Him BookSample

READ 2 Kings 19:14-31 & Psalm 46:1-11.

TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD. What does it look like to take refuge in God, trusting Him, and leaning on Him?

• PRAYER: While the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem, Hezekiah prays, “So now, O LORD, our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.” Hezekiah places his faith in God, and reminds himself that the nation of Israel (including himself) wants their lives to be marked by God's purposes — that God might intervene so the world would know that the God of the nation of Israel was different than the fake gods of the region.
• SONG: Let us not forget that Psalm 46 is a song for us to sing together. One of the ways that we take refuge in the Lord is by singing His truth together as His people. We sing songs that remind us of His identity and power then encourage one another to trust God in the face of the storms of life.
• OBEDIENCE: We take refuge in the Lord through obedience. Hezekiah was one who followed God with his life. He had torn down the false worship places around the area of Judah because he wanted to restore the people to worshipping the one true God as God desired to be worshipped.
• ACTION: Hezekiah turned to the Lord and asked Him to deliver them. Not only that, but Hezekiah took actions while still trusting in the Lord. Knowing that the siege was coming, Hezekiah increased the military budget and dug a channel to redirect the water source for the city of Jerusalem inside the city walls. But even though Hezekiah took these actions, he was not trusting in streams and shields as his ultimate deliverer. He says that God is in the midst of the city of Jerusalem; therefore, we shall not be moved.

Where do you shelter when the storms of life hit? Do you trust in your strategy? Your strength? Your stuff? Or do you turn to your Savior?

Friends, Hezekiah provides an example of one who had strategy, strength, and stuff, but his ultimate hope was in the Lord. So that, the son of Korah might write Psalm 46 and say, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Prayer: Lord, may our prayers, songs, obedience and actions reveal our trust in You in the midst of the storm. Amen.