. The word of God should cause us to take action immediately; to reform our lives and bring ourselves in harmony with God’s will. As I read these 10 chapters a day; my own life is a witness to what happens when you truly receive His word and apply it. Attitude changes, new outlooks, more appreciation and gratitude, overflowing ideas and passions; it is miraculous how God works when you allow Him to do so.

“Neither before nor after Josiah was there a King like him who turned to the Lord as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses. “(2Kings23:25) Josiah was known as the most obedient king and he followed this pattern of obedience that we can learn from: 1) He recognized sin; 2) He eliminated sinful practices; 3) He attacked the causes of sin. We must eliminate the causes of sin in our lives: relationships, situations, routines, and patterns of life that lead us to the door of temptation. Josiah was faithful and obedient, but his son was not. Josiah possibly left the teaching to someone else while he was consumed with his work. Parents dare not leave the task for others to do; make sure you practice, explain, and teach what you preach. Josiah began his search for God by destroying and cleaning up whatever he recognized as against God. He was overwhelmed by God’s word and immediately tried to expose his people to that holiness. How would you describe your relationship with God? Do you just “go with the flow” or are you deeply humbled by God’s word, realizing that great gap between your life and the kind that God expects. Humble obedience pleases God.

Second Kings is an illustration of what happens when our consciences become desensitized to right and wrong and we no longer are able to discern God’s purpose for our lives. Even though we often fail, like the people of Judah and Israel, God’s promises never fail. God is there is give us a clean slate and start over.

1Chronicles1-3

This book was intended to unify God’s people, to trace David’s line and to teach that genuine worship ought to be the center of individual and national life. Understanding your genealogy is important for providing a sense of identity, heritage and destiny. Reading in Chronicles gives a glimpse of God at work through his people for generations. David loved the Lord and wanted to build a temple; but recall that God didn’t want a warrior to build the temple. David’s great accomplishments were in the preparations of the temple. We may be unable to see the results our work for God in our lifetime, but we serve God so that He will see His results, not so that we will see ours.

Israel’s past formed a reliable foundation for reconstructing the nation after the exile. God’s promises have been revealed in the Bible; we can know God and trust him to keep his word. God is always faithful to his people. He has protected us in every generation and provided leaders for guidance. Keep an eye out for those people in your life right now who have lead, taught or mentored you and show appreciation to God for bringing you the right people at the right time.