April 13, 2025, 2 Kings 25:22-26
April 13, 2025, 2 Kings 25:22-26
22 And over
the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of
Shaphan, governor. 23 Now when all the captains and
their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they
came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the
Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. 24 And
Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the
Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it
shall be well with you.” 25 But in the seventh
month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family,
came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the
Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 Then
all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and
went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
Isn’t it interesting that
just when someone says, “don’t be afraid”…trust me….someone else that is meaner
comes along and is the bigger bully.
This world is full of bullies, but no matter how big of a bully you
encounter, God is bigger and has ultimate control.
Sometimes I have wondered
why God doesn’t take the bullies out of the lives of His children. Why we are allowed to be bullied and taken advantage
of so often. I guess the best answer I
have received is that if we didn’t encounter the bullies of the world, how
would they heart about Jesus? How we
respond to the bullies can make the difference in how they view God’s children
and let them see the light of Jesus.
How should we respond to
the bullies of the world? As Jesus did…with
love. As we celebrate Palm Sunday, we see
Jesus enter Jerusalem with celebration and honor, but it doesn’t take long for
the bullies to come out and take on the Son of God. How Jesus responds is an example to us.
You will hopefully never encounter a bully that will do the things to
you that were done to Jesus, but remember He didn’t have to go through what He
did. He did it for you and for me. To give us an opportunity to erase our sins
and live with Him for eternity.
I pray you will think of
Jesus and pray for strength as you encounter the bullies of the world. They come in all shapes and sizes and
sometimes are disguised as friends for a time.
Pray for strength to respond as Jesus would, with love and grace.
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