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. 2 Kings 23:25

How would you like to have those words written about you on your tombstone when you die? Of course you’re not a king but you do have a profession (even if you’re a stay at home Mom, you have a profession).

What would it take to get us from where we are now to the words in that verse? What, if anything, would we have to alter in our lives to get there?

Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things. 2 Kings 23:16

This is a king who means business. After Josiah destroyed all of the physical evidence of other-than-God-worship, he went to the graveyard and dug up those who were buried there. He removed the bones and had it all destroyed.

The last few devotionals has touched upon the removal of our own idols within our own reach. There’s something about Josiah’s actions that goes even deeper. His love for God and not wanting to keep anything that would hint of defiling God or His name is commendable. His zeal for righteousness and is second to none.

Josiah’s zeal resembles that of Jesus when He cleaned out the temple courts ((John 2:13-18).

Often we find ourselves being against things, when we would be better off being for things. Ask God to help show us how we can demonstrate that zeal for Him.

He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.2 Kings 23:11

From these few words it’s apparent that Judah had fallen far. Not only were they worshiping the sun, but they were doing it near the temple court. The Bible is also clear who had instigated that worship: the kings of Judah. King Josiah was merely cleaning up the mess left behind by his predecessors.

In the last two devotionals, I refer to “cleaning house.” I suspect that cleaning up your “house” isn’t as easy as it looks. It takes time to go through all your stuff. So, here’s a question, how’s your thought life? What are you thinking about the most throughout the day? What are you feeding your mind on? Do you find yourself spouting negative comments without realizing it? It could be indicative of what you’re feeding your mind.

Robert Munger wrote a neat little book (My Heart, Christ’s Home) that talks about the various “rooms” in your life. It’s a very worthwile read if you get the chance. The thought life is only one room he explores.

The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. 2 Kings 23:4

This particular paragraph is somewhat puzzling to me. It seems there were articles made for Baal and Asherah in the temple. What in the world were they doing there? Who had used them while they were there? Josiah must have been asking the same questions because he ordered them to be destroyed. I’m positive it ruffled the feathers of more than a few Baal and Asherah worshipers. But Josiah the Leader had to take a stand because of the sin that occurred before him.

If you are a leader in your home, you understand the importance of “cleaning house” on occasion just like King Josiah had done. That means cleaning up what your kids see on the internet, the television, and even what they listen to with their music. Do a thorough evaluation. You will certainly not be popular, but most good leaders aren’t. Hint: if you make the child extremely angry (with he/she invokes the “invasion of privacy” principle, it is likely that you touched upon an area that he/she didn’t want you to know about).

Likewise, it’s also a time to evaluate what you see on TV and the Internet. Here’s merely a small test: would you be comfortable showing all the sites you surf to or all the shows you watch with your pastor?

The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. 2 Kings 23:3

King Josiah sensed that this was a pivotal point in Judah’s history so he stopped what he was doing to reconsecrate himself to the LORD. He was the reigning king over an entire nation, but he knew that dedicating himself to the LORD’s service once again would be an important thing for the rulers and the people to do. In other words, Josiah didn’t let the busyness of his life stand in the way of getting right with God.

I think we need to do this from time to time. Sometimes our faith gets stale and old. We lose zeal and just go through life to get by. For some of us, it’s like getting an oil change and 17-point inspection. But for others, it may be like getting an entire engine tune up. Take some time this week to examine your life and your faith.

Ask God to reveal areas of your life that have fizzled out. Ask Him to renew that love you once had.

[Huldah] said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’ ”
So they took her answer back to the king. 2 Kings 15-20

The five men who went to see her (Hilkah, Ahikam, Acbbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah) took Huldah the Prophetess’ words back to the king. It was the same message that Judah had been hearing for a long time: because you were evil, I will destroy you. This time, though, the LORD threw in a twist: because the current reigning king of Judah was not evil, I will spare this generation but the next one I will destroy. This is the very definition of bittersweet. I will destroy your nation, but you will be spared. It’s hard to rejoice when you children and grandchildren would be laid to waste before

I suspect many of you are experiencing those bittersweet points in time: perhaps a loved one who had Alzheimers recently passed away (you’re very sorry that person has passed but you’re also relieved that the Alzheimer patient is no longer in control-or your days of taking care of that person have finally finished!). Or maybe your son had begun drinking heavily but decided to enlist in the military (the discipline in the military would at least temporarily put a kabosh on the heavy drinking, but at the same time, military folk go to war). Both are examples of bittersweet situations.

Ask God to help you sort out those bittersweet emotions. Sending a perfect son to be a sacrifice for a sinful race of people is perhaps the ultimate bittersweet experience.

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:… 2 Kings 22:14-15

This may be the first time in recorded history that a devotional was created based on the prophetess Huldah. Most reading this probably skimmed past her name if you were reading the text. But for some reason, Hilkah, Ahikam, Acbbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah sought her out. And yet we only know her name and that she was a prophetess with a message for Josiah.

Have you ever joked around with a stranger only to find out that this person was someone of great influence? Most of us can swap such stories if we’ve been aroung long enough. Huldah was in the crowd, in the throngs, living from day to day, waiting – just waiting – to proclaim her message to the king. She must have done this before but we have no record of it.

The mini-lesson today is about the strangers we meet. How do we react to them? How do we react to the clerk who accidentally shortchanges us? What about a waitress who is slow and unresponsive? We need to be very careful how we treet those who cannot repay us. Granted, the two jobs I used for illustrations are paid positions and their employers have certain expectations of them. There is a way to respectfully and politely note their actions. There’s certainly no need to belittle them because your actions are being watched (and noted) by them too.

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 2 Kings 22:8

I’m not sure what had happened to the Book of the Law but Hilkiah found it. Where had it gone for so long that there would be rejoicing upon hearing of its whereabouts? Bible scholars debate about what the Book of the Law actually means. Most interpret it to be Deuteronomy or “the second law.” In any event, this was no small deal as Hilkiah even informed the king of this news. The Book of the Law was now in their hands.

I may be “preaching to the choir” with this devotional but have you found the Book of the Law lately? It’s easy to pop online and read a devotional and be done with it, but when have you picked up the Bible to read it, just to read it? No devotionals, no lessons, just to read it. Even for me, it’s a lot easier to browse through Scripture to see what I want to write about than it is to actually sit down and crack open the Bible. So, if there’s dust on it, blow it away and break open the Bible. You’ll be glad you did.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 2 Kings 22:1-2

Josiah was a good king as we’ll see in the coming days. But how did it happen when his father (Amon) was evil and his grandfather (Manasseh) was evil for a longer period of time? We don’t know a lot about his mother, her father or where they were from, so either his mother had significant influence over his upbringing or his advisor themselves were Godly, or both. Even at the tender age of eight (when he became king), Josiah had little say in choosing his advisors. How else can you explain his departure from his father’s and grandfather’s ways?

Thank God for Godly mothers.

Pray for the young mothers in your sphere of influence. They must juggle many tasks and still provide a Godly influence over their children. Pray that they will have the wisdom to prioritize their many tasks.

Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace. Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place. 2 Kings 21:23-24 A

mon only reigned in Jerusalem for two years. His father had reigned for fifty-five years. Amon’s own officials, which were probably held over from his father’s reign, assassinated Amon. Then the people in Jerusalem rose up against those who assassinated him. Besides the fact that Amon, like Manasseh before him, worshiped idols and bowed down before them, the people were fine with a long reigning king. Manasseh reigned for fifty-five years long years. His son lasted two. It seems the people wanted stability and when Amon’s own people killed him, they were out for blood.

In the West, we also long for stability. We don’t like change, and especially sudden change like Amon experienced. I think we’re experiencing that now with the changes occurring in the world economic stage. And yet, we love the status quo.

In many countries, though, the changes they experience make our changes seem dull and monotonous. Take the nation of Zimbabwe for instance. They now have inflation at 76 million percent per month! They have a 1 trillion dollar note! My mind cannot comprehend those numbers, but Zimbabweans are living it every day.

Pray for Believers in Zimbabwe as they face harsh economic and political times. Pray that they will continue to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in such turbulent times.

Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 Kings 21:16

Innocent blood. This was a grievous evil in the LORD’s eyes. What causes a man to do this? What possesses him to think that he is doing good in the world by shedding innocent blood? In fact, what possesses any leader to think that he will escape judgment when they knowingly and willfully take innocent life.

But it doesn’t just apply to leaders, because bad people commit evil acts all the time against innocent people. Our prisons are filled with those who have committed acts against the innocent. Blood isn’t shed, necessarily but lives are ruined and shattered.

If you have been the victim of one of these evil acts, then you know very well the pain and damage such acts can have on a life. Perhaps as a child, you were molested and your innocence was snatched from you; perhaps something similar (or worse) has happened to you as an adult. You’ve asked the ‘why’ questions. You’ve blamed yourself a kazillion times despite all the people who have told you not to. You’ve tried to lead a “normal” life but still you are haunted by horrendous memories. Though I really have no idea who this devotional reaches, I’d like to pray for you.

Lord Jesus, I realize that some people reading this little blog have had some very serious and devastating things happen to them over the years. I don’t know nor could I know all the details surrounding their lives, but You certainly do. You know the shattered lives that can result from violence and more specifically, sexual violence. You know all the details and the pain it causes. To those who have been affected by these heinous sins, could you reach down and touch them? Reach down to the core of their beings and heal the lives that have been crushed by the evil one. Restore life and energy into these individuals. Light the candle in their lives once again. Erase the horrid memories from their minds. Restore their dignity, and yes, even their innocence. Then do the remarkable work of rebuilding their lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

[Manasseh] sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.2 Kings 21:6

Manasseh was pure evil and influenced by evil spirits. What could possibly go through a man’s mind that he would actually sacrifice his own son in the fire? But you might be asking, didn’t Abraham offer up his child at God’s request. Absolutely. But there’s a difference. All along Abraham had been hearing personally from the LORD. From the time He told Abraham and Sarah that they would conceive, there was clear communication. There was no doubt as to who was talking to them. When he later told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, again it was clearly God.

With Manasseh, though, there was no inidcation that he had been communicating with the LORD. Nothing. In fact, the Scripture says that he was consulting with mediums and spiritists – a go-between. He wasn’t hearing from the LORD himself. It may not seem obvious, but here’s the point.

When you absolutely, positively know that you’ve heard from the LORD God Almighty, you recognize falsehood right away. Bank tellers are trained to recognize counterfeit money because they see the real thing day in and day out. Counterfeits clearly stand out. But the counterfeit will not stand out if you have only been seeing counterfeits all the time and occasionally see a real bill.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, 2 Kings 21:1-2

Manasseh was 12 when he took office and remained there for 55 years! And still the very next verse is that he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Fifty-five years of shedding innocent blood, sacrificing to Baal and Asherah, and a variety of other evil deeds. So, why in all those years didn’t God just take out Manasseh for good?

We see similar antics by rulers thorughout the world we live in. We often ask the same question. We might even conclude that God isn’t in control of world affairs. But of course we’d be wrong because we know that God is very much in control of what is happening in the world.

When I was growing up some 30 years ago there was faint talk of a one world currency as End Times prophecy. With so many currencies in the world, how was it possible that one would dominate amidst all the others? Or, similarly, how would it be possible for a currency that was changed freely across international borders could collapse in a relatively short period of time. One needs only look at the US Dollar to see that both have happened. The Dollar was super strong for a long time, but now is beginning to weaken. The Euro, a currency used and traded around the world, is also prominent. It wasn’t even a thought 30 years ago. Leaders come; leaders go. Bad leaders come and go. Good leaders come and go.

None of it has troubled God in the least. None of it ever will.

As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 2 Kings 20:20-21

Up to this point, we’ve seen Hezekiah as a man who pled with God to lengthen his days on Earth. If God hadn’t granted him a 15 year extension on his life, he might not have been able to finish the pool and the tunnel mentioned in this verse. I’m certain in those days it was no small engineering feat to accomplish what Hezekiah did. And it would be the thing that would seal Hezekiah’s legacy for generations to come.

We all have legacies and memories we want to leave behind. Not all of them are as grandiose as Hezekiah’s but they are no less important. Your legacy could very well be what you instill in your children. Even if they are grown you can continue to nurture that influence, though you probably already know that you need to take a different tack now that they are in their early 20s. Or perhaps God is moving you to have input into nursing home patients or within foster homes. Your legacy can be something physical or it can be emotional or spiritual. But you do have influence over others. Pray for wisdom that you will be able to use that influence wisely and effectively.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?” “From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”
The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?” “They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
“The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” 2 Kings 20:14-20

The prophet Isaiah was asking all the right questions and Hezekiah was giving him the right answers. It’s almost as though Hezekiah didn’t “get it.” What he had done by showing his foreign visitors all his treasures was open him and his kingdom up for defeat. Now the Babylonians had a solid economic reason to overthrow Hezekiah: his riches. His wealth and his family would be ripped from him but he would live a relatively peaceful and secure life. How sad and how selfish.

We live in interesting times, not at all unlike Hezekiah. Sadly, our leaders over the past thirty years have not had our best interests at heart when pursuing international agreements. Many are fearful that little by little we’ve compromised our sovereignty for a little peace and security. In reality we’ve lost liberties and have become slaves to those who own our debt (speaking now of the United States). The leaders have remained in office but peace and security are still quite elusive.

Pray for your nation’s leaders. Pray that they will do what is best for their constituents and not for what will get them elected the next term. Pray for integrity in your government.

At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 2 Kings 20:12-13

The LORD had miraculously healed Hezekiah, and the son of Baladan had sent letters and a gift as sort of a “glad you’re well gift.” So what did Hezekiah do when the messengers from Babylon arrive? He boasted of his riches and showed them messengers his storehouse of wealth. What a missed opportunity! And later we’ll see that he didn’t even realize that it was a missed opportunity.

It doesn’t need to be said but we too miss opportunities. The missed opportunities that I refer to are as simple as encouraging someone or visiting someone in a nursing home to presenting the Gospel message to a receptive heart. Some of those opportunities are big, while others are insignificant. So how do we minimize the missed opportunities?

Most of the time these opportunities come when we are busy doing something else, when we’re least likely to have the time or inclination to follow through. Often though it’s a matter of being available and receptive for ministry opportunities. Pray and ask God for wisdom throughout the day, to help you to see the opportunites. They probably come more often than we know.

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?”
Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”
“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”
Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. 2 Kings 20:8-11

I’m trying to picture in my mind this conversation between Hezekiah the king of Israel and Isaiah the prophet. To any onlookers it must have seemed humorous. Isaiah had just told Hezekiah that the LORD would heal him and that he would go up to the temple on the third day. Those were two very specific prophetic words from the LORD. Hezekiah didn’t believe it and, like Gideon (and countless others through the ages), Hezekiah wanted a sign. So what does Isaiah do? He gave him a choice: a forward shadow or one that goes backward. The fact that Hezekiah even had a choice was significant (and a bit funny). Hezekiah chose the more difficult task: “tell the shadow to go backwards.” Would advancing the shadow be easier for God? Would it even matter? God could have made the shadow bright orange and it wouldn’t have been easier or more difficult.

Even though we’d never admit it publicly, but sometimes we think that God is a magic Genie who comes at our beck and call. It’s just the opposite. He’s in control. He calls the shots. Period. Establish that in your mind first.

I realize that many reading this are undergoing extremely difficult circumstances and need a miraculous intervention. Many are traumatized and feel beaten up by what has happened to you. Many are tired and frustrated at your circumstances. You’re ready to hang it up and call it quits on this Christian walk. You, too, desire that “sign” that God is going to make things right.

You know from deep within that God is in the process of rebuilding your life. You may not like it; you may not want it, but he’s rebuilding and “retooling” for His purposes. You may not quite understand what He’s doing, but it’s happening. Like Hezekiah, you want a sign that you’re on the right track. Perhaps God is even “silent.” Essentially, you want to continue doing the will of God. This is always a good indication that you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing: seeking HIm. Think about it, if you didn’t want to do God’s will, would you be worried about it and fretting over it?

For what it’s worth, here’s my suggestion: you’re at a crossroads so make a decision (not making a decision is also a decision). Don’t be afraid. You’ve prayed about it. You’ve sought Godly counsel. You’ve pored over Scripture. You’re written Pros and Cons columns on a sheet of paper. Now, make the decision. If you’re wrong, you go back and do it all over again. It probably won’t be the end of the world if you’re wrong. But if you’re right, you may have wondered why it took you so long! That’s essentially what faith is, take a step out even though you don’t know the outcome.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’” 2 Kings 20:4-6

Miraculously, the LORD added 15 years to Hezekiah’s life, plus he would be victorious over Assyria. Why? For the sake of David. Throughout the line of kings, the LORD never forgot David. The Bible says that the LORD had heard Hezekiah’s prayer and saw his tears.

This is not a devotional about answered or unanswered prayer or whether God keeps a record of all the tears you shed on the behalf of others. It has to do with God’s promises. God made a binding covenant with David. What was the essence of that covenant?

I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations.” Selah. Psalm 89:4

So, when we see references to “for the sake of my servant David,” we need to realize that He did it for OUR benefit too. Jesus Christ was in the lineage of David.

Take time to praise Him for having mercy on us in this way.

“Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 2 Kings 20:3

This goes in tandem with yesterday’s devotional. Hezekiah wanted to live despite the death warrant that Isaiah delivered. He pleaded with God to not let him die. He still had work on this earth to accomplish.

Fortunately we do not have our time of death telegraphed or emailed to us. We don’t known when we’ll die. People who are killed in car crashes never expected to die so early in life. Nobody expects to die young. And yet, we have no guarantees of even another breath.

Today is just a good day to worship God for giving you life. Thank God for the things you take for granted in your life. Throughout this day, thank Him for His boundless life.

The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 2 Kings 20:1

What a bold statement to make before a king: “you are going to die.” Putting his house in order probably meant making sure that his sons were following God and that all his affairs were taken care of.

To us the phrase, to “put your house in order” implies a need to “get right with God.” It, too, also suggests making sure that your paperwork and affairs are attended to.

Sometimes, though, we just need to reflect on getting right with God. If you were to die tonight, are you right with God? Of course the eternal question is settled, but what about the interactions and relationships? Are they also in order? Are you harboring bitterness and hatred? Do you have resentment? Are you carrying a load you were never meant to carry? Take some time today to reflect on your life, to ask yourself the tough questions, to wrestle with God if you need to. Everything may be perfect and that’s something to praise God about. But if everything isn’t perfect and the Holy Spirit is prompting you to take corrective actions, do so without hesitation. And that action may be as simple as laying it all before the Lord or as complex as going to others you may have wronged.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 3:14

Is your house in order?

But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me. 2 Kings 19:27-28

Occasionally it’s amusing to see small children throw a temper tantrum. When they don’t get their way, they’ll pound the hard floor, scream out of frustration and maybe even take a swing or two at their parents. The parents will just let the kid vent and simmer until he’s so tired, that he can no longer continue. When he wakes the next morning, he won’t even remember why he went into such a rage. It’s usually not a reflection on the parenting skills as it is on the will of the child.

Sennacherib and those who shake their fists at God are like the little child throwing a temper tantrum. They have to have life in their way, on their terms. They’l make up excuses to blame God. They are angry at the world; they are angry at God. They say foolish things and do even more foolish things.

Among those fists are a few hurting people. We don’t know who they are but God does. We don’t know who is close to “finding God,” but He does. We don’t know where their hearts are precisely, but God does.

Pray that God will continue to call men and women to himself. Perhaps you know some of these “fist shakers.” Pray for them by name. Chances are good that they do not have others praying for them. You may be their only “lifeline” to God.

Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel! 2 Kings 19:22

I think it’s safe to say that one of the great overarching themes from Genesis to Revelations is “God is in control.” And He is. He sees everything, hears everything, and knows everything. When someone blasphemed or insulted the name of God, He certainly took note.

Four thousand years later and He still takes notice. When someone publicly shakes a fist at God, He takes note. When that same action is done in private, He responds accordingly in a loving and compassionate way. Those are two very different acts: one out of defiance, and the other out of anger and frustration. He knows the heart in each.

When we see people in our culture defy God publicly or make outlandish public statements opposing God, we shake our heads at their brazenness and foolish behavior. We may even feel the need to speak out against such abuse. Make no mistake, God sees their actions, and as in the case of Sennacherib, He called him on it. Those who insult God loudly and publicly do so because they have no fear of judgement.

Continue to pray for wisdom in the midst of foolish and anti-God cultures. Pray also that those who hurt and shake their fists in private to God will find Him. Pray that their emptiness will be filled.

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “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.

“It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O 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

When you read Hezekiah’s prayer, you think “that’s the way it should be.” His prayer was unpretentious and honest. He spoke plainly. Hezekiah was desperate for God. Granted, the Assyrian kings had threatened his life, but he was at a point where he had to cry out.

As you read through his prayer, pray it over your own life. You have enemies, probably not to the extent that Hezekiah had, and you probably want them to just go away! So what if your prayers aren’t politically correct? I am convinced that God is pleased that you even took the time to talk to him! Like His relationship to Israel, God’s is a constant wooing of us to Himself. And of course we all need “deliverance” to varying degrees. Usually it’s only one or two things that drag us down, but still we want to be delivered.

Ultimately God gets the glory, which is what’s it’s all about. Hezekiah moved heaven with his words. So can we.

Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. 2 Kings 17:41

For reasons that seem fairly obvious, the first part of verse 41 troubles me. It sounds like one of those oxymorons, where one side of the equation negates the other (jumbo shrimp is a clear example). So, these people were God-worshipping, idol-serving people. How could they possibly worship God and serve idols at the same time? Before we start point fingers at what appears to be hypocrisy, we probably should step back and take a look into our own lives.

Most reading this I can safely say worship God sometime throughout the week, probably on Sunday. But do we serve idols? Let me ask this, are you a slave to anything, anything at all? Money (greed), sports, habits, adulterous relationship, alcohol, drugs, lustful thinking, food, things, and television. There are others and if we think long enough we can see them. Here’s the question in a nutshell: what do you think about the most six days of the week? What inhabits or dominates your thoughts? I’m not suggesting that all or even most of us worship contemporary idols. I just want us to quietly evaluate our lives to make sure we are serving God alone. The idols, I’m afraid, creep up on us faster than we know.

The Lord God Almighty alone deserves our worship and service.

The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them until the LORD removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there. 2 Kings 17:22-23

In this passage, the servants of God – the prophets – are mentioned almost in passing. They warned the people countless times, then got out of the way. There is only so much warning a person can do when a people is “stiff-necked” as the Bible describes. Throughout the series of Kings, we have seen the role of the prophets in the lives of the people and their leaders. They warned kings; they warned religious leaders; they warned the people. They wept over people; they called down fire on false prophets; they had compassion on the helpless.

In our day and age, we are sorely lacking truth-telling, God-fearing prophets. We do have prophets, but we tend to question their motives, especially if they are selling books about their prophesies or the role of Biblical prophesy in history.

The prophet of old would roar into town, condemn the sinful actions of the people, expose religious and political leaders where necessary, and leave (or be forced out). The townpeople considered him to be a kook (think John the Baptist, Elijah, or Elisha), but they got the message loud and clear: sin is sin, and you need to repent. He often proclaimed this message at his own personal expense and peril, knowing that the people could rise up against him and stone him (especially if he was wrong about a prophetic utterance).

So, where are the modern day prophets? Do they exist? In every land in this world, we desperately need prophets. Pray that God will raise up more prophets who will speak the truth when it’s not always easy or politically correct, Most importantly, pray that these prophets will have the anointing and passion that sets them apart.

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. 2 Kings 17:1-2

In the Bible, there is evil such as many of the kings had committed, and there is Hoshea. He was a traitor and allowed Israel to be captured and exiled to Assyria.Read verses 2-17 to see just what Israel had done to provoke the LORD’s anger. Then the ultimate rejection from the LORD: “so the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence” (2 Kings 17:18). Wow. When you are removed from the LORD’s presence, that’s a big deal. It seems as though the Israelites had pushed and pushed and pushed against righteousness, and finally the LORD had had enough.

I don’t think we can fully grasp the horrendous consequences of sin. God removed His people from His presence because of what they had done. We as Believers are fortunate to be forgiven by the Grace of God through the blood of Jesus. This forgiveness and grace should never be taken lightly.

Today, thank God for his bountiful forgiveness at Christ’s expense. We did nothing to earn that forgiveness or salvation, but we are still able to enjoy its eternal benefits.

Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria…He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash. 2 Kings 23-24, 27

It is easy to lose heart when evil men win. Jeroboam II did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but he was king over Israel. God swore that He would not blot out Israel’s name so He used an evil king named Jeroboam to save them. So in this case, God still favored Israel even though it was being ruled by a corrupt leader.

How many times do we see that in life where evil men rule over good people. Take south Sudan for example. There are many Bible-believing Christians there who are being ruled by a merciless dictator, one who sees no problem with killing defenseless people en masse.

Where is the justice? Where is the justice? Why can’t God stop that injustice? Or better yet, why doesn’t He stop it? And that is one land out of 300 or so others, most of which have seriously troubled leaders.

I don’t have answers to those questions. And if I’m asking them, then certainly those people are also asking those questions.

But I am certain that God wants us who are free to pray extensively for those Believers who are not.

They conspired against him in Jerusalem…2 Kings 14:19

Amaziah was the name of the king they were conspiring against though it doesn’t matter much. This seemed to happen a lot, just as it happens wherever there is government.

Even in democratic governments, there are people close to top leadership who conspire against the leaders. This occurs in all governments and in all nations. Often the leaders don’t know who to trust since there are many reasons (self-preservation immediately comes to mind) people do things. I know it’s cynical but, rarely do leaders and advisors do what’s best for the people. There are exceptions but not many.

Pray for your leaders and their advisors. Pray that corrupt leaders and advisors will be exposed. Pray that the good leaders will rise from the pack.

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 2 Kings 14:3

Throughout the reigns of these kings, Scripture is quick to compare one king to another. David seemed to be the standard. First the kings were classified into good and evil. Next is the degree of good or evil, and finally comparison to someone before him. Even though David was not the first king, he was the standard by which many others were compared.

When it comes to your “legacy,” how are you doing? I think no matter what age we are, we have a great opportunity to leave a lasting legacy to those who come behind us. Think about those who came before us and the kind of legacy they left for us. What were their “distinctives” (good or bad, we can learn from both)? Our sphere of influence may not be as large as the kings in the Old Testament, but it can be just as lasting.

Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD’s favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. 2 Kings 13:4

From the previous verse we see that the LORD God had allowed Israel to be subject to Hazael. Then a strange thing happens: the king of Israel requests the LORD’s favor.

And the LORD granted Israel favor! Just like that.

There is a fantastic principle here that sinners and saints all need to learn over and over again. When we come to God in humility, He is ready to “work with us.” He knows that sin is a cruel task master and demands more than we want to give.

Now I know that the price that Jesus paid on the cross was his own death. But not long after we have been saved (probably minutes), pride creeps in (and doesn’t ever go away). Our selfish desires and greed and pride should be continually at the foot of the Cross, but it’s not. Then we realize yet again that we’re “not all that” and humble ourselves before God’s throne. His response? He welcomes us back again.

So, whether you’ve been a Believer in Jesus for 50 years or just asked Him into your life yesterday, He welcomes you to the Cross. Daily. Hourly. Moment by Moment.

Just like that!