Floodgates of Heaven Devotions: Giving Back to God is Vital to Your Survival!

Today’s Reading: 2 Chron. 32-33, John 18:19-40

Today’s Reflection: 2 Chronicles 32:25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

God was good to King Hezekiah; REAL good! God blessed him in all of the works of his hands because of his commitment to The Lord and His Word. However, verse 25 tells us of a moment in which he got in trouble with The Lord, and brought wrath upon himself, and everyone around him. All of Judah and Jerusalem suffered.

And what was the besetting sin? Well, after God had spoken to King Hezekiah while he was deathly sick, to show him a sign that he would recover, King Hezekiah apparently soon forgot about the entire incident after the fact.

And that’s where our selected verse comes in. “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up…” The word “rendered” here means returned or paid back. It is unclear whether or not King Hezekiah made any promises to The Lord (like so many do), such as “Lord, if you’ll spare my life, I’ll _____!”.

What IS clear is that The Lord fully expected King Hezekiah to acknowledge what He had done for him, and to pay him back or return the favor in some kind of way, so as to express gratitude for The Lord answering his prayer.

This might have been easily expressed in a simple sacrifice of praise or thanksgiving. Regardless of WHAT God expected of him, the point is, whatever it was, he didn’t do it!

And now for some practical application; admittedly there’s no way that we could technically “return the favor” or “pay” God back for all He’s done for us, at least not in equal measure or value. HOWEVER, God DOES fully expect us to give Him thanks and express our appreciation to Him for all He does for us, either by giving, serving, praise and worship, testifying, or all of the above.

Let it not be once mentioned among the people of God, who are the most blessed people on the planet, that we have an ungrateful, unthankful, prideful and wicked heart.

May we never allow our hearts to be lifted up in pride, as if we ourselves have either achieved or earned any of God’s blessings, forgiveness, or tender mercies. The moment we do, we place ourselves under His chastening hand.

Dear reader, join me today in responding to God’s goodness in ways that show our thanks!

Don't miss another devotion; follow us here!

----------------------------------------------

Floodgates of Heaven
Volume 2
Entry 160 of 365

---

GET YOUR NEXT 365 DAYS OF DEVOTIONS
ON KINDLE NOW!!