Here is verse 10 then-
II Kings 18:10 “And at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken”.
How matter of fact does this sound and yet how sad and profound is what is happening. We think back to King David 400 years earlier. The kingdom was unified and victorious, God was worshipped and had a central place. Shortly afterwards Solomon became king and built the temple. He became the richest and wisest man on earth, this amazing little kingdom held influence way beyond its size and status.
Here we now are in II Kings 18, and Samaria (the northern kingdom) has ceased to exist. We know this is not the end of the story. But I imagine being one of those people, force-marched away from my home and family.
Are there any areas in our lives today where maybe we are held captive by the wrong things and are we being led away from God’s best for us?
When we think about our own situations and wellness today, studies show that we can create our own biggest challenges as we make short term decisions that don’t really align with our long term goals.
Here in history, we see a whole nation making short term decisions that don’t align with their very best long term outcomes.
God’s plan for us is always for the best, and if we can align ourselves with His ways we will see the promises of God fulfilled.
My prayer for us today is that we would stay soft-hearted before God, and be aware of the schemes of the enemy of our soul.
Principle 14 – make short term decisions that align with your long term goals.
Strength – Consistency: People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone with equality by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.