Tues.’s Devo - God’s Deliverance

Read: Isaiah 37:1-38:22; Galatians 6:1-18; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 23:24 When Hezekiah heard the report from the wall and all the intimidating remarks of the Assyrians he tore his clothes and put on burlap. He sent Eliakim, Shebna and the leading priests to Isaiah with a message of despair. Isaiah sent word back to Hezekiah not to worry because God was going to move against the Assyrians. They would get a message and return home where the king would be killed with a sword. That is exactly what happened. The king of Assyrian received word that the Ethiopians were attacking him back home and was needed there. He told the Israelites that he would be back. He told them that God had not done this for them. Then he bragged of all the countries they had destroyed, so Israel’s God would not be able to save them. Hezekiah took his word that had been written on paper and spread it on the floor of the Temple. He prayed to God to help them. Isaiah sent word to Hezekiah that God laughed at Assyria’s threats against Him. God declared his own majesty then he told Hezekiah that the proof would be that they would eat from that years harvest for two years then they would plant their own gardens and eat from them in the third year. About Assyria, God said that they would not set foot in Jerusalem. That night the army of God slew 185,000 Assyrians in their sleep. When the King woke up their were dead men all around him. He returned to his capital of Nineveh and was killed by his two sons while he was worshipping his god, Nisroch. Nishroch was the Assyrian demon of agriculture. At the same time, God sent word to Hezekiah to put his affairs in order because he was about to die. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord and plead for his life. He reminded God of all the good things he had done. God sent him another word that He would give him 15 years to live. He told him what to do to be healed. Isiah gave Hezekiah a sign to prove that what he had said would happen. He asked Hezekiah whether he wanted the shadow to go forward or backward ten steps. He chose for it to go backwards and it did. In Galatians, Paul admonishes the Church to bear one another’s burdens and help those who have fallen into sin. He warns us of comparing others to ourselves because we never know when we might be weak and need help. It is not the outward acts that we do that matter, it is the heart that matters. Lord, help us to keep our hearts clean before you and live our lives for You. May we be humble and forgiving. God, you are our deliverer and defender.