Another Old Testament proof of God's heart for the nations through global missions:
19:17 "It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 18 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 19 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God."
And sometimes, God just makes the problem go away, as in the case of King Sennacherib.
It is sad that after King Hezekiah prayed for the Lord to deliver him and he was delivered, and after King Hezekiah prayed for the Lord to extend his life and his life was extended, I guess he grew proud and showed off a little to the Babylonians. And then he got busted for it.
How could a king like Hezekiah raise a son like Manasseh? I just don't get it.
I was thinking about all of the idolatry and how the Lord allowed Israel and Judah to be subjected to foreign captivity. I think I experienced that in my own life with the idolatry of lust and the "captivity" of marital turbulence. But the Lord was so kind to me to allow me to be broken over my sin, to bring me out of captivity, and to rebuild my marriage and my life. I pray that I am part of the greater recovery now.
Heavenly Father, you have been so kind to me. Lord, may I be humble before you and trust you to protect me, as Hezekiah did in his early years. And Lord, please don't let me get proud or think for a second that any of your blessings are because of me, because they are not. They are only because you are kind and generous. Lord, please bless my son, and give me wisdom to train him to fear you and love you. Please turn his heart toward you. I pray that he will be like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Lord, please us me and my family to share the Gospel with the nations, so that the whole earth will know that Yahweh is the one true God, and that grace and mercy are extended through faith in Jesus Christ. Lord, by your grace, I believe, and I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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