KINGS AND CHRONICLES

Today is Saturday and tomorrow is Sunday!!  I'm so looking forward to Sunday and being with God's people.  I hope you are too.  I'm in II Kings and I Chronicles today, and let me share with you one or two thoughts: THE PROBLEM, THE PRAYER, THE POWER- THE PROBLEM: In II Kings 19, we see the mighty army of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (the world power of it's time) come against Jerusalem.  In verse 3, King Hezekiah, King of Judah, said: "This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth."  This mighty army had overwhelmed all of the nations it has faced and conquered them all.  They throw out a challenge to Hezekiah and the people of Judah who watch from off of the wall. In verse 12 they say: "Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?  13- Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of city of Sepharvain, Hena, and Ivah?"  The problem was that by every visible and audible source, it looked bad for the children of Judah and Hezekiah their king.  They put on sackcloth and go into the house of the LORD dejected and visibly shaken.  Do you face such problems?  Have you faced them in your life?  I mean where there is no visible source of help or encouragement?  Well, this is the Problem.... but let's not stop here! PRAYER-Here is what Hezekiah prayed while in the temple in sackcloth: 2Ki 19:15-19  "And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only."  I wanted you to read it for yourself!  He prayed!  Prayer is the answer when you cannot see an answer or hear of an answer, or touch any resource that may help!  God hears prayer!!  Did you hear that?  GOD HEARS PRAYER!!  Take heart O dear friend, you help is from above... unseen resources lie in gloryland....God is listening, and watching.... not the problems.... but the prayers! POWER- When God gets involved, your problems are solved.  Dear friend.... God is always involved.  Psa 37:23  "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way."  No problem is too big for Him.  He doesn't even focus on the problems, they make Him laugh!  (Ps. 2)  He is looking to His children to see.... to see..... IF THEY WILL PRAY!!   Oh dear friend listen to what God said in verse 34: "For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake."  This is what God said!  And then God caused an action to take place: (vs. 35) "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."   God has the power... and God uses His power to answer our prayers!  What a lesson for us today!  Problems.... we have a bunch of those; Prayer.... we need to do more of this;  Power.... we can see God flex His muscles on our behalf.  Thank you LORD! Well, here was the sermon for today!  Have a blessed weekend.  Dr. Mike Mutchler