Daily Devotional for Saturday, August 8

Ahaz’s Plea for Help

“At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not,” 2 Chronicles 28:16, 20.
We have all heard it said during a difficult situation, “Well, all that’s left to do now is pray.” We understand this statement to mean all human efforts have been exhausted in the situation. It is in God’s hands. But it begs the question, how often do God’s people seek help from other sources before crying out to the Lord? It is convenient to turn to Google for a quick answer to many questions today, but it has conditioned us to be impatient. Many young people look to social media for advice on parenting rather than turning to the Word of God and wise counsel in the church. And how many of us are guilty of going to the doctor for treatment of a health issue without praying about it first? Too often God is the last resort when He is the only source for wisdom, help and healing.
King Ahaz had some major problems of his own. The enemies of Judah had taken over many cities and carried away captives. Judah was weakening and Ahaz desperately needed the Lord’s help. He could have humbled himself before God and repented, and Judah would have received strength from above. But instead, he turned to the king of Assyria and gave him silver and gold out of the Temple as a gift (2 Kings 16:8). It is no surprise that he received nothing in return from the heathen king.
Who do you turn to in your time of need? Only the Lord fully understands your situation and has the answers you desperately need. When you seek the Lord first and wait for His direction, help will come. Place your trust fully in Him and allow the Spirit to lead your life and decisions.

REFLECTION
“My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).

Darla Goodrum