The prophet had spoken. The Jews were not to seek an alliance with Egypt, even though it made perfect sense. The Assyrians conquered every surrounding nation, marching at a steady and deadly pace, destroying everything on their path and taking captive kingdoms and kings. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was one of them — its sins of idolatry and rebellion against God caught up with them, and God allowed Assyria to defeat and disperse the people.

The king of Judah, the southern Kingdom of Israel, chose not to listen to the prophet Isaiah, who warned against trusting foreign alliances other than God. Rather, he relied on what made political sense. He sought a defensive alliance with Egypt against Sennacherib of Assyria, which proved useless since the Babylonian forces were more powerful. By choosing to believe the words of the false prophets instead of God, the king led the nation into disobedience. Hence, the Jews settled in Egypt, wishing to hear only good news, defiantly refusing God’s warning through the prophet.

The rest is history. The alliance proved to be helpless as the mighty forces of Babylon swept over Judah, wherein Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, installed Zedekiah as a vassal king of Judah. Zedekiah later rebelled against Babylon, its military forces eventually besieging Jerusalem in 587 B.C.

Anyone studying the history of Israel, whether before or after the division of the nation, may find themselves judging the Jews with utter contempt. We may shake our heads while reading about their rebellious spirit and regard their infidelity and idolatry as something we would never do. After all, Israeli kings led the nation to even perform human sacrifice at the lowest moral stance of its history! An abomination, we may say. Which indeed, it is. But the truth is, 21st-century believers are not significantly different. Many of us fall into the same complacent state and stop listening to God’s voice, deeming His word as “antiquated, obtuse or allegorical.”

Many 21st Century believers fall into the same complacent state as the rebellious Jews of the Old Testament and stop listening to God’s voice, deeming His word as 'antiquated, obtuse or allegorical.' @AJC #MondayMotivation…
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Renowned Bible commentator Matthew Henry’s words about Judah’s sin still convict today:

“They were so confident of the prudence of their own measures that they thought it needless to consult the Oracle; nay, they were not willing to put It to that issue.”

If we are honest, like Judah, many believers struggle with trusting God when His word does not make sense or when obeying him brings forth a cloud of unpopularity and conflict. To some, they have even stopped seeking God for certain issues, making their minds before consulting his heart.

If we are honest, like Judah, many believers struggle with trusting God when His word does not make sense or when obeying him brings forth a cloud of unpopularity and conflict.@AJC #MondayMotivation #MoralCompass #MondayMorning
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It’s understandable, no doubt. It is indeed so tempting to “seek the comfort of Egypt” when we see the mighty waves of condemnation threatening to take over and defeat us. Yes, it is easier to listen to the false prophets whose agenda is often to appease men other than pleasing God. But make no mistake. Their teaching does not spare us, harmless as they may seem. Their beliefs may make us acceptable and modern, but their “tickling of the ears” sedates our minds into believing that the relevance of God’s word has changed.

And it’s not getting any better. One would have to be blind not to notice that the rapid winds of change are not blowing in our favor.

Pastor Clay Smith of Johnson Ferry Baptist made a strong, however correct, statement in his latest sermon:

“Ten years ago, our beliefs were considered old-fashioned. Today, we are viewed as hateful if we stand by what we believe.” (paraphrased)

Ten years ago, our beliefs were considered old-fashioned. Today, we are viewed as hateful if we stand by what we believe. @AJC @claysmith79 @JohnsonFerry #MondayMotivation #MoralCompass #MondayMorning
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It is true. It seems like tolerance must be given to everyone nowadays, except for believers. Everyone can proudly stand by their principles, but when people of faith choose to use Scriptures as the compass by which they base their principles, they are considered haters.

I don’t know about you, but I call that unjust. I respect those who choose to stand by different views than my own and don’t consider them haters for not agreeing with me. But as for me, I wish to keep my ears close to the words of the prophet, use Scriptures as my compass, however imperfect my life may be, lest I become like Israel and Judah, broken and captive, living a life bound to the weight of my sins.

As they say nowadays: “You do you, and I’ll do me.” That’s fair enough, I would say.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday – June 5, 2021. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s Website.

The post Without a Moral Compass, You Will Believe Anything {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity; plans to give you a future and a hope.” Prophet Jeremiah, Old Testament.

So many valuable things seem to be senseless or even worthless on the surface.

Let’s take diamonds, for instance. “Raw diamonds” or “diamonds in the rough” are formed deep within the earth and often resemble lumps of pale glass when discovered. They have an oily appearance and no spark. In essence, for the untrained eye, it is almost impossible to distinguish between a genuine diamond in the rough and a cheap piece of quartz. They both look shapeless, rough around the edges, and unattractive. But deep inside, the roughly shaped diamond rock hides the most valuable of stones.

The Cullinan Diamond, for example, is the largest rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106.75 carats and valued at $400 million. But if you see a picture of this diamond when discovered in South Africa in 1905, you will find that the gem in its raw state was less than impressive. Nevertheless, its rough appearance hid a most precious stone, unrivaled to any gem in known history.

“What you see is what you get.”

Whether it’s raw diamonds or life’s circumstances, the adage “what you see is what you get” certainly does not apply, for God often hides some of his greatest blessings in the most challenging trials.

The adage “what you see is what you get” certainly does not always apply to life's circumstances, for God often hides some of his greatest blessings in the most challenging trials. @AJC #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation…
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In the Old Testament book of the prophet Jeremiah, we find the northern Kingdom of Israel (Judah) exiled to Babylon after years of rebellion and idolatry against God.

When the Babylonian seize started, false prophets tickled the people’s ears with the promise that the exile would only last a short time before God would return his people to their beloved land.

But God had a purpose for the exile, which would not be accomplished overnight. And so, Jeremiah gave the people the bad news: the Jews were to settle in Babylon because the exile would last 70 years!

At the end of this difficult news, however, God gave His people assurance and a promise:

“ ’I know the plans that I have for you (…), plans for welfare and not for calamity, (plans) to give you a future and a hope. (…) ‘You will find me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,(…) and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ ”

The harsh and ugly reality of 70 miserable years in Babylon disguised a purpose that transcended the people’s understanding at the time.

The Jews had fallen into a state of such deep spiritual adultery that they forgot who they were. Therefore, as hard as the circumstances in Babylon might have been, the exile was God’s grace in disguise, for it caused the Jews to desire the long-lost intimacy with their Maker, once again. And it was there that the people’s hearts started to turn back to the God of the covenant.

I cannot help but think about countless situations that looked like rough, shapeless stones, which turned out to be precious gems that changed the direction of my life.

Countless situations that looked like rough, shapeless stones, turned out to be precious gems that changed the direction of my life. @AJC #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation #FaithChallenge
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These “rough diamonds” feel worthless, senseless, and painful:

A horrible diagnostic. Unemployment. Separation. Betrayal. Death. We’ve all had our “Babylons” – times when the hardness of our circumstances threatens to steal all hope. Months, perhaps years, when our faith was tested to its very limit.

But as children of God, we have two options:

We can choose to tie our hearts to Babylon, wishing for a short, painless exile; look away from the very lessons that God wants to teach about ourselves, His goodness, grace, and sovereignty. Or we can choose to trust the end of the prophecy, affirming our belief that the God of Abraham still honors His covenant and will certainly “restore our fortunes.”

Indeed, as I look back, I see the precious stone within each ugly trial. I see the polished rock reflecting a stronger, more authentic faith. And I see that it was not fate nor luck, but the Father’s loving hands that masterfully chiseled the ugliness away, revealing the purpose and beauty of each trial. But not before I let go of what I could see… and trusted His promise and vision for my future.

What we see in the challenging parts of our earthly journey is definitely not what we get. There’s a beautiful, priceless diamond waiting inside the ugly rocks. Will you let Him bring it out?

What we see in the challenging parts of our earthy journey is definitely not what we get. There’s a beautiful, priceless diamond waiting inside the ugly rocks. Will you let Him bring it out? @AJC #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation…
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This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, May 8th, 2021. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s website.

The post What You See Is NOT What You Get {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Hezekiah, king of Judah, is listed as one of the few kings from Israel’s pre-Babylonian captivity days who is described as having had a close relationship with God. This zealous king became keenly aware of the disobedience in Judah, and therefore made the decision to “clean house.” He ordered the destruction of altars that had been built for idol worship, shattered statues, and did not even spare Nehushtan –  the bronze snake used by Moses in the wilderness – because the people stopped looking at it as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and started worshipping it as an idol (2 Kings 18:4).

He cleaned and reopened the temple, which had been shut close by Ahaz, his unfaithful father; and reinstituted the Passover as a national holiday.

Revival descended upon the Southern Kingdom.

Judah was located between two world powers: Egypt and Assyria. Both countries wanted to control it because it was in the middle of a trading route to the Middle East; therefore, the nation that controlled Judah would have an economic advantage over its rivals.

When Hezekiah took the throne, the Assyrian King Sennacherib had besieged Jerusalem. And so, refusing to have the same fate as the northern Kingdom of Israel, which had been taken into captivity by the Assyrian king, king Hezekiah made a courageous move and rebelled against Assyria. He trusted God in the battle, thus defeating the Philistines (2 Kings 18:7).

But something went terribly wrong. Hezekiah became proud of his accomplishments. Later, he unwisely paraded his wealth to the Babylonian delegation, inciting greed in the heart of the Babylonian king (2 Kings 20:12-19). Thus, Babylon, a mighty military power, included Judah in the list of nations to conquer.

As we read on, we see the avalanche that happens when someone once faithful and favored by God, allows pride and unbelief to grasp his or her heart: the Prophet Isaiah tried to warn the King, but to no avail (Isaiah 30-31). Hezekiah took matters into his own hands. In an attempt to secure Judah’s borders, he sought a secret defensive alliance with Pharaoh against Sennacherib of Assyria, thus inciting an entire nation’s rebellion against God, once again.

The Jews started listening to anyone but God. Rather, they secretly sought refuge in the Egyptian’s military prowess.

The “secret” alliance was no secret to God. And so He speaks through Isaiah to the obstinate people:

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen, because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! (…) Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit; (…) ” Isaiah 31:1, 3(a)

Judah chose to trust a strange, idolatrous nation for help when all they needed was to believe and trust God.

History repeated itself in the Southern Kingdom.

It repeats itself in many believer’s hearts today.

So many of us go through seasons of great trust in the Lord. We watch His mighty hand at work or recall His wonderful deeds in our lives, and because we choose to walk closely with Yahweh through daily communion with Him, we feel empowered by the memories of times of deliverance, provision and strength. We vow to “clean the temple” and trust in God for all our needs. Those are our Hezekiah, “Part I” moments.

But isn’t it true that the moment we move our eyes from His face, whether because we fail to seek Him daily or allow sin to take over our lives, it becomes easy to see our circumstances as too big for God to handle? Call those our Hezekiah, “The Sequel” moments, if you will. We all have them.

# 1 – We seek the help of “Egypt” instead of quietly relying on God for deliverance.

# 2 – We lean on our own understanding instead of “trust in the Lord with all our heart, in all our ways acknowledge Him,” and quietly wait for Him to “direct our path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 – paraphrased)

# 3 – We become impatient, anxious, and consequently, make hasty decisions.

And we do all these things while God sits on His throne, hands full of promise and power to deliver us from every.single.circumstance.

“As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey, against which a band of shepherds is called out, and he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise, so will the Lord of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.” Like flying birds so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it.” Isaiah 31: 4-5

Oh, Father, help our unbelief!

Help us to open our eyes and see our anxiety for what it is – lack of trust! Faith failure!

Lord, Help us to open our eyes and see our anxiety for what it is – lack of trust! Faith failure! #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation
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Open our eyes that we may see You as our just, compassionate and mighty King, Who is never deterred by the size or strength of our enemies!

Help us to see the Lion of Judah reigning over us, unphased by the chaos of our surroundings, and ever ready to defend our territory, if only we quiet our spirits long enough to let Him!

Help us to see the Lion of Judah reigning over us, unphased by the chaos of our surroundings, and ever ready to defend our territory, if only we quiet our spirits long enough to let Him!
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Take heart, my friend! The Lion of Judah roars over your circumstances today; nothing and no one can stand against Him.

Take heart, my friend! The Lion of Judah roars over your circumstances today; nothing and no one can stand against Him. #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation
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LINKUP party! This week, a challenge to the believer's heart... before you take matters into your own hands, open your spiritual eyes to see the Lion of Judah roaring over your circumstances. Join us & share your blog!
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