Providence Church

It’s okay to ask God to take away our trials. But in our waiting, we can also ask him to give us what we need to be faithful and fruitful in our trials. This is the wisdom from above, and it is available to all who ask. 

If you had to pick one word to describe the end of the Kings story, it would be “exile.” Exile is the unhappy but just judgment on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But is exile the end of the story?

Josiah’s life shows us the beauty of renewal: hearing God’s Word, grieving over sin, tearing down false worship, and turning fully to the living God. Yet even this unparalleled king couldn’t rescue his people from God’s coming judgment. Why? Because sin runs deeper than our best efforts—it clings to us in guilt and shame, and no amount of personal reform can remove it. The good news is that Jesus does what Josiah could not: He bears our guilt, carries our shame, and takes God’s wrath in our place. This is the hope that truly makes us new.

Manasseh was a wicked king, yet God showed him grace. Still, the effects of his sin lingered on. Ultimately, Jesus is the only one who can fix what sin has broken and make all things new.

The story of “pride goes before the fall” is so common that it has become cliche. And yet, it keeps happening. King  Uzziah's story teaches us about true success, the anatomy of pride, and our hope in Jesus.

Do we have a category in our minds for the fury of God? For the vengeance and judgment of God? The story of Jehu shows us the faithful judgment of God; the certainty of it, the severity of it, and our only hope in light of it.

The salvation God brings is a total reversal. The great famine becomes a great feast, and the least and last in this world are the first to the table. They acted on the possibility of mercy, and they discovered the surprising grace of God.

In this account, Elisha shows us that there’s more going on around us than meets the eye. God is always at work in the world in unseen and unexpected ways.

When things fall apart in our lives, we’re tempted to run from it all. We want God to snap his fingers and make it better. That’s what Elijah wanted, but this story shows us what Elijah really needed, and what we really need, is the presence of God. 

One of the most important questions for you to answer in this life is: What do you believe? What do you trust in? Your answer to that question will steer and direct your life. Most of us waver between multiple beliefs, but this passage confronts our divided hearts. The prophet Elijah confronts ancient Israel to see who is truly God, and follow him.