90 Day Read Through the Bible – Day 52

Today’s Reading … Isaiah 40-53, 2 Kings 18:9-2 Kings 19, Psalm 46, 80 and 135

 

The reading today is so full! We are digging into three of our themes:

 

Keep God First, Stop Running and Return to Me, Facing Adversity.

 

Isaiah is calling to Judah, the Southern Kingdom to keep God first even as Israel, the Northern Kingdom is being taken into exile by Assyria. “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His power, Not one of them is missing” (Isaiah 40:26).  We keep God first because He is first! He is first in creation, first in power, first in sovereignty.  Anything else that we give first place in our hearts, minds and lives, any idol, is futile. Not only that, anything that we put before God is a wall between us and the All Mighty. If we stop and process at the idols in our lives; control, comfort, wealth, beauty, none are worth sacrificing intimacy with God. Keeping God first in our lives means stopping to realize when He is not and making a choice to dethrone the idols of our hearts. That choice is reflected in our theme, “Stop Running and Return to Me.”

 

 

We see this theme in reading 2 Kings today. King Hezekiah, under the wisdom of Isaiah, is leading the people of Israel in a sprint back to the arms of their faithful God. Perhaps it is the immediate threat of the Assyrians that made their hearts ready to receive this call. It is often in our desperation that we return to God. Hezekiah’s strength was found in his conscious dependence on God. “Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14). What an amazing verse. Admittedly, when I receive upsetting news, I tend to immediately go into crisis management mode. That generally looks like a lot of charts, calendars, plans and family keeping a very safe distance! In other words, I run away from God and towards the idol of my own feeble strength. Not Hezekiah, his immediate response to a kingdom threatening situation is to lay it before the Lord. He runs to God and God, as always, is faithful.  “For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and My servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 19:34).  A different theme, but a similar message. Stop and process before charging into action. We must look at the direction our feet are pointed before we take off in a full sprint. Are we running towards the idols of our own strength and abilities or towards the arms of our omnipotent God? If we are running towards God we will find peace, regardless of the adversity that we are facing.

 

 

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). Did you just exhale? I did. A command to “cease striving,” what a gift! In the midst of adversity, God calls us to rest, to trust in Him. Why? Because He will be exalted in the earth. That is a definitive statement. There is no doubt. God will be victorious, His plans will succeed, it is only a matter of time. And so, in the meantime, we can cease striving. That is a beautiful statement, however, if you are like me (bless your heart), then you ask the question, “What does that mean?” and then instantly begin to strive to cease striving. The answer for me is to replace my worries with truth, in the form of Scripture memory. It means to replace impulsive actions with active prayer. To “cease striving” does not mean to give up, it means to refocus our energy, away from our adversity and towards our God. Once again, we stop and process the condition of our hearts and then lay it them front of the Lord for protection and strength. He will be faithful to provide.

 

 

Thank you Lord that you are first in all things, that you are always waiting for us with open arms and that you promise to be ultimately victorious in all things. Today, please remind us to stop and process our thoughts and actions in light of your truth and may it change our course and bless our lives. We love you. Amen.

 

 

Love you all,
Kinsee

 

“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”(Isaiah 55:11).