Even when things seem hopeless, prayer still makes a difference. Give it a try!
With ten minutes left in a basketball game and one team down by thirty points, people begin leaving the gym because they can see the handwriting on the wall. If a football team is behind by three touchdowns at the two-minute warning, even committed fans will slide out of their seats and head to the parking lot to try to beat the traffic.
When a game is close and the outcome is still up for grabs, people stay glued to their seats. No one knows how it will end. But when one team is running away with a landslide victory, people lose interest very quickly.
What is true in the world of sports also is evident in the pages of The Story. At a certain point, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in such bad shape, so rebellious, that there was no way they were going to turn around. Using a sports analogy, there was still time on the clock, but the end results were clear for everyone to see. Even the Southern Kingdom of Judah hit a point where things looked hopeless. But sometimes a team can rally…even when it looks like there is no chance of a comeback!
In Chapter 16 of The Story, Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrian army and the situation looked hopeless. Hezekiah prayed and things changed. Think about a situation you face today that seems too big, overwhelming, or even hopeless. How can prayer encourage you to view your situation from God’s perspective?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, pages 107 and 111.
1. Why did God send the northern kingdom into captivity? (See 2 Kings 17:7-17 for more details). Compare God’s actions against Israel to Moses’ warning in Deut. 28:45-50 and 30:1-5. What do you discover?
2. What is King Hezekiah’s view of YHWH the God of Israel (p. 184)? What is the result of a correct understanding of God?
3. Isaiah’s prophecy predicted punishment and captivity for Judah as well as return and restoration. (pgs. 188-189). How did Zion (Jerusalem and Judah) react to this message?
4. What are some of the qualities of the Suffering Servant (pgs. 189-190)? (See Matt. 8:16-17, 26:63-67; 1 Peter 2:22-25; Romans 5:19; and Luke 22:37 for further insights). What does this teach us about God’s Upper Story?
ReplyDeletePoint to ponder…
Even when things seem hopeless, prayer still makes a difference. Give it a try!
With ten minutes left in a basketball game and one team down by thirty points, people begin leaving the gym because they can see the handwriting on the wall. If a football team is behind by three touchdowns at the two-minute warning, even committed fans will slide out of their seats and head to the parking lot to try to beat the traffic.
When a game is close and the outcome is still up for grabs, people stay glued to their seats. No one knows how it will end. But when one team is running away with a landslide victory, people lose interest very quickly.
What is true in the world of sports also is evident in the pages of The Story. At a certain point, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in such bad shape, so rebellious, that there was no way they were going to turn around. Using a sports analogy, there was still time on the clock, but the end results were clear for everyone to see. Even the Southern Kingdom of Judah hit a point where things looked hopeless. But sometimes a team can rally…even when it looks like there is no chance of a comeback!
In Chapter 16 of The Story, Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrian army and the situation looked hopeless. Hezekiah prayed and things changed. Think about a situation you face today that seems too big, overwhelming, or even hopeless. How can prayer encourage you to view your situation from God’s perspective?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, pages 107 and 111.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider…
1. Why did God send the northern kingdom into captivity? (See 2 Kings 17:7-17 for more details). Compare God’s actions against Israel to Moses’ warning in Deut. 28:45-50 and 30:1-5. What do you discover?
2. What is King Hezekiah’s view of YHWH the God of Israel (p. 184)? What is the result of a correct understanding of God?
3. Isaiah’s prophecy predicted punishment and captivity for Judah as well as return and restoration. (pgs. 188-189). How did Zion (Jerusalem and Judah) react to this message?
4. What are some of the qualities of the Suffering Servant (pgs. 189-190)? (See Matt. 8:16-17, 26:63-67; 1 Peter 2:22-25; Romans 5:19; and Luke 22:37 for further insights). What does this teach us about God’s Upper Story?