THE LORD SPOKE (June 5)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Kings 20-21

"Put your house in order, because you are going to die...." (II Ki. 20:1)

What Hezekiah heard should not have come as a surprise. After all, those words are true for everyone. The death rate for mankind is still one per one. But, Hezekiah had a lot he wanted to accomplish and he just wasn't ready to quit yet. So, what would you do if you had exactly fifteen years left to live (20:6)?

• Would you give more attention to your quiet time with the Lord every day?
• Would you give more effort to leaving something worthwhile behind?
• Would you give more action to sharing the Gospel with the lost?
• Would you give more time to your family?
• Would you give more?

Other lessons from this chapter:

• God may at times signal His direction for us in unique ways (20:11), but normally He speaks through His Word.
• God may at times provide miraculous healing, but this does not exclude the use of known remedies (20:7).
• God may at times give us a new lease on life (20:6), but this is not license to act foolishly (20:13-18).
• God may at times grant us a reprieve in judgment, but it should be a time to recognize His mercy and grace (20:19).

So, is your house in order. You are going to die, you know.


New Testament: II Corinthians 7

Godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. They both may look the same superficially but they certainly don’t act the same. And the end result is as different as night and day.

Worldly sorrow is self-centered. It is a response to consequences. The painful results of sin produce regret and a shallow sort of sorrow that does not result in real change.

Godly sorrow is God-centered. It is a recognition of the wickedness of our sin and produces a heart-felt change of direction. That’s the meaning of “repentance” (Gk. metanoia). It involves a deliberate turning from sin to righteousness.

When Peter and John healed the crippled beggar at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (Acts 3), a crowd quickly gathered and Peter addressed them. After defining their sin in no uncertain terms, he said:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.... (Acts 3:19)

It’s that wiping out of sin that identifies genuine repentance. Or, as Paul says in today’s text, it “leads to salvation” (II Cor. 7:10). He goes on to say that it produces earnestness and an eagerness to clear oneself, indignation and alarm at the sinfulness of sin, longing and concern to return to God, and a readiness to see justice done (II Cor. 7:11).

This sort of repentance will bring refreshing from the Lord, and how sweet it is! Genuine repentance produces life and restoration to fellowship.

Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word, and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy Name.

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord in me abide.

O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival, start the work in me.
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.