Sun,’s Devo - God’s Deliverance

Read: Isaiah 37:1-38:22; Galatians 6:1-18; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 23:24 The letter from the king of Assyria was read to Hezekiah and he also tore his clothes in despair and put on burlap. He sent his leaders to Isaiah to tell him what was going on and have him pray for them. *** Isaiah told them not to be afraid of the way King Sennacherib blasphemed God and said He was not on their side and would not help them. God would move against Sennecherib and he would get a message that he is needed at home. When he returns, God will have him killed with the sword. *** King Sennacherib did get the message that the king of Ethiopia was on his way to his kingdom to attack it. Before he left, he sent a message to Hezekiah telling him not to think that this matter was over, he would return and do what he promised he would do. None of the other nations had prevailed to save themselves and neither would Jerusalem. *** Hezekiah took Sennacherib’s letter to the Temple and spread it out on the ground for God to see. He prayed that God would judge Sennacherib’s arrogance and rescue them. *** Isaiah sent the king a word from the Lord. God was laughing at Sennacherib’s taunts against him and his people. God made it clear that all his victories were not his doing, but God’s. God had planned everything from long ago and he was a mere vessel in God’s hands. God knows Sennacherib’s heart and where he lives and because of his arrogance he will lead him with a hook in his mouth back to his home. His sign to Hezekiah was that God would sustain them for three years and by the third year they will be harvesting their fields like before. *** That night, the angel of the Lord went and killed 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers. When they woke up they were surrounded with corpses. King Sennacherib returned to his own land to his capital Nineveh. There he was killed by the swords of his own sons as he worshipped his god Nisroch. Another of his sons, Esarhaddon became the next king of Assyria. *** Hezekiah became very ill and Isaiah went to tell him to set his affairs in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah immediately prayed reminding God of all he had done for him. God had mercy and sent Isaiah back to him. Isaiah told him that God had heard his prayer and he was giving him 15 more years to live and He would deliver him from the Assyrians. God gave him a sign to prove he had said this: He caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial. He told him to put a fig pack on his wound and it would heal. Hezekiah asked what sign would he give him that he would one day be able to enter the Temple of the Lord. *** In Galatians Paul encouraged the people to help their weak brother back onto the path of righteousness but to not get entangled in their sin that brought them down. *** Paul warned them that they would always reap the seeds they planted. There would always be a reaction for their actions. They decided if they would reap death by sinning, or life by following the Spirit. *** Circumcision and outward signs of salvation don’t merit anything in the end. The question will be if we allowed God to transform us into a new creation. Paul pointed out that the ones who wanted everyone circumcised were doing it just so they looked good and claim them as their disciples. Paul never wanted to be able to boast in anything bit the cross of Christ. His scars were his proof that he belonged to Christ. *** Lord, may we boast only in you. Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross and your resurrection. which was all we need to grant us salvation. We praise you for all you have done and continue to do. May your name be great in the earth.