• “Listening to God” Bible Reading & Devotion: Oct 2, 2025 – Isaiah 036

    Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Isaiah+036

     
    Chapter 36 (ESV)

    13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 16 Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18 Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

    21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

     

    REFLECTION:

    1. Sennacherib’s field commander called for Jerusalem’s surrender. He repeatedly challenged Hezekiah: did they depend on Egypt? or on God?  None of the gods of other peoples were able to protect their lands against Assyria’s military might.
    2. The Assyrian commander scoffs Judah’s God. God may exist somewhere, he may be important to us.  But he is irrelevant now, for he is powerless to act.  He continued to taunt them, “On what are you basing this confidence of yours?”  As events unfolded, it became clear that Isaiah’s and King Hezekiah’s confidence was rightly placed – in God.  There are no circumstances we can imagine which can limit God’s power to save.
    3. Have you been taunted by others because of your faith? Or have you ever felt that God was not relevant in your situation?  Recall the circumstances, your response and feelings.  Continue to converse with God.  Ask for strengthened faith and whatever the situation there is “no turning back”.

     

    PRAYER:

    Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

     

    HYMN:

    Sovereign – youtu.be/JMTG13qVY3g

     

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“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

In January 2009, PGC started the “260 Appointments with God” Bible Reading and Devotion program. From September 2017, the program has a vision to help brothers and sisters do devotion and reading through the whole Bible in four and a half years starting with the Book of Genesis. The program was renamed to “Listening to God” in January 2020. Thank the Lord the first cycle finished with Revelation on March 25, 2022. From March 28, 2022 “Listening to God” began another cycle starting with Genesis. The order of the books is alternated between the Old and New Testaments. For details, please refer to Bible Reading and Devotion Book Sequence.

All participants can track their progress of Bible reading using the PGC Bible Reading Chart. PGC participants can also track their Bible reading progress online and query through the Bible Reading Record Query page. PGC participants who do not have an account should create an account according to the instructions in the Registration page. The Bible Reading Record Query will allow tracking of personal progress after logging in. Even without logging in, you can still use the Bible Reading Record Query for fast access of the devotion information.

May brothers and sisters listen to and obey God’s Word every day, and be the Lord’s disciples.