- Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 2 Kings 18:28 – The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen, now only the southern kingdom of Judah remained. The same nation that took out Israel is now at the doorstep of Judah announcing its plans to do the same destruction to it that it had done to many other lands prior. Messengers from Assyria, like the Rabshakeh, are standing outside the city wall proclaiming their master’s destructive plans to any and all that would hear it. While being asked to speak this message only to the administration of the city, so it wouldn’t cause the masses to panic, we see above the response from the enemy to such a request. They instead loudly and proudly proclaimed their master’s message to every person that was there in the language they all understood. Know our enemy the devil will do exactly the same. He will loudly and proudly proclaim his message of sin and death to all who are available to listen, and he knows the language to use to make it clear for all to hear. While our aim is to be more like Jesus, in this unique instance we should take note from the example set by our enemy. We should be proud and loud about the message of our master the Lord Jesus. We should proclaim it to everyone that will listen. We also should know the language of the people we are speaking to so they can understand it unhindered. Maybe that literally means learning a new language, but maybe that means learning their story, their traumas, and their questions so you can share the Gospel in a way that they will listen too. The enemy knows their language and he is speaking to the lost in it. Let’s learn it as well and share the hope of the Gospel to the lost in a way they’ll understand. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3084
- …They neither listened nor obeyed. 2 Kings 18:12b – There’s a big difference between head knowledge and application of what you are learning. The “they” here in our passage didn’t take time for either, they didn’t consume any knowledge of God’s commands nor put it into action. What I know is you at least are trying to consume, I know this because you are reading this devo. To get the most though out of God’s Word is to begin obeying it in your life by putting it into practice. If you’ve been in church for awhile you’ve heard your fair share of messages and bible readings. You’ve done the “listening” part talked about in the passage. Yet all this time you might still fill a little empty in life, like you’re missing something to all this. This is where the “obeyed” part comes in. You’ve heard to love those around you, so go do that. You’ve read to forgive, let that be your first reaction when someone hurts you. You’ve listened to the message to go serve the needy, go! It’s putting into action the message you’ve heard. Without this second step of obeying, you will end up feeling empty when it comes to God’s Word. God’s Word never was designed to be a head knowledge thing only, but a map on how to live our life. So challenge yourself in one way today to obey. Pray for someone, talk with someone, love on someone. Let God show you what a life filled by following Him is like. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 389
- Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 2 Kings 18:21 – When you lean on the wrong thing it actually ends up hurting you. It’s too easy to place our trust in the wrong thing for all the difficulties that come in life. Our strength, money, a person, our reputation. At first they seem stable and safe, and even can hold our weight for a little while, but they can’t support us through all the difficulties that life brings. We need something more stable to lean on and the only person who fits that is God. He is the only one we can lean on in life and never find it damaging us in the end. Identify what you’re leaning on. If it’s not God, don’t be deceived by the security you’re feeling now. It doesn’t last and it will give out on you eventually. Transfer that weight onto God and find the security you need. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1041
- Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? 2 Kings 18:33-35 – Here a messenger from an enemy king who wanted to invade Judah brings bold statements and foolish questions. Multiple times he asked questions like the ones in our verses. His point? If all these other “gods” that everyone else trusted in couldn’t save them when we came against them, why would your God be any different? True, none of the false gods saved any of the people that trusted in them when this enemy came after them. That’s the problem with false gods…they’re false. Wrong, not real, unable to save. That’s not the case though with our God. He is true, real, and mighty to save as we’ll see in the next few chapters. Be careful then to have God as your Savior. Any other person or thing that we raise up as our savior in our storm will only provide for us like these false gods provided for those who trusted in them. The enemy will come, we’ll cry out to the false god, silence will be our answer, and the enemy will have victory over us. This just isn’t how it will work when we trust in the Lord. Find rescue in the Savior who can save. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2224
Daily DEVO 