KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, July 15, 2018
Chapters: II Chronicles 28, II Kings 16-17
Message: Knowing God As Your God
Hello My Friend,
Did you ever notice the COEXIST movement? It is the idea that all religions and beliefs can come together in harmony and be one. Do you know how many nations know God exists and yet they reject Him? They either make up their own gods, share the Almighty with other gods, or even worse, make up their own image of God and say it is Him. Anyone can read the Bible, but very few know God, and if you think that God is not the Author of the only book that tells us everything about Him than you do not know the Almighty and living God. God did not give us His Word to show us that He exists, He gave it to show us that if we are going to know Him, we need to know Him as He is. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” – Revelation 22:18-20.
God tried every way possible to get Israel and Judah to return to Him, He sent prophet after prophet to warn them of the judgment to come, even sending smaller judgments. First we come to Ahaz, he was a mess, he not only forsook God, he worshiped every god he could find, and even sacrificed his own children to these gods. Because he did not prepare his way for God, never thought God as his, God put judgment upon Judah.
“Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.” – II Chronicles 28:1-5.
“who smote him with a great slaughter.” Those who are lost will follow any spirit, they know that something is wrong because their lives are a mess, but they do not see God, even though He may be right in their face. I will tell you, I like many others knew of God, but He was not prominent in my life, I had no reason to make Him a part of my life because I thought God did not work that way. It was not until I lost everything I had, and almost lost my life that I saw Jesus for who He really us and realized He did not bring me here to die in my sin. If we say we believe in God and follow other gods all we do is make Him angry. You see, these stories from the Bible have nothing to do with us following a bunch of commands that were meant for that time, they are meant to show us that He is merciful to those who love Him and gives all a chance to find Him. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” – I Peter 2:9,10.
God does everything He can to remove corruption and temptation from us, but those who are determined to continue on that path to destruction will suffer, and not only them, but everyone around them. Now, with both nations making up and or following other gods, God in all his jealous rage has had enough, He no longer wants to see them in such an evil state, and begins breaking up the kingdoms, first, with Israel. The Samaritans came in, took control of Israel, and took most of Israel captive.
“Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.” – II Kings 17:18-23.
“Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight,” God is merciful, but there is only so much He can take before He removes those who refuse to hear the warnings out of His sight. Now, to those who are saved that have turned away from God, He will deal with each one of them individually, He will turn His eyes away from sin and let them fend for themselves until they repent. For the rest of the world, He will remove them out of His sight completely. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” – Isaiah 55:6-8.
Now, with most of Israel carried away and Assyria taking over the land things were a bit strange for them, there was some fierce judgments going on. Since they did not know God, but knew He existed they searched for someone who did know Him.
“And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.” – II Kings 17:25-29.
“Howbeit every nation made gods of their own,” You think this is not going on today? People make up their own gods every time they are against some of the Word of God and make up their own version of how they believe Him to be. Our ways are not God’s ways, they never have been and never will be. The key to our success is not that we try to be perfect, it is knowing that the LORD is our God. We will never be prefect until Christ returns or we are in heaven, but we do not have to be, we just have to know that the LORD God is our God. And The only way to know that the LORD is our God is by receiving His Son as our Saviour. “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” – II John 1:9.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.” – II Kings 16:14.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Jesus to give me a way to walk with You, I do not need to be perfect, I just need the perfect one in me. The second I accepted Him as my Saviour You accepted me as one of yours, and that is something I never want to take for granted. I know we all have flesh and are capable of falling into sin when our heart is not right with You. Lord, help me prepare my ways before You. Give me Your power, wisdom, and guidance to live in Your will. Give me the strength to stand by Your word at all times, let me not let the actions of a bad leader change my perception of You. In fact, let me be the holy example that You need me to be so that others would want to follow You Son. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://readytofollow.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Missed A Message: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I’m Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I’m Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2018 I’m Following Jesus, All rights reserved.