KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus
Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday,
April 21, 2016
Chapters: 2
Kings 18-20
Message: 2 Kings: Take A Lump Of Figs

Hello
My Friend,

I was doing an internet search for a picture
of Jesus and came across one that said, I follow Jesus, not the
Bible. My goodness, the lengths that people go to live they way they
please, pretend that they know Jesus and keep from following the word
of God. That reminds me of the kids I watched briefly, the parents
even joined a “Baptist church” and they did not even know what
sin was. Ha, ha, I laugh because it is no wonder Jesus said, “Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” - Matthew
7:22,23. The world, and apparently the majority of so called
Christians today are blind to one great truth, Jesus is the Bible.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth.” - John 1:14.

From
the time God created the earth people have been making their own or
themselves god, and even though Israel had the one and only living
God that did not stop them from going after or making their own gods.
Now, with the Northern Kingdom being invaded and most of Israel being
taken into Assyria, the Assyrians thought it would be easy to invade
the only tribe in left in Israel, Judah. They were wrong when they
found out that Hezekiah, a very godly king turned Judah around,
bringing it back to a godly kingdom. As the Assyrians realize
Hezekiah was not about to give into them they resort to attacking
their mind, asking them why they trust God.

“Hearken
not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an
agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye
every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink
ye every one the waters of his cistern: Until I come and take you
away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of
bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may
live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth
you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the
nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of
Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the
gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out
of mine hand? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that
have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should
deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? But the people held their peace,
and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying,
Answer him not.” - 2 Kings 18:31-36.

“Hath
any of the gods of the nations delivered” Every nation
believes their god is the true God, but fail to realize they are man
made, and that there is only one living and true God, who in fact,
made them. It is easy to believe that a god they create is real when
they have power and prosperity, but the second adversity comes their
god is nowhere to be found. Every god has a book, they too are man
made, but not every god is God, and not every book labeled Holy Bible
contains His inspired words. We do not make the word of God into
something that resembles the world, we make us into something that
the word of God resembles. “And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.” - Romans 12:2.

The
Assyrians did not realize that all those nations they were able to
take over and destroy was not because their god was not able to stop
them, it was because they were dead gods. There is only one God, one
living God, and only He can deliver a country out of the hands of the
enemy. Hezekiah did the one and only thing he was capable of doing to
defeat Assyria, he prayed to God and He heard his prayer.


“Therefore thus saith the LORD
concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor
shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank
against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and
shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this
city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out,
and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five
thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were
all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went
and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was
worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and
Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the
land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.”
- 2 Kings 19:32-37.

“and for my
servant David's sake.” All you have to do is stop and think
of all the things that Jesus actually saves you from you realize God
does not save us for our own sakes, but Jesus. God is forever
merciful and graceful for the very reason that He promises to never
leave nor forsake anyone who believes in and receives His Son, it is
His finished work in the cross that saves us all from suffering what
we really deserve. “But we are all as an
unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we
all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken
us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth
up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us,
and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. But now, O LORD,
thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all
are the work of thy hand.” -Isaiah 64:6-8.

Shortly
after their victory over Assyria, Hezekiah became very ill and was on
the verge of death, the prophet Isaiah came to meet with him and told
him to be prepared to die. Hezekiah was not ready to die, so he
turned to God in prayer. “Then he turned his
face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O
LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a
perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And
Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out
into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith
the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I
have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou
shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days
fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand
of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own
sake, and for my servant David's sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump
of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.”
- 2 Kings 20:2-7.

“remember now
how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart,”
Hezekiah does not speak to God as if He needed to be reminded of the
things he had done, he spoke from his heart and humbly, cried before
God. Because of that prayer, God added fifteen more years to his
life, we may not always get relief from battles, but we can see an
expected end and God's hand in it. Those who receive Jesus Christ as
their Saviour get more than fifteen years, they get eternity, not
because of any good they have done, but for Christ's sake. He defends
and delivers all who believe in His Son out of the hands of source of
all wickedness, the devil. “Who gave himself
for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father:” - Galatians
1:4.

Jesus Christ Revealed:
Today Jesus is revealed through Hezekiah who removed all the idols
out of Jerusalem. Jesus destroyed everything evil in the temple the
week He came into Jerusalem. “And Jesus went
into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in
the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the
seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It
is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have
made it a den of thieves.” - Matthew 21:12,13.

Today's
Prayer: (taken from Psalm 23) God, Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for
thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in
the house of the LORD for ever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God
Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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