DCLM Daily Manna 18 October 2021 — Vanity Of Human Wisdom
DCLM Daily Manna 18 October 2021 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Vanity Of Human Wisdom
TOPIC: Vanity Of Human Wisdom (DCLM Daily Manna 18 October 2021)
📜 TEXT:2 KINGS 17:1-8📜
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
🔑📖KEY VERSE: “And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison” (2 KINGS 17:4).
Many people have been misled into taking wrong decisions with terrible consequences in their lives. It is either because they have sought solutions from wrong and self-serving sources or they are not fully persuaded of the stand they have taken over issues. Unfortunately, such actions do not just affect other people’s lives, but also mortgage their eternity, especially when propelled by pecuniary gains or as a response to external pressure or fear.
From the passage, King Ahaz had died twelve years ago before Hoshea began to reign in Samaria. Had Hoshea studied the activities of the kings before him and the consequences of their actions, he would have known the things to avoid and the things to uphold.
But he continued in the sinful ways of the kings before him. He neither sought divine help nor protection. Knowing that Assyria had always been a terror, Hoshea decided to strike an alliance with the king of Egypt. Although he had been paying tribute to the king of Assyria, Shalmaneser, he wanted to align himself with Egypt but it backfired. When he was forging a new deal with the Egyptians, he stopped paying tribute to the Assyrians. He was arrested and clamped into prison. The Egyptian king he ran to could not help him.
Believers must realise that ultimate help is in God. He is the present help in times of need. Whatever challenges or threats we may be facing, striking a deal with God is the only sure way of escape. It is lack of wisdom to seek help or protection from ungodly sources. As believers, we must always go to God who alone can indeed help us in all situations.
✍🏽THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It is vain to trust in the help of man.
📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 51-55📜
MEDITATION
SEEKING FOR DELIVERANCE
1. The conquest by a stronger power
a. Hoshea, though a king, was under the captivity of a superior power, v3.
b. He was conquered and forced into servitude, v3.
c. In order to have a limited respite, he must regularly give precious “presents” to the stronger personality, v3.
d. Obviously, his defeat affected his subjects too, v3.
Question
Are you facing a defeat or limitations from superior power(s) in any area of your life including in your habits and character ? Is it affecting your children or members too? Then you need a deliverance👌
2. The conspiracy of senseless pact
a. As expected, Hoshea was eager to secure total freedom, v4.
b. His method was to manifest conspiracy against Assyria his captor, v4.
c. This he did by rebelling against Assyria and sealing a pact with another power called Egypt, v4.
d. His captors doubled on him by bounding him in prison, v4.
e. Furthermore, his captor besieged the land of Samaria for three years until it fell, v4.
The enemy is willing to patiently and persevering monitor your life until you surrender 👌 But never surrender👍
e. Their case was pathetic: From servitude to imprisonment and to captivity.
f. Unfortunately, Egypt that he made alliance with could not save him in the day of battle, v6.
g. His conspiracy and rebellion against his captor turned out to be senseless and counter productive🤷♂️
Question
Where did he missed it?
3. The course of sane partnership
Many today, in an attempt to get freedom, still take wrong or counterproductive steps. The course of action for true, total and timely freedom are listed below.
a. “A curse cannot work without a cause”. First objectively identify the cause of your limitations, imprisonment or captivity. In this case it was sin against God, v7.
b. Don’t underestimate the resolve of your captors to perpetually keep you in defeat, limitations, imprisonment or captivity, v4. If Hoshea knew this, he would have made a better strategy before conspiracy 🤷♂️
c. Don’t look for alternatives to God because there are none v4.
Going to Egypt was an error. Egypt was not as powerful as Assyria and there was possibility of a pact between Egypt and Assyria that Hoshea was ignorant of🤷♂️
d. Sincerely deal with the cause of the problem. For example genuine repentance must follow conviction of sin.
Note:
1. Jesus is the only person that can give true, total and lasting freedom
2. Learn to consult Him first in any matter of urgent need. He alone has the final say in your life, family and ministry.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Ask God to reveal to you the cause(s) and the solution(s) of any limitations and imprisonment of your destiny🙏
2. Ask God to forgive you whereever you have ignored God while looking for freedom🙏
3. Call on God for the freedom you need in your character, career, conjugal relationships, Christian calling, etc.🙏
4. Ask for the release of God’s mighty power at the coming crusade to release you and every captive from his/her peculiar captivaties🙏
HYMN
DID YOU THINK TO PRAY
1. Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?
Chorus:
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So in sorrow and in gladness,
Don’t forget to pray.
2. When you met with great temptation,
Did you think to pray?
By His dying love and merit,
Did you claim the Holy Spirit
As your guide and stay? Chorus
3. When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way? Chorus
4. When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day? Chorus
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
