problems

Isaiah 36:18
“Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?”

Judah was facing their darkest hour. Isaiah records that Sennacherib’ king of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. One by one the cities of Judah fell to the all consuming Assyrian forces. Now that same army had surrounded the city of Jerusalem and threatened to take it by force. Before sending armed men, Sennacherib sent his chief of staff to warn the people of the folly of resisting. His rationale was that since other nations had trusted in their gods, resisted Assyria and fell to the sword, Israel would suffer the same fate if they trusted in the Lord. It is understandable that the unbeliever thinks all gods are the same, the problem arises when the child of God fails to realize that YHWH is above all others.

Israel was faced with a choice, they could succumb to the threat of their surroundings, or they could choose to trust in the power and promises of the Lord. This is the same choice everyone of us faces every day. While our problem may not be our home surrounded by a foreign army, our lives are filled with troubles, trials and threatening circumstances. It is crucial that we learn to cling to and trust in the promises of God.

If you take a few minutes to read ahead, you will find, against all odds, Jerusalem was delivered. The army which conquered nations much more powerful than Judah fell, not to Hezekiah’s army, but before Hezekiah’s God. No matter what we face, God is faithful and will bring us through.

Pastor Jim

1 Kings 8:27
“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!”

Seven years, hundreds of thousands of man hours, and countless wealth, was invested in the building of the Temple. When it was completed, it was one of the most glorious buildings of the ancient world. The best architects, builders, artists, and specialist had been commissioned to accomplish a feat that still boggles the minds of historians today. One can only imagine what it must have been like to stand on the Temple mount, looking up at this glorious building, and looking down upon the city of David. Yet, with all it’s splendor, Solomon is struck with the realization, it is simply way too small.

Unlike the church, the Temple was not designed to house people. A few men took turns entering the first court of the Temple to trim the lamps and change the show bread; and one man, once a year, entered the second court. The purpose of the Temple was to provide a place for God to meet with man, and Solomon realized the building was way too small.

I think one of the biggest problems we face is that our God is too small. In order to wrap our minds around God, we are constantly trying to reduce Him to something we can understand. With each attempt, He gets smaller and smaller, until our problems become no match for Him. Instead of trusting in a holy, all powerful Creator, who holds the world together with His Word, we have created a God who is more like a best friend, who we call on when we need someone to listen to our complaints.

It is time to stop fashioning God into something He is not, but to look into the pages of His Word to discover who He really is, and what He requires of us. Remember the second commandment is not to have any graven images. God refuses to be shaped into something He is not.

Pastor Jim