SOAP 07/21/2011; 2 Kings 19:14-19

Today's reading: 2 Kings 18, 19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5

S) " ¹⁴ Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. ¹⁵ Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are 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 listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. ¹⁷ Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated 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. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God."

2 Kings 19:14-19 (NASB)

O) Hezekiah was a man of deep faith. There was evidence all over his reign that he fully relied on the LORD and trusted in Him always. Here, we see him being rocked to his core. The bold statements of a foreign king, a king who has proven his own might and smashed the gods of foreign lands, his words cut to the quick and what is Hezekiah's response? He goes, in his most doubt-filled moment, to the only place where his faith can truly be restored - he goes before the LORD, God Almighty.

A) My faith is challenged. A lot. Today's society has seen nearly all of the old, historic, and ultimately false religions die off. Christianity is seen almost the same as Norse mythology, and in some of the darker times in my life, it's felt a little that way. But everytime I feel that my faith is being shaken, and I spend time directly with God in prayer and worship, my faith is completely restored. Pastor Britt Merick puts it this way, "Haven't you found that a moment in the presence of God can answer a lifetime of questions?" God's presence puts all of my confusion, anxieties, and uncertainties to rest. He is the God of peace, to be sure.

P) Father, thank Your first for your salvation through Jesus. Because He paid the price, I can enter Your presence in the first place. Lord, keep me close. Only You can save me, only You can deliver me. Holy Spirit, continue to draw me into Your presence. When I am in doubt, remind me of Your goodness, that I may believe You for great things, all the days of my life. Especially then, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.