Bible Study: Prove Me 05.08.10

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Today is Saturday May 08, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Kings, chapters 18-20. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-may-8

Title: Bible Study: Prove Me
We truly serve an amazing God, one can take a look at their lives and see just how much they have grown not only spiritually, but mentally and physically as well. When God is in our lives, it shows and even the world sees the change that He has made in it. From the things we do, to the people we hang around, to even the clothes we wear, God is at work in our lives and everyone notices it. Of course, the worldly people do not like the change and that is when you come to know who your true friends are. The great thing is that God is responsible for these changes and even if we lost every friend we ever had God is still with us and will bless us for remaining faithful to Him. God wants to bless His children with an abundance of things, in fact, he says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” - Jeremiah 33:3. He has many blessings waiting for us, that we do not even know. Many of us are hindering ourselves from receiving these blessings. How are we doing that? It could be a hidden sin, ignoring some of God's commands, lack of praying, lack of trust, lack of faith, not believing that He is able to do some things. God is able to do above and beyond anything we can do ourselves, but we must first put our trust in Him and obey Him in every way. When we prove to God that we love Him, He will say, “Prove me and I will show you great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

After the mess that King Ahaz left Jerusalem in, his son Hezekiah was left to pick up the pieces, fortunately he was a man that followed God in the ways that David did. “Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. ” - II Kings 18:1-7. Hezekiah trusted God to help him lead Jerusalem, he even removed everything that contributed to the Israelites worshiping false gods. He followed all his commandments and because of that Jerusalem prospered. Hezekiah's spiritual reformation was followed by a radical reorganization of the entire administration of both the secular and religious affairs of the kingdom. We learn from Hezekiah that people will be blessed, and prayers will be answered, when the Word of God is obeyed. It is important that we take God with us in all that we do, even our work.

When we let God lead us we will always prosper, but when we take our eyes off Him, we will suffer some, and usually cause others to suffer as well. Hezekiah trusted in God with every thing, but he was put to the test when he was confronted by Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. “Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.” - II Kings 18:13-16. Instead of seeking God for guidance Hezekiah gave all the treasures in the House of the Lord to Sennacherib to keep him from attacking Jerusalem. What happened was, Hezekiah always tried to do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, even to his enemies. There was an agreement that was made by his father, king Ahaz to pay all this silver and gold, in exchange for their freedom. Hezekiah refused to buy his freedom and now Sennacherib is ready to attack, to keep him from attacking, Hezekiah gave into his demands and gave him all the treasures that had been storing up in the House of the Lord since he reigned. The problem here is that Hezekiah feared Sennacherib instead of God and fell into the same trap as his father. The second we take our eyes off God we give room for Satan to pull his tricks into leaving things to human reasoning. This is a warning to all of us, we need to be careful where we are putting our tithes, we need to make sure they are going to help the church and the people, not to prosper themselves.

Now, once Hezekiah came to his senses he went into the House of the Lord and prayed, like he was known for doing and because of that Jerusalem was spared. Shortly after he became very ill and was on the verge of death, the prophet Isaiah came to meet with him and told him to be prepared to die. Hezekiah was not ready to die, so he turned to God in prayer. “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.” - II Kings 20:1-5. Hezekiah does not speak to God as if He needed to be reminded of the things that he had done, but he asks Him to remember him. Prayer is one of the best preparations for death, because by it we get the strength and grace we need from God, to enable us to finish well. It is in the nature of man to dread the separation of soul and body, but if we put our trust in God, He will take us where we would better serve Him, whether that is to remain on earth a little longer or come home to Him.

As we serve God, we prove to Him that we trust Him and depend on Him to take care of our needs, whether it is with our health, finances, or our Salvation. “Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth....Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.” - Psalm 26:1-3,9-11. While our works do not get us to heaven, they do make a great difference in the blessings we receive here on earth and especially in heaven. If you have fully trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, your life will change and you will grow and be blessed for your faithfulness. When God proves us faithful, He will prove to is that He is faithful. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:35,36.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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