Wed.’s Devo - God’s Stirring

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2, Acts 21:17-36, Ps. 150:1-6, Pr. 18:9-10 Hezekiah was one of the only kings that removed the high places. He turned immediately to the Lord when things went bad and God always blessed him for that. God even turned back time for him. When Hezekiah got sick the king of Babylon sent presents. The king from Babylon’s name meant ‘god is Baal’. Hezekiah let his pride get in the way of wisdom and he showed the men from Babylon all of his wealth. This misjudgment cost the nation their wealth. Hezekiah seemed more interested in the comfort of the present than the welfare of the future generations. We can see this and learn. One day, someone may read our history. Our legacy is what we leave behind for the next generation. We want to leave our world a better place because we were here. Hezekiah’s son was part of his legacy. Manasseh was one of the most evil kings. He was right up there with Ahab in his idolatry and rebellion against God. Manasseh was followed by Amon who wasn’t much better. But Josiah came next and he was another story. We’ll read about him tomorrow. Josiah is a type of Jesus and it makes me think of how evil the world has become and will become even worse before Jesus comes back. In Acts, Paul is fighting vicious rumors about his teachings. The devil is always ready to stir up problems when revival hits. True to the prophecy, Paul is bound in chains and taken to prison in the midst of a mob. God stirs us up through persecution and trials. This is the place He teaches us and trains our hands for battle. That is why James could tell us to think of tests and trials joyfully when they come…because they will come. Lord, truly Your name is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.