[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]
Today: Psalms 82; Acts 27:13-44; 2 Kings 18; 2 Kings 19:1-13
Psalms 82
“God presides in the great assembly; He renders judgement among the ‘gods.'” Psalm 82:1
No matter how unjust this world might seem, no matter what atrocities may be committed by the ‘gods’ who rule over this earth, God is STILL in control.
We may cry out to Him, as Asaph did in Psalm 82, “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?” (v.2) We may beg Him, as Asaph did, to “defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (v.3-4)
But God’s timing is not our timing. These ‘gods’ that rule this world “know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness.” (v.5) They “will die like mere mortals;” and “fall like every other ruler.” (v.7)
Only God’s reign lasts for all eternity. Only God is LORD over ALL.
Acts 27
Paul had quite an adventure in Acts 27. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner on a ship with 275 other people. A storm overtook them while they were at sea and raged around them for two weeks. They were so lost and battered that they “finally gave up all hope of being saved.” (v.20) The crew and passengers were so terrified and desperate that they were willing to listen to this stranger prisoner, the only one on the ship who seemed to have a plan. An angel had appeared to him and told him that not one of the 276 people on board would be harmed.
Paul instructed them to eat as much food as they wanted and throw the rest overboard. They threw their cargo and tackle overboard. They cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. They cut loose the anchors and the ropes holding the rudders. They were all in, completely at the mercy of the sea. Only God could save them at that point. And He did!
2 Kings 18
“Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following Him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.” 2 Kings 18:5-7
Finally there was a good king! Hezekiah cleansed Judah. “He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it.” (v.4)
Those dastardly high places… Finally someone destroyed the high places! There had been a few good kings in Judah who had done some basic house cleaning, tore down some Asherah poles, and boarded up a few Baal temples. But NO ONE had demolished the high places until Hezekiah. Finally true revival had arrived to Judah!
