Laying it out there
14. And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers,
and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and
spread it before the LORD.
15. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of
Israel, which dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou art the God,
[even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made
heaven and earth.
16. LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and
see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to
reproach the living God.
17. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations
and their lands,
18. And have cast their gods into the fire: for they [were] no gods,
but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have
destroyed them.
19. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of
his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou
[art] the LORD God, [even] thou only.
Hezekiah upon reading this letter became deeply vexed. What was his comfort in
this time of trouble? He made haste to the house of the Lord, and spread out his
problem before the Lord. When was the last time you laid it all out there before
God?
We are quick to spread out our problems before our family. We unload on our
co-workers. We even tell our fellow church members. We take our problems to
anyone who will sympatize with us, yet are we taking it before God who alone can
provide real help?
I've found from the hard schoolmaster of experience that the matters that I
most need to spread before the Lord, I don't. I keep them to myself to vex me,
or I unload them to my wife or friend. Still, I don't bring them before my Lord
who awaits me that he might help me.
What happened when he spread out his problems before the Lord? In the next
verse God, through Isaiah, says "I have heard." He answers! All we have to do is
lay it out there in it's entirety before him and he will come to our aid. He
has never failed us yet! NOR COULD HE!
Why is it that we fail to lay it before the Lord? Is it that we are too full
of pride? Is it that we don't want to give up control? Is it we don't want to
admit our problems? Maybe we are just foolish? I can't answer that, but I can
say there is not a good reason not to spread it before him.
So Friend, no matter the problems you are facing, just lay it out before him
and await with eagerness the sweet sound of his voice whispering to your soul,
"I have heard."
Crucify Me, O Lord
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."(Psalms 139:23-24)
The longer I live the more I realize my heart is wicked and I need God to purify me. I need him to restrain me from evil thoughts and sinful deeds. No matter how hard I try to live right I find that my flesh rises up in me and as a great wieght to my soul drawing me down.
I am not saying I do not sin willingly, for my flesh is willing. Alas, my inward man hates it. I've come to hate myself in that I hate the sin I do. Like Paul I wish to cry out for deliverance from myself.
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
(Romans 7:21-25)
My spirit longs for the day when at Christ's return I will be glorified never to sin again. Men have preached a 3-fold salvation being that of the power of sin, the price of sin, and the presence of sin. Yet, I am looking for that day when I will be completly delivered from the pleasure of sin. The process has been started as I hate that sin that dwells in me, but from the testomony of those older than I, they still fight the flesh.
So I pray that the Lord to search me. To seek out that evil that I might crucify it. That I might recokon myself dead to it. That I may live for God and not serve the sin. Again Paul said,
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20
Each day I pray God purify me and clear my mind and heart of evil. O Lord, Crucify me! Live through me! Let me be conformed to the image of your Son, Jesus! As the hymn-writer said:
"Searcher of hearts, from mine erase
All thoughts that should not be,
And in its deep recesses trace
My gratitude to Thee."
Let us live in the newness of life, and be controlled by the Spirit. Yet we are unable to do it, let God do it for us and enable us. O' how each day I realize my total dependence on Him. Lord, help us to live for you and sin not.
There is none like God!
"Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Ex. 15:11)
The truth that God is unequaled by anyone or anything has been flooding my thought the past week. God alone is perfect in His excellence. The Triune Jehovah, the self sufficient God, who exists in three persons, dwelt in perfect unity within Himself. He had no need or required no help from any other source. He is perfect. We can add nothing to Him or His glory, nor can we take anything away!
I am in awe of the God I serve. The one who before the foundations of the world by His sovereign decree choose to save sinners. The Father who sent His son, my Lord, Jesus Christ to obtain the atonement for my sins and the sins of His church. That He would send the Holy Spirit to birthed me into the His family and produce faith in me! He is above all! The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer!
Has Budda ever done such? Has Allah? I think not! There is none like the God of the Bible! He stands exalted above all. Worship Him for his unequaled perfection!
None is like God, Who reigns above,
So great, so pure, so high;
None is like God, Whose Name is Love,
And Who is always nigh.
-John Burton, Jr.
