Giving God Your Stuff

Scripture:

2 Kings 19: 14 – 16

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD : “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. (NIV)

 

James 5: 7 & 8

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. (NIV)

 

Observation:

Today’s reading if filled with twists and turns. Hezekiah begins his reign and “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.” (2 Kings 1:3)  As we know, this is not always easy to do. Yet, Hezekiah trusted the Lord. In his years of rule, there are many who conspired against him and His God. False gods, accusations, warring against, lies and more are a part of the story and all to keep Hezekiah’s and Jerusalem’s deliverance from taking place. At one point, an army is marching out to get him and the enemy’s messengers bring word to Hezekiah of an impending loss and reporting how other countries have been destroyed by the Assyrians and so it will go with Hezekiah and Jerusalem. Hezekiah grabs the letter and after reading it, “spreads it out before the Lord.”  He takes each piece and lays it out before the Lord with the confident statement that God alone is “over everything.”

James harmonizes with the theme of Hezekiah when he reminds us to be patient, because the Lord is coming. It is as if to say, it will be all right, just be patient! But in your patience stand firm. Hezekiah stood firm and believed giving it all to God was his way to trust the Lord for His soon coming.

 

Application:

Hezekiah lays all his “stuff” in front of the Lord. What a great picture. I can see him spreading out the pages of the letter. I can hear him say, ‘See Lord, I am not keeping this to myself, I am bringing every page, every line right to you. I am trusting in you alone and waiting patiently for what you alone can do. It is a great lesson for us to spend time with God and lay everything open to Him, every line, every thought every page. Go ahead and give God your stuff.

 

Prayer:

Lord, help me to lay my life and all my stuff before you. Not to run and hide, but to give to you and to trust you with patience because you will come to me. Amen