Scripture: 2 Kings 19:14-19 (AMP) 14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And he went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed: O Lord, the God of Israel, Who [in symbol] is enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark in the temple], You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. 16 Lord, bow down Your ear and hear; Lord, open Your eyes and see; hear the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock, reproach, insult, and defy the living God. 17 It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 And have cast the gods of those peoples into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they [could destroy and] have destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech You, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know and understand that You, O Lord, are God alone. "
Observation: 1) Hezekiah read the bad news. 2) He went straight to the Lord with it. 3) He spread the "bad news" before the Lord. 4) He acknowledged how great God was, and that he alone could fix this desperate situation. 5) He asked to be delivered.
Application: Every time that desperate, or negative situations come upon me… I ruminate about how I caused or could have prevented them. Hezekiah does none of that. It takes me awhile before I return to the fact that God is all-powerful, and more than capable of blowing away my desperate situation, to his glory, and that no other source can fix this. Today, every time I start ruminating about the paint situation, or the lost money, or the stuff stolen from my suitcase... I want to physically drop to my knees and praise God for his almighty power, his nearness, his care for me, his faithfulness in the past. And ask him to either fix the situations, or fix me (heal the rumination)
Prayer: Lord, you know every detail about my life, but I need to talk to you today. I feel sad about the lost money and the lost stuff in my luggage… But I turn these things over to you. I know you are absolutely powerful. Even the daily path of the sun, moon, earth, are sustained by your power... not by "nature". Even my heart beating every minute of every day is you sustaining me. I ask you Lord now to do a miracle in my life. Come now and calm my heart, so that I quit running back to these negative thoughts. Hezekiah didn't just have negative thoughts... he had an enemy (from Satan) that was yelling these negative ideas to all the people ... yet you delivered them, and did not let these thoughts cause them to believe a lie versus the truth. Lord, I know that you are the truth. I know that you love me, and care for every detail of my life. I now ask that you fix my situation regarding painting the apartment. I pray someone will see the flat, and love it just the way it is. I pray that you will find a flat for me that is perfect, and that I can settle in soon. Lord help me to not be satisfied with worry ... but to open my desires and concerns before you ... and open my eyes so that I see the answers that you provide and help me to become a grateful person. I praise you for all your protection as I returned to Brno, even how you helped me to remember the computer power supply I left at the hotel, and to have time to run back and get it. Lord you are so faithful. I thank you and praise you for taking care of me. Amen.
S: Amos 8:11 NLT "The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord."
O: Amos was prophesying that God's people would experience a spiritual famine that could be described as not hearing God's words. We are nourished by the word of God and so not having nourishment is a famine. A famine also implies a significant length of time as well.
A/P: Jesus, while this Orlando trip has been fun, I feel a bit malnourished. Not a true famine of not hearing your word. I ask for your nourishment today from your word. Help me to have ears to hear what you are trying to teach me. Give me a teachable spirit to walk in your ways.
Title: Right response to bad news!
ReplyDeleteMentor: Hezekiah
Scripture: 2 Kings 19:14-19 (AMP)
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And he went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.
15 And Hezekiah prayed: O Lord, the God of Israel, Who [in symbol] is enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark in the temple], You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth.
16 Lord, bow down Your ear and hear; Lord, open Your eyes and see; hear the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock, reproach, insult, and defy the living God.
17 It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste the nations and their lands
18 And have cast the gods of those peoples into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they [could destroy and] have destroyed them.
19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech You, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know and understand that You, O Lord, are God alone. "
Observation: 1) Hezekiah read the bad news. 2) He went straight to the Lord with it. 3) He spread the "bad news" before the Lord. 4) He acknowledged how great God was, and that he alone could fix this desperate situation. 5) He asked to be delivered.
Application: Every time that desperate, or negative situations come upon me… I ruminate about how I caused or could have prevented them. Hezekiah does none of that. It takes me awhile before I return to the fact that God is all-powerful, and more than capable of blowing away my desperate situation, to his glory, and that no other source can fix this. Today, every time I start ruminating about the paint situation, or the lost money, or the stuff stolen from my suitcase... I want to physically drop to my knees and praise God for his almighty power, his nearness, his care for me, his faithfulness in the past. And ask him to either fix the situations, or fix me (heal the rumination)
Prayer: Lord, you know every detail about my life, but I need to talk to you today. I feel sad about the lost money and the lost stuff in my luggage… But I turn these things over to you. I know you are absolutely powerful. Even the daily path of the sun, moon, earth, are sustained by your power... not by "nature". Even my heart beating every minute of every day is you sustaining me. I ask you Lord now to do a miracle in my life. Come now and calm my heart, so that I quit running back to these negative thoughts. Hezekiah didn't just have negative thoughts... he had an enemy (from Satan) that was yelling these negative ideas to all the people ... yet you delivered them, and did not let these thoughts cause them to believe a lie versus the truth. Lord, I know that you are the truth. I know that you love me, and care for every detail of my life. I now ask that you fix my situation regarding painting the apartment. I pray someone will see the flat, and love it just the way it is. I pray that you will find a flat for me that is perfect, and that I can settle in soon. Lord help me to not be satisfied with worry ... but to open my desires and concerns before you ... and open my eyes so that I see the answers that you provide and help me to become a grateful person. I praise you for all your protection as I returned to Brno, even how you helped me to remember the computer power supply I left at the hotel, and to have time to run back and get it. Lord you are so faithful. I thank you and praise you for taking care of me. Amen.
Title: Spiritual Famine
ReplyDeleteMentor: Amos
S: Amos 8:11 NLT "The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord."
O: Amos was prophesying that God's people would experience a spiritual famine that could be described as not hearing God's words. We are nourished by the word of God and so not having nourishment is a famine. A famine also implies a significant length of time as well.
A/P: Jesus, while this Orlando trip has been fun, I feel a bit malnourished. Not a true famine of not hearing your word. I ask for your nourishment today from your word. Help me to have ears to hear what you are trying to teach me. Give me a teachable spirit to walk in your ways.