by George | Aug 19, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Hezekiah’s prayer
“Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.”
Isaiah 37:20
Hezekiah was in trouble.
The king of Assyria was on his way, with a mighty army.
Instead of calling a cabinet meeting, or a meeting with the secretary of defense, Hezekiah immediately sought God in prayer.
“Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord saying, “O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.”
Isaiah 37:14-20
Notice what Hezekiah did:
- He laid the letter/ problem before God.
- He praises God first, worshipping the Almighty God.
- He was honest and realistic with God about this dangerous attacking army.
- He makes a very specific request.
God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that his prayer has been heard, and was being answered.
Then…
“Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead.”
Isaiah 37:36
God answers prayer, in His time and in His way.
Let’s seek Him fervently, just like Hezekiah.
by George | Aug 14, 2021 | Community News, Newsletter
Let’s Agree On One Thing…
“Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.”
Hosea 6:1
So many issues divide us today. Some believe in the Covid vaccine, while others don’t. Same thing when it comes to the wearing of a mask.
I’m not here to convince you one way or another about these issues. Rather, I want to encourage you to agree in prayer with me.
Let’s pray that God will take away this virus, and bring healing to those who are affected by it.
Remember this familiar verse?
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
II Chronicles 7:14
Let’s put aside our differences. Let us agree in prayer humbly, turning away from sin, seeking His face…
Let us ask Him to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land.
Who’s with me?
by George | Aug 6, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Why Are You Glad to See Me?
“Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.”
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Last night at a neighborhood outreach event, I stood outside the door of the community room, welcoming folks as they arrived.
A youth approached who looked to be around 12 years old.
“I’m so glad to see you!” I said as I gave him a fist bump.
“Why are you glad to see me?” He asked.
Hmmm… Why am I glad to see him? Was I just looking at him as a number, one more person attending, or was I glad to see his smiling face?
Trying to think quickly, I said something like “Because it’s a good day and we are here to have a good time!”
That got me thinking. How many times do I say things without thinking about what I’m saying?
Scripture says our words are important. Here are some examples:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Ephesians 4:29
“Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; it is set on fire by hell.”
James 3:5-6
Jesus drove the point home when He said:
“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:34-37
I must admit… The last one kind of scares me.
So, how can we know what to say? Ask the LORD to help you.
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Psalms 141:3
I’m reminded of something my mom said several times. “If you don’t have anything nice to say… Don’t say anything at all!” Words to live by…
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”Colossians 4:6
