God Cares

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Even a Good Report Needs Prayer

Today I was reminded of the account of Hezekiah, the king of Judah. For me, it’s one of the most encouraging events in the Old Testament. 2 Kings 19

Being Told That You’re Junior Varsity

The Assyrians, led by Sennacherib, were preparing to attack Jerusalem. The enemy arrived at Jerusalem after having a winning season of attacks, having conquered Israel and many nations that were thought of as bigger and stronger than Jerusalem. However, none of them worshiped the one true God.

Now the Assyrians had a letter delivered to Hezekiah that told him all the reasons why Hezekiah and Jerusalem would be defeated. This was more than “trash-talk,” this was disrespecting All Mighty God. So, Hezekiah does what we all should do when paired against a top-ranked opponent; he sought help from God. For Hezekiah, he sent a message to Isaiah, the prophet, to hear from God.

Keeping it Personal

Isaiah tells Hezekiah’s servants to tell Hezekiah that God spoke, saying that God would send the Assyrians back from where they came; game over.

Here’s the critical part. After Hezekiah heard from Isaiah, Hezekiah took the letter from the Assyrians and laid it out for God to look at it. Then Hezekiah prayed, saying to God that the threat from the Assyrians was not against Hezekiah but against Almighty God! Hezekiah’s prayer came from a deep understanding of the relationship he personally had with God. So, the battle was not against him or Judah; the Assyrians were attacking God!

Why did Hezekiah pray after already hearing from God? Because, as Jesus taught during His earthly ministry, we are to ask. Hezekiah had been told; now, he needed to ask. Then God has Isaiah send a message to Hezekiah to say to the king that because Hezekiah had prayed, God would send Sennacherib and the Assyrians back to their home with, metaphorically, their tail between their legs.

Even a Good Report Needs Prayer

God saved Hezekiah and Judah. What we need to learn is that even when we are told that our enemy will be defeated, we still need to pray and ask God for victory. Maybe we are battling a medical problem, and our doctor tells us that we will be okay; we still need to pray and ask God for victory. Why? Because we need the victory that comes from God. It’s personal.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Even when we are told that we will be okay, we need to ask, seek, and/or knock. This is the pattern that Jesus has set for us.


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Leave Behind God’s Goodness

We all like to think that we are good people, and I am sure many of us are good’er 😉 than our goodness was in the past. But we can’t rest on our laurels… who could? Each of us is on a journey that Jesus uniquely created for you and me. In many ways, our journeys are like road trips – I love road trips.

As you and I travel on our great adventures, our landscapes change. You may start in rolling hills and progress to broad plains, and then into majestic mountains while I begin with sandy beaches. During your life and my life, we may pass through many breathtaking terrains. We can pass through the hills and mountains and still be exactly the same as we were when we started, but that’s not the point of a road trip, and that’s not the point of our lives.

God’s Goodness

It is God’s good pleasure to have us travel through many situations and stages of life. And it is His good pleasure for us to learn to do good in all circumstances. Our lives are not intended to just make it to the finish line but to help people, to possess a good character, to leave behind God’s goodness as we move forward in His will.

Today, God reminded me of this.

learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Isaiah 1:17

If we are obedient to Isaiah 1:17 then we will leave behind God’s goodness as we travel forward on the journeys He created for us.


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Sparrows

God Cares

Sundays seem to be busy days. Locating the shoes you only wear on Sundays, making sure you’re smartphone is charged, and finding your church Bible all see to be allotted for the last five minutes before heading to church. (Am I the only one that has a separate study Bible from my church Bible? My church Bible is also a substitute for a filing cabinet.) Anyway, Sunday mornings can be quite hectic, especially while you’re raising a family.

If you can, take a moment and rejoice in our Lord with me, from Psalms 36:6-7

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Our God Cares

I like what the Pulpit Commentary says about verse six: “The providential care of God for his creatures is another of his leading characteristics, and one especially deserving man’s attention and gratitude. It is a form of his loving-kindness.” And we find these words from Jesus in Luke 12:6: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 

Our God cares. He cares about the really big things like the condition of this world which He crafted. And God cares about small things; He cares for all the creatures He created which includes my cat, Max. God is beyond our ability to comprehend but He is not beyond our reach. He is never more than a prayer away.

Photo by Adam Muise on Unsplash

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