Where is God? 6/5/13 2 Kings 23: 25 Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. Impending Judgment on Judah 26 Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 And the LORD said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’” Josiah Restores True Worship Judah had turned away from God and had built up altars to household god’s, consulted mediums, built shrines on high places to other god’s. Judah did everything it could to provoke God. Josiah a king like no other king since the days of old, held a Passover like no other since the days of the Judges. He did right in the sight of the Lord. Josiah loved the Lord with all of his heart, with all his soul, and with all of his might. Yet God exacted His punishment on Judah, who purposely provoked the Lord our God, for many centuries. Josiah did what was right he sought the Lord, he cleaned house. Shortly after, Yet Josiah’s died in a battle against Pharaoh Necho. Where was God? Josiah did what was right and righteous in the eyes of the Lord, yet in our eyes we would see perhaps only that Josiah died defending God and His precepts and commands. “Trust in the Lord, and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” Proverbs 3:5 Paul took it to the next step. James 1: 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice, He could have at any time snuffed out those who persecuted Him, yet He chose to defeat death, a sinless sacrificial Lamb in the flesh, He gave it all, for us, to honor and worship His Father in heaven. Your brother in Christ Jesus tom blumberg O Lion of Judah, King of Abraham, and Isaac, the Great I Am, You are perfect in all of Your ways! You are not fair but you are just! If You were fair both thief’s on the cross next to You would have received eternal damnation, yet the one with a humble and contrite heart admitted his sin and at the last moment You gave him eternity in paradise. In the same way You reached out to Saul who was persecuting the people of the way. (those who believe in Jesus) You came to him from heaven and spoke to him, renamed him Paul, and made him one of Your greatest advocates. Father God I do not like pain and suffering so I am not asking for that. I know with out Your Son in my life I deserve so much more than pain and suffering in this life and for eternity. Thank You for being my Sin Sacrifice, Jesus! Thank You! I pray that what ever I face and again I am not asking for trials, but what ever I face, Please give me the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome and please do not allow my trials be in vain. Help me to use every opportunity to grow closer to You. Use every opportunity to cause me to trust You more. Father God please polish me like pure gold so that when people look into my eyes they instead see Your Son Jesus, my Refiner! I want to love like Jesus, I ask for the Fruit of the Spirit to be poured out of me, I want to be; Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. I petition all of these things in the name of the one and only Son of God, my King, my Lord, my Shepard, Jesus Christ. Amen!
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:11:20 +0000