Saved To Served

You have been saved by Jesus so that you can serve and speak words of life.

“When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. Isaiah said…Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me…Hezekiah prayed to the Lord…you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands…Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God… I have heard your prayer concerning Assyria…“Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came…I will defend this city and save it” 2 Kings 19:1-34

At that time, the Assyrian king dominated the land and had a massive army surrounding Jerusalem. Hezekiah did not spend his days and nights trying to come up with a plan. Instead, he humbled himself and turned to God. He spoke the truth and asked for help. Time and again, we see that humility and honesty are two of the most important steps in the life of a follower of Jesus.

Hezekiah prays to God for help, and one aspect of his prayer has the power to reshape our prayer life. His prayer was that the answer to his prayer would point people to God. Consider the ramifications of this for a second. If Hezekiah’s prayer is answered, God gets the glory. Is that what would happen if our prayers were answered? How will the answer to your most desperate prayer help others delight in God?

God’s reply to Hezekiah is the same reply that He says to us today. He says, do not be afraid, for I am with you. I see what is happening and will save you. The question is not whether God’s words are true, but whether we will trust them and live as though we will see them come to pass. There comes a moment when we must take a step of faith. A moment when we must stand up and believe that God is going to act on our behalf. What step is God calling you to take?

“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Psalms 32:1-11

From Hezekiah to David, we see how humility and honesty help bring healing. David said, I did not cover up what I had done, but I was honest with God, and He forgave me. Confession brings cleansing. It eliminates one of the strongest weapons of the enemy. The enemy wants you to be ashamed and cover up your sin. God wants to set you free, and as you reveal where you have fallen short, He heals. What do you need to confess today?

David said, let the faithful pray and trust that the mighty waters will not reach them. This is his way of saying that he’s not going to let the fear of what might happen tomorrow keep him from coming to the Father. Fear separates and divides. It imagines worst-case scenarios and adds gasoline to fires. But fear is a liar. Most things we fear never come to fruition. Life is better when we trust God has a plan and walk with Him. The most important decision you make today might simply be to draw close to God so that you experience the safety of being by His side.

There’s an interesting connection between the passage in 2 Kings and Psalms. The field commander who was threatening Hezekiah was led away by a hook. David said, do not be a person who needs a bit and bridle like a proud horse to turn to God. Pride always leads to pain. Where is pride impacting you? Let us not be stubborn like stallions.

“A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them. Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.” Proverbs 26:3-27

The wise and the fool. The wise person humbles themselves before God and fears the Lord. The wise person learns from their mistakes and is patient in their approach. The wise person does not speak badly about others or try to create conflict. The wise person understands that you reap what you sow.

The fool requires force to change. They are stubborn and obstinate, prideful, and they repeat unhealthy patterns. They gossip and slander and allow the tongues God gave for praising to instead lead them into sin.

We all can learn and grow every day. Every one of us could benefit from more humility. Where would God like to grow you today? Is it in how you walk or how you talk?

“I will winnow them with a winnowing fork…I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways. The Lord said, “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose…I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. Therefore this is what the Lord says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman…they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 15:2-20

Change is hard, but it is a natural part of the process of following Christ. He takes a winnowing fork to our ways and calls us to let go of anything we have picked up that is not from Him. We can be like a difficult donkey and fight back, or we can humbly seek to have ears to hear how God wants to guide us and understand our identity in Christ.

God says, repent and I will restore you so that you might serve Me. Some of us want the first part of this promise without the commitment of the last part. Just like Hezekiah, who said, let deliverance come so others would honor God, God says, I will save you so that, as you are made whole, your life would point others to praise Me. Truth tells us that we are saved so that we can serve, and we are blessed so we can bless. Salvation is like a river of love that flows through us. How will the love of God flow through you today?

This passage concludes with the same promise that was given to Hezekiah. God says, I am with you and I am for you. I see you and will save you. He says, I will deliver you from your enemies and insecurities. God has a plan, and He is present in this moment.

“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked…Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” John 5:2-30

What happens when you listen to the voice of Jesus? You find healing and hope you never thought possible. The lame man never thought he would walk again. When enough time goes by, we all naturally can lose hope. We can let go. We can stop believing. But all it takes is hearing and believing one word from God, and everything changes. The lame man was honest. He said, I don’t believe that anyone will help me, and my circumstances are never going to change. The lame man heard the word, “Stand,” and he stood.

The lame man was not perfect. He was not healed because he deserved it. Imagine the offense and pain in his heart. He had to have hated how many times he was overlooked and ignored. God is not looking for perfect people, but for humble people who respond to His voice.

Confession matters. Jesus asked, do you want to be healed? We have to make the choice to confess if we want the healing Christ offers. Hezekiah laid his fears before the Lord. David confessed his sin and was forgiven. Jeremiah called the people to repent so they could be restored and serve. The lame man stopped thinking about all the reasons he could not be saved and simply listened to Jesus.

The same invitation is before us today. Jesus is calling us to stop staring at our circumstances and start listening to His voice. The lame man could have remained focused on all the reasons he could not be healed, but healing came when he trusted just enough to stand. True faith involves action. There comes a moment when we must confess, repent, humble ourselves, and then, by faith, take a step of trusting God. What step do you need to take today?

When you receive the answer to your prayers, remember to point to God. The One who saves you sends you to serve. Refuse to live like the fool who repeats the same patterns or the stubborn horse that must be forced by a bit or bridle. Instead, humble yourself before the Lord and believe that He who began a good work will carry it to completion. God has a unique call on your life. He has a way in which only you can bring love to the world, and He has work for you to do. Ask yourself what you will do with your healed life. Then take a step and let others see how thankful you are that you have crossed over from death to life.