A Zealous God

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2019;%20Psalms%2046,%2080,%20135&version=NIV

I’ve decided that I’m done. I am done believing in God serving him in the way that I have been. Why? Because I’ve been serving him in a way that made him way too small and way too powerless. I’ve been believing and serving in a way that said, I know God is able, I just don’t know that he will.” I’ve been believing and serving him in a way that said “I know God has power, but I am not sure how to access it or whether it is for me. “ I’ve been trying to believ and serve a God that is way to small and through a power that was too much mine and not enough him. So I’m done.

For this time forward I will serve a God who is ABLE. I will serve a God who can go way beyond beyond what we can ask or imagine. I will serve a God who can do more than I ask or imagine in my life and more importantly, accomplish more for him through my foolish self than I can even begin to fathom. I will serve a God who spoke it and it was done. I will heed the words in Psalm 46:10:

"Be still and know that I am God."

My text notes tell me that here the Hebrew means “Enough!” – or “Stop!” and know. And I feel like that is what God is speaking to me as he works out my faith – Enough, Carol. Be still and know – believe – that I am the God that my words says that I am. What am I supposed to know about God. The rest of the verse tells me:

"I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth."

In the margins of my bible I have this written next to verse 10: 'God moves in a way that bring him glory'. My text notes tell me that God’s mighty acts in behalf of his people will bring him universal recognition. That’s what it means when the Word says that “The zeal of the Lord Almight will accomplish this.” (2 Kings 19:31; Isaiah 37:32; Isaiah 9:7). And that’s what I – and you are supposed to know. That God does might acts on behalf of his people. He is passionately commited to his children. Did you hear that? He is PASSIONATELY commited to you and does mighty works on your behalf! This is what I’ve decided that I want to know that I know that I know. God is passionate about me, he is commited to not only working on my behalf, but doing MIGHTY WORKS THAT BRING HIM GLORY!

Hezekiah understood this when laid out Sennacherib’s threats to God’s people before God in 2 Kings 19. He goes in faith that God will work on behalf of his covenant people – God’s reputation is at stake and Hezekiah believes that God is passionately commited to him people - therefore he is certain that God will hear and that God will move. His faith is evident in his words as he declares God to be enthroned over all kingdoms and remembers him as creator. His faith is evident as he boldly asks God to see and hear and act. His faith is so evident when he says, “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:19). Indeed, Hezekiah understood God’s zealous, passionate commitment to do mighty acts on behalf of his people. He believed it, was still, and knew God – and that was all he needed. I want a faith like that.

I have a friend that I received a letter from today. She lived on the farm down the road from ours in Nebraska when I was growing up and taught my sisters in the little church school there. Today, she serves as a missionary in Banda Aceh, Indonesia (proof that God can and will use anyone from anywhere when we willingly answer his call). The greatest privilege of my life has been knowing her journey, being a part of it, and watching God take ashes (like most people, she is one refined by fire) and turn them into this amazing, most beautiful faith. She truly is a planting for the display of God’s glory. Her faith reminds me of Hezekiah’s. Her faith knows that God is passionate for and will do mighty acts on behalf of his people. In fact, I’m not sure anyone could have stated it more clearly. And so I’ll end with her words and a prayer that you and I would have a faith like this:

Greetings from Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in the powerful Name of our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ, the One and only Way, the One and only Truth and the One

and only Life! It is with great joy that I report to you that I am back and that the

Lord is sustaining me in the midst of trying times here. Persecution has broken out

in the province against new national believers, so we are expecting great things

from our all-powerful God who can and does work all things for the good of those

who believe in His Name!


May we live a life, friends, that expects great things from our all-powerful God.

If you’d care to share, I would love to hear of a time when God did mighty works on your behalf.

Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels