Tues.’s Devo - Living For Eternity

Read: 2 Kings 17:18-12; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 18:6-7 Hoshea became the king of Israel and was from Elah, the place David defeated Goliath. He was an evil king who reigned 9 years. During his rule, he had been forced to pay tribute to the King Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria. King Hoshea hired King So of Egypt to help him rid himself of King Shalmanesar’s bondage. It backfired on King Hoshea and he was put in King Shalmanesar’s prison while his army beseiged Samaria for three years until Samaria fell and its inhabitants were exiled to cities in Assyria. All of this disaster fell on God’s people because they worshipped other gods and had forsaken their God. God had sent prophets to them over and over to tell them to repent but they refused to listen. They worshipped worthless idols and became just as worthless. Because they did this, God swept them out of his land except Judah where Jerusalem was. The king of Assyria transported his people to Samaria to live but they soon found out that they had to worship God or the lions would kill them. Shalmanesar sent Jewish priests to Samaria to teach them how to worship the Lord. They taught them but they continued to worship their false gods also. They couldn’t understand that God will have no other god before him. All of this was going on when Hezekiah was made king over Judah. He was a king like David who had God’s heart. He removed the pagan shrines and all the idols that the people had made. He trusted in the Lord the whole time he ruled like no other king had done. God was with him and when he revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute, he won. He also gained territory for his country. Meanwhile, Israel was falling to the Assyrians. In Acts, we have a great picture of Passover. The disciples were meeting on Passover to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. A man fell out of the window to his death below and he was raised up to live. That is the picture of the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul left to arrive in Jerusalem for Pentecost. He has 50 days to get there. He had been told over and over prophetically that jail and suffering lay ahead, but he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go. Knowing it would be his last time to see some of these people he warned them to watch for the wolves in sheep’s clothing. He prayed for them, hugged and kissed them good-bye then left. Paul did not love his life more than he loved God. His life was totally in God’s hands. Lord, help us to live like Paul and realize that it is not this life that is important, it is our eternal life that we live for.