Mar 12 2022

But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

In 2 Kings 17, we learn about the final destruction of the kingdom of Israel. The king of Assyria sends people to rule over the Israelites. The kingdom of Israel is dismantled and the Lord's protection leaves them. Today's verse (taken from the end of the chapter) repeats the covenant in which God promised to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of their enemies if they served Him—but they did not serve Him. Thus, they were delivered into the hands of their enemies. This verse is a powerful reminder that the Lord's promises and covenants come to pass.

The Lord had delivered the Israelites many times. When the Egyptians were chasing after them, the Lord parted the Red Sea. Of course, it was not the Lord's desire that the kingdom of Israel be toppled by the Assyrians and overrun by ungodly people. However, the Lord's protection was contingent on their continuing to serve Him. They had turned their backs on Him, and eventually, they reaped what they had sown.

This shows us that God takes obedience to His commandments seriously. It matters to Him that we do what He says. This means that it matters that we avoid sin. We live in a world where so many things are considered normal and okay—but this is not the case in God's kingdom.

The Lord will make good on all of His promises. He had fulfilled his part of the covenant with Israel. He gave them victory over their enemies and protected them for centuries. However, because of their repeated rebellion and rejection of His promises, God eventually turned them over to the Assyrians. This was not an overnight process, as the Lord is merciful. Rather, it was the culmination of centuries of disobedience. To avoid this happening in our own lives, we should remember to stay near to the Lord by being followers of Jesus.

It's important not to take for granted the protection that the Lord has given us, as the Israelites did. Instead, we should focus on spending time with Him daily and seeking to honor Him—and He will make good on His promise to honor us in His kingdom.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your goodness and kindness. Help me to stay near to you always. I don't want to drift away from you; I want to stay close to you. Help me to follow you, especially when it's difficult, and to not take for granted the many benefits of knowing you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Mar 11 2022

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.:

In Isaiah 25, the prophet praises the Lord for the things He has done and looks ahead to what the Lord will do for His church. In this verse, we have a glimpse of the ultimate future for His church—the many things He will do that give us hope. Today, we'll look at these promises and think about what they mean for us.

The first promise in this verse is that death will be swallowed up. This came true through Jesus Christ 800 years after Isaiah's writings. Jesus was crucified, put in a tomb, and, three days later, He rose from the grave. He defeated death once and for all. Through His resurrection, Christ showed us that it does not make sense to be afraid of death—He has already conquered it. We have no reason to be afraid because we personally know the One who overcame it.

The next promise is that the Lord will wipe away tears from our faces. This means we get to look forward to a time when there will be no grief, no pain, and no suffering. Even though our current lives are difficult and messy and often painful, we can rejoice that we will someday be in the Lord's kingdom forever, where all pain bows down at His name.

Finally, we are promised that that rebuke of the Lord's people will end. This means all persecution against Christianity will stop. The persecution of the North Korean Christians will end. The burning down of churches in Africa by Boko Haram has a deadline. The martyrdom of many faithful Christians will stop at the name of Jesus.

This gives us hope in the midst of trials, and the promises are sealed in the Lord's name because he hath spoken it. The Lord has said these things and they will come to pass. Nothing will stop them. He is in control and will always be in control. All we have to do is wait and rejoice in the waiting.

Dear Lord, please help me to hang on to these promises when it seems as though everything is falling apart. So often, it seems as if your name is mocked instead of praised and that persecution is increasing. Lord, you are my hope, and I will rejoice in you until your kingdom comes and then forevermore. In Jesus' name, amen.


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