When you weep before God: Devotion for Friday July 27, 2012

When You Weep Before God

Text: 2 Kings 22:19– You where wrong and humble yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people, that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. So I have indeed heard you, says the Lord (New Living Translation).

If there is any place to weep, any person you can weep in his presence, it is before God for He alone is the one that can help us not any mortal. Mortals may sympathize but never give you the needed help because they do not have right over their affairs. Have you wept before man and failed to receive what you asked for? Never mind, with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, it is a different case (Psalm 34:17). He knows the necessities of our hearts, when we cry to Him; He saves us (Psalm 34:18).
Josiah heard the word of God and it grieved his heart (2 Kings 22:11 – 13 compare Judges10:15 and 16). Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). It was Franklin who said “After crosses and losses, men grow humbler and wiser.” How do you react when you hear the word of God? Does it prick your heart (Acts 2:37 and Acts 7:54)?
Beloved in authority, how do you react to advice or correction? Do you even allow people to give you advice or correct you? Does the action of Josiah challenge you? No matter how hardened our hearts may be, it must prick us when we hear the undiluted word of God (Hebrews 4:12). As you go to God with broken and contrite heart, He will hear and avert that evil He intended (Psalm 51:7).

Food for Thought: Weeping makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.

Prayer Points:
1. Pray as you hear the word of God it will prick you for good.
2. Ask God to remove heart of stone and give you a broken and contrite heart.