Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+020

 

2 Kings Chapter 20 (ESV)

1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” 7 And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. Please read through the chapter concerning the last years of Hezekiah’s life.
2. Hezekiah’s prayer is again powerful in moving God to mercy for both Jerusalem and himself. God remembers the promise to David in answering Hezekiah’s prayer.  Prayer stands as the spiritual discipline that moves the heart and hand of God.  However, according to the definition in Spiritual Formation Bible, “Prayer is interactive conversation with God about what we and God are thinking and doing together”.  Are there conflicts between the two?
3. Influenced by the result-driven society, when faced with tough decisions, my tendency to rationalize, develop strategies, reason and argue usually outweighs my desire to seek God for wisdom and help.
4. Knowing my tendency and my weakness, how do I pray?

 

PRAYER:  

Use this song as my prayer today.  While singing this song, consider how I may have this “interactive conversation with God about what we and God are thinking and doing together”?

 

[ Every Time I Pray ]

1. I will come to You in prayer, I will seek Your face,
   I will stand within the gap, There will I intercede.
2. I am meek and helpless, Lord, You, my strength shall be,
   Guide me with Your gracious hand, There will my victory be.

Chorus:
For every time I pray, I move the hand of God,
My prayer does the thing, My hands cannot do,
For every time I pray, The mountains are removed,
The paths are made straight, And nations turn to You.

 

HYMN:

Every Time I Pray – youtu.be/rpDK7fTU2vI.

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+019

 

2 Kings Chapter 19 (ESV)

1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord….

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Read through the chapter and count the number of times “listen” and “heard” were used.
2. Hezekiah heard Sennacherib’s argument that no gods of any other nations rescued their people from the Assyrian army.
3. Hezekiah did not respond. Rather he let the Lord listen to the blasphemy words and his prayer. He asked God to act for His name’s sake.
4. Finally through Isaiah, the Lord acknowledged that He heard both the blasphemy words by Sennacherib and Hezekiah’s prayer.

 

PRAYER:

Everyday I listen to people around us, my colleagues, my friends, and the media.  Sometimes I heard things from them that I do not like or agree with.  What is my usual response?  Bring any of those instances in front of our God, ask God to listen to them.

Then wait and listen to what God is speaking to me about these things.  Do I hear what God hear?  Do I see what God see?

 

HYMN:

Open The Eyes of My Heart – youtu.be/Fm-zb-AH8Xc

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+018

 

2 Kings Chapter 18 (ESV)

28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. If time allows, read through the whole chapter about Hezekiah’s reign.
2. The Assyrian call for surrender emphasized Judah’s weakness, promised to resettle Judah’s population in an even more fertile land, and ridiculed God’s ability to save his people. It was true that Judah and Jerusalem were now weakened and vulnerable.  But the Assyrian officer mimicked God in offering life for obedience, death for disobedience.  Once again, the king of Assyria posed as God to make promises just like God to entice people to trust him for their security and prosperity.
3. We are often tempted to think that another person – spouse, friend, parent, pastor – can fulfill our needs. This expectation can only lead to disappointment.
4. Who in my life I am placing unfair expectations on?  During this week, instead, seek to fulfill a need of hers/his.

 

PRAYER:

Ask for God’s forgiveness for not trusting Him enough but to depend on others.  Also pray for these people that I’ll learn to discern and meet their needs.

 

HYMN:

God My Deliverer – youtu.be/vhOLSNpmSj8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+017

 

2 Kings Chapter 17 (ESV)

5 Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city….

22 The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, 23 until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.

 

REFLECTION:

1. If time allows, read through the whole chapter about the destruction of the northern kingdom, deportation of its people.
2. The final destruction of Israel came when Hoshea refused to pay Assyrian tribute and sought help from Egypt. Samaria was captured after a three-year siege, and the Israelites were deported.  Foreigners were brought in to resettle the land.  Israel, the northern kingdom, was no more.
3. Since starting the “Listening to God” Bible Reading and Devotion program, I have walked through this journey with the Israelites through generations, from the beginning of Genesis, to Egypt, to the dessert, overcoming Canaanites, the days of the Judges, the glory days of king David and Solomon, the slow demise of the kingdom and now exile of the north kingdom.
4. The principle the author established echoes throughout the Scripture. God holds man responsible for his sins. The nearly 200 years during which God withheld final judgment on Israel speaks of His grace.  But the invasion of the Assyrians reminds us that judgment will surely come.  God’s patience today in withholding judgment on our sins still reflects His patience.  The Bible reminds us that despite God’s grace, judgment will surely come.  And we need to heed the warning.

 

PRAYER:

As I begin to appreciate God’s grief in how far we’ve fallen, read this verse as if Jesus is speaking to me.  Pray for mercy and strength.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:41)

 

HYMN:

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross – youtu.be/tRfcehP0SLU

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+016

 

2 Kings Chapter 16 (ESV)

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, 3 but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. 6 At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day. 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. 9 And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Read the whole chapter to learn the declining state of both kingdoms.
2. Ahaz did not follow David’s example of godliness (v. 2). Rather he followed the kings of Israel and those of his pagan neighbors and went so far as offering at least one of his sons as a human sacrifice. Aram had captured the town of Elath from Judah (v. 6; cf. 14:22). When Aram and Israel threatened to invade Judah, Ahaz did not seek Jehovah God but Tiglath-Pileser for deliverance. Rather than putting himself under Jehovah’s direction he appealed to the king of Assyria as his “servant” and his “son” (v. 7).
3. Ahaz failed to see his role as being under God and God’s role over Israel. Instead of making sacrifices to Jehovah he sent silver and gold from God’s own temple to Tiglath-Pileser (v. 8) who replaced God as Ahaz’s source of security and well-being. When God’s people forsake God and pursue other powers that promise well-being, this is idolatry and will lead to judgment.
4. Ponder this: Is God truly my source of security and well-being? If so, how do I demonstrate that, especially in distress or difficulties?  If not, what changes do I need in order to truly trust God?

 

PRAYER:

Read the following verses slowly, allow them to speak to my situations.  Use these verses as a prayer of affirmation to God.

“They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!” (Ps 18:18-19, the Message)

 

HYMN:

A Mighty Fortress is our God – youtu.be/1v6aZiDzhVE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+015

 

2 Kings Chapter 15 (ESV)

1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Try to read the whole chapter about King Azaiah and the successive kings of the northern kingdom.
2. Azariah is also called Uzziah. The revival of Israel’s fortunes under Jeroboam II were matched by prosperity in Judah during Azariah’s long reign of over 50 years.  Unfortunately he became proud and in disobedience to the Mosaic Law, and performed functions that God had restricted to the priests (2 Chron. 26:16-21). For this sin God punished him with leprosy (v.5).
3. History teaches us that few people have been able to maintain spiritual vitality and faithfulness when they attain what the world calls success. As with Solomon, Azariah’s early success proved to be his undoing.
4. Bob Clinton, Professor of Fuller Seminary, used Uzziah as example to illustrate one of the barriers for Biblical leaders who did not finish well. What do I think of “Finishing Well”?  How will I be able to finish well at the end of my life?

 

PRAYER:

Spend some time to reflect on the “6 Major Barriers to Finishing Well”

1. The Misuse of Money
2. The Abuse of Power
3. Pride
4. Sexual Misconduct
5. Family Dissention
6. Complacency

Which is the one closest to my situation.  Pray for God’s help and deliverance from the barrier.

 

HYMN:

I Know Whom I Have Believed – youtu.be/RTAxq2BqJa4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+014

 

2 Kings Chapter 14 (ESV)

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

 

REFLECTION:

1. If time permits, read the whole chapter about Kings Amaziah and Jeroboam II.
2. Jeroboam II was Israel’s most successful and notable ruler. The territory Jeroboam captured rivaled that held in David and Solomon’s day.  He gained control of the trade routes which made Israel rich.  But Israelite society was disrupted, the rich corrupted the justice system in their favour, and poverty increased.  Both Amos and Hosea began to prophesy during this period indicting this king for the worship of other gods and for injustice in the land, despite its wealth.
3. In view of the political and social significance of the time of Jeroboam II, it’s striking that the Bible says so little about him. Perhaps the answer is found in perspective.  Compared with eternity, worldly accomplishments count for little.  God saw fit to give Israel relief from oppression under Jeroboam II.  But neither king nor people used this last opportunity to turn to the Lord.
4. How do I see the “successful” individuals in my days? How would God see success?  At the end of the day, what really matters is how God sees what I have done on earth, whether they are of eternal value or just like “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”(James 4:14).

 

PRAYER:

Consider: What will God say when I see Him on that day?

Well done!!! Good and faithful servant.

Or, you wicked and lazy servant!

Lord, open my eyes so that I may see the worldly things with Your eternal perspective.

 

HYMN:

I’d Rather Have Jesus – youtu.be/MBCeQi0bX4o

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+013

 

2 Kings Chapter 13 (ESV)

1 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. 6 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.)

 

REFLECTION:

1. If time permits, please read the whole chapter about the kings of northern kingdom and the last happenings of Elisha.
2. Do I find this pattern of “blessings → sins → judgment → repentance → deliverance → sins” familiar? We saw that in the Book of Judges. The term “deliverer” (v5) refers to the person whom God calls and equips to deliver God’s people from danger and oppression.
3. We have seen examples of genuine repentance from sin (i.e. David). We saw God responded to such repentance with mercy and overflowing blessings. But the cycle of shallow and superficial repentance which resists a wholehearted turnaround, has such a serious effect that led to the ultimate destruction of Israel.
4. Do we only see the repeated pattern in Biblical times or is this a portrayal of human condition? Do I have any recurring sin that also falls in this pattern? What is this particular sin that I often find difficult to overcome?

 

PRAYER:

Commit this particular sin to God and pray:

Lord, have mercy on me as I’ve committed ____________ ______________against you!

Lord, help me to overcome my tendencies to go back to my old ways!

Lord, I thank You for Your blessing and Your mercy despite of my shortcomings.

 

HYMN:

Forgive Me, Lord – youtu.be/_x-1-oVxeu4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+012

 

2 Kings Chapter 12 (ESV)

1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.

4 Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money that a man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord, 5 let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. If time permits, please read the whole chapter to learn the essence of Joash’s religious renewal.
2. Joash served God until the priest Jehoiada died. Under Jehoiada’s tutelage Joash repaired the temple and reinstituted worship there.  The Israelites were supposed to offer sacrifices to God only in designated areas under supervision of the priests.  However, Joash didn’t interfere with the people’s continued worship and making sacrifices on the hilltops (high places) after pagan worship customs and practices.  After the death of the priest, the king abandoned God.  2 Chron 24 tells us that King Joash himself turned to Canaanite practices, and even ordered the death of a son of his old mentor Jehoiada who rebuked him.
3. What’s wrong with Joash’s renewal? Why would it gradually collapse after Jehoiada’s death?  What do the new threat of Arameans and assassination of Joash have anything to do with the superficiality of the renewal movement in Joash’s reign?
4. How sincere is my devotion to God? How much have I been influenced by the society and its worldly culture? Is the transforming power of God apparent in my daily life?

 

PRAYER:

Lord, often my thought, attitude, action and behavior are contrary to Your will and influenced by the world.  Please keep my heart to be firmly grounded in Your word and not to compromise with the world.

 

HYMN:

Stand Firm in the Faith – youtu.be/AxTjN9STCpM

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Kings+011

 

2 Kings Chapter 11 (ESV)

17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. 19 And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the gate of the guards to the king’s house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king’s house.

21 Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.

 

REFLECTION:

1. If time permits, please read the whole chapter to find out how Jehoiada preserved David’s descendant from the mass murder of Athaliah and brought Joash to the throne.
2. Athaliah ruled over Judah for seven years after brutally murdering the royal family including her grandsons except Joash. He was rescued and hid in the temple.  During that time, Jehoiada must have taken time to instruct Joash of God’s law.  Joash became one of the few good kings of Judah.
3. What about Jehoiada do I most admire or dislike?
4. How would I like, or not like, to resemble Jehoiada as a teacher and leader? Think of a teacher as anyone from whom others learn, and think of a leader as anyone who finds others following him or her.  Even in friendships, sometimes one friend is the teacher and the other is the student, although they may not realize it.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for people who look up to me – either for good or bad.  In that case, I am their teacher and leader.  Ask God who He is asking me to reach out to as an informal teacher or leader.  Or I may want to simply pray about what I pass on to others.

 

HYMN:

More Like Jesus – youtu.be/1BhrCKhBFB4