02-03-2019 - Humility, A Great Start If You Want Deliverance

2 Chronicles 11:13–17 NLT

13 But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam. 14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to serve the Lord as priests. 15 Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 From all the tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.

2 Chronicles 12:1–4 NLT

1 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin. 2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign. 3 He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians. 4 Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.

Giving Up on God when Things are Good Never Ends Well

When God Sends Punishment - Particularly when He Punishes His People - He is Seeking Their Attention, So a Restored Belief in Him along with Confession of Their Sin Might Result in Their Salvation!

2 Chronicles 12:5 NLT

5 The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”

Giving Up on God May Lead to God Allowing You to Face The Woes of this World By Yourself.

Notice Verse 1 - “he abandoned the Law of the Lord and all Israel followed him in this sin...”

Notice Verse 5 - “You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning You to Shishak...”

When You Say, “leave me alone” to God - He may grant you the space you desire…

2 Chronicles 12:6–8 NLT

6 Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!” 7 When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. 8 But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”

2 Chronicles 12:12 NLT

12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.

Giving God His Place by Choosing Humility Leads to DELIVERANCE

Are you in a place where You have abandoned God and you find yourself standing against the Woes of this World all alone?

A simple choice, an act of contrition, replacing “I can do” with “only GOD can do” - humbling yourself can lead to Deliverance..

Communion is a Great Place to Remember the Humility of Jesus that lead to His Sacrifice for Your Sins. Take time to Humble Your Heart and Remember the Deliverance God has provided..