Acts of Devotion

God holds the keys to success. Devote yourself to Him, doing the work you have been given to do, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

“After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him...the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people...He took care of them on every side. Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor...He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches. It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written”‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭1‬-32

What makes you stronger? What builds your muscles and your faith? Often, strength comes through endurance and effort. Put yourself in Hezekiah's shoes. He had done right in God's eyes. He had rebuilt the temple. He had brought the people back to God. Then he was attacked, and the city was under siege by the Assyrians. Would you not question God because of your circumstances? An average person would complain or curse at what was happening.

Not Hezekiah. Hezekiah called on God and called the people to live by faith that God would do today what He had done before. He believed that the best God could do would be better than the best any man could do, so he encouraged the people to be strong and courageous. What would happen if you made this your declaration each day? What if you loudly declared, I will be strong and courageous. I will not live by fear, but I will live by faith? What dream would you pursue, what great task would you undertake, what would you build if you believed that God would give you success in whatever you did?

Fun historical fact: You can still visit Hezekiah's tunnel. The project he undertook to redirect the water still stands today. Hezekiah's legacy lasted because he did not sit idly by when he was under attack. His circumstances did not dictate his devotion to God. If anything, they helped him draw closer and see greater miracles happen because he attempted great things that would fail if God did not give them favor.

We would do well to learn from Hezekiah. You cannot have success if you are not willing to risk failure. Failure is the closest ally of success. Hezekiah might have sounded crazy wanting to redirect water, but doing so saved the city that was under siege. The Scriptures record all the successes that Hezekiah had, but those successes only came because he had enough faith to sow a seed, invest in a venture, build a city, and create a new stream. What step of faith could you take or seed could you sow today?

"The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble...Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice—Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭99‬:‭1‬-9

David sang of the holiness of God. There is something about repeating the phrase holy, holy, holy that can stir your heart. What does it mean to describe God as holy? What do we see? God loves justice and righteousness. He is distinctly different, set apart, and unique in His perfection. When we consider the holiness of God, the awareness of the gap between who we are and who He is can widen.

Yet, an aspect of the holiness of God is in how He answers when we call. He is not a God apathetic to our interests. He is a God who wants to be part of everything we undertake. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel each had different roles and duties, yet each experienced God's faithfulness in how they lived out their lives. How could lifting up the name of God and seeing how great He is inspire you to live more boldly?

“Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight...Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed...However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many...be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth...but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body" Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭‭10

With the time, talent, or treasure you have, what are you investing in? Where is your strength going? Where are you sowing seed or bringing the kingdom? One of the ways we gain the enjoyment described in this passage, which Solomon encourages us to hold fast to, is through the meaning we find in our work. This applies to each person, whether they are still figuring out what to do with their lives or have recently retired. If you have breath in your lungs, God has work for you to do.

Solomon tells us not to be wind watchers, people who stand by and criticize conditions or talk but never walk. Many people approach life with an attitude that says I will take a chance when, or I will give if, or I will try after. None of those approaches please God. If you wait until conditions are right, you will get to the end of your life and wonder where it all went. The life of faith requires shipping your grain across the sea, sowing seeds without knowing what the weather will do, and letting your hands not be idle in the evening. Hearts devoted to God attempt to do great things that require God to do His part.

Solomon identifies some barriers to living boldly. He said to banish anxiety and make sure to keep your life in balance. Wisdom tells us to enjoy our youth but not let our energy be wasted on unholy actions because there will be a day when we stand before God. Wisdom tells us that anxiety, or a divided mind and heart, can keep faith from overcoming fear. God wants us to live wholeheartedly and teaches us to be holy as He is holy. He is not scared, and neither should we be. Anxiety keeps us from acts of devotion and investing in the kingdom. God is holy. He is not anxious, so we should not be anxious. Many people accept anxiety as part of their lives. They invite unholiness to take up a room in their house. This does not honor God. Banish anxiety and replace it with belief in the power of God.

“Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah...I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭25‬:‭15‬-‭17‬

Reverse engineer this chapter. Start by seeing that God wants to be known. He is a holy God. He tells the oppressors of His people that they do not know Him, or they would never act as they have. It is the same message that Solomon shared with young people and David put in a song. He said to live with an awareness of God's holiness and expectations. God said if you knew Me, you would never act the way you have. You would have embraced justice, righteousness, and holiness.

Instead, those who attacked the Israelites had malice in their hearts and, with hostility, had sought to destroy others. Before we judge those nations, ponder what it means to have malice in your heart. God is exposing how they look at people, and it is the same way that Sennacherib looked at Hezekiah when he put him under siege. How do you look at people who are unkind to you? Is there any malice in your heart?

Malice celebrates the suffering of others. It condemns, is hostile, and is the opposite of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Malice can get in the way of our mission to make disciples. Our holy God is not one with malice in His heart, and we would do well to rid our hearts of any malice toward others. Jesus taught us to pray for those who persecute us and keep our focus on God, trusting Him to hold those who are offensive to us accountable.

“I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬-35

You have a choice each day in how you look at your life. Will you be grateful for all God has given you and be the light in the place where God has planted you? Will you ship your grain, sow a seed, and take a step of faith by investing in a new venture? Will you be like Hezekiah, who did not surrender during the siege but instead redirected the stream and encouraged people to be bold, believing in God's promises? Or will you let anxiety, offense, other people, and circumstances beyond your control influence your approach to life?

The Scriptures record Hezekiah's acts of devotion. Paul wrote that the right way to live is with undivided devotion to God. The connection between the two is seeing that the work of our hands should be driven by a heart that is devoted to our holy God. The life of faith is about being strong through difficult circumstances, not avoiding them or allowing anxiety to rule. Hezekiah did not know how the battle would end, but he knew that God had never lost a fight. Solomon did not promise that every seed would produce fruit, but that did not keep him from planting many vineyards. Paul did not say that every marriage or relationship would be free of malice, but he did say that God can bring peace to every heart.

The call is for undivided devotion and to do the work that our holy God calls us to do in the way He calls us to do it. See the connections. Anxiety divides our minds impacting our trust in God, malicd divides our hearts impacting our ability to love others, both keep us from living fully devoted to Christ. Faith sows seeds, ships grain, builds tunnels, and invests in kingdom causes in order to honor God. Hezekiah did not build the tunnel for himself. He did it to save the people. The most successful ventures will always be the ones that align mission and vision.

Ultimately, God holds the keys to success. Hezekiah prospered because God answered prayer. Will you give God your whole heart and trust Him with what the future holds? Will you delight yourself in Him, do the work He has placed before you, and trust that He knows the desires of your heart? The same God who gave Hezekiah success in everything he undertook is the same God who is still holy, still faithful, and still able to do more than anything you can ask or imagine. Do not be afraid. Be strong and courageous, and you will see your seeds become abundant orchards.