Wed.’s Devo - Our Future is in God’s Hands

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2; Acts 21:18-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10 Hezekiah became ill so Isaiah came to see him. He told him to set his affairs in order, because he was going to die. Hezekiah reminded the Lord how he lived his life to please him. Before Isaiah could get out of the palace, the Lord told him to go back and tell Hezekiah that God heard his prayer and would extend his life 15 more years. He showed Isaiah how to heal the boil that was causing his sickness. Hezekiah asked for a sign to prove he would be healed in three days. Hezekiah was given the choice of making the shadow on the sundial go forward ten steps or backward ten steps. He was actually given the ability to go back in time or forward in time. He chose to go back in time since he thought that would be the hardest. *** The king of Babylon was Merodach-baladan which means “rebellion: Baal is lord.” He sent gifts to Hezekiah because he had heard he was sick. Hezekiah received his gifts and showed his ambassadors everything in his kingdom. By doing this, he set his future for the next generation. *** Isaiah told him that since he showed them all he had, then all he had would one day be theirs. Since he said it would not happen in his lifetime, Hezekiah was relieved. *** Hezekiah lived his 15 more years and died. In his last 15 years, he had a son named Manasseh. Hezekiah had the privilege of knowing his expiration date so you would think he would take the time to teach his son how to rule the kingdom like he had. Manasseh was only 13 when he came to rule, but he did the opposite of his father. He welcomed the gods of Babylon and all the other pagan gods. He set up a carved image of Asherah in the Temple of the Lord. He caused the people to do more evil than even the pagan nations did. He murdered many innocent people. *** God said through the prophets that He would do to Jerusalem what he did to Samaria. Manasseh reigned 55 years and when he died his son, Amon became the king. He followed after the sins of his father and was assassinated by his own officials. The people of the land killed his assassins and made his son, Josiah the next king. Josiah was only 8 but he did what was pleasing to the Lord. *** In Acts, Paul went to meet with Luke and all the church at Jerusalem. Paul’s group shared all God had done in their trip and the people rejoiced. Luke shared with Paul that there was a group in the city who heard Paul was teaching the Jews not to circumcise their children and to disobey the laws of Moses. They wanted to know what to do. Paul suggested they sent four of the men who were with Paul to the temple so they could see how they had followed the law of Moses to a tee. They had vowed a vow to the Lord and wanted to do the purification ceremony. Those men who heard the rumors about Paul could observe how they follow the law and that would help squelch the rumor. *** Before they could do the purification ceremony, a mob met Paul in the Temple and accused Paul of preaching against the Jews and the Temple by bringing Gentiles into the Temple. Paul had been seen with a Gentile that day and they assumed he had taken him into the Temple. A riot followed. *** Paul was arrested and bound with chains. When the commander asked the crowd what Paul had done, it was so chaotic he couldn’t get the truth so he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress. The crowd was so violent, the soldiers had to lift Paul up on their shoulders to protect him. *** Jesus had warned them that if they killed the shepherd they would surely kill the sheep. Paul was fellowshipping with the Lord in his sufferings. *** Lord, may we learn to fellowship with You in our sufferings and in our blessings. No matter what we face may it all be to your glory.