A Daily Supply - II Kings 25:27-30

by Rohn Sun Jan 12, 2014 7:44 am

A DAILY SUPPLY
II Kings 25:27-30

(2 Kings 25:27-30) And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. (KJV)

I. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE LORD DOES FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WILL ALLOW HIM TO.
We find Jedhoiachin a captive in prison. This is where the Lord found every one of us, in the prison house of sin. We weren’t free to do what we wanted but were bound by sin to serve the enemy of our soul. But we find that the king took Jehoiachin our of prison and set him on a throne. A throne above the thrones of the kings that were with him.

(Revelation 5:10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (KJV) We are not only set free from sin but are made kings and priests to live for the Lord.

He also changed Jehoiachin’s prison garments. He was no longer dressed as a prisoner but as a king. When you looked at him you didn’t think of a captive or prisoner or one who had just been released from the prison house of sin, but as a king or a priest unto God.

Then notice that he was no longer on bread and water. No longer was he on prison rations. “He did eat bread continually before him (before the one who set him free) all the days of his life.”
His allowance was a continual allowance given to him of the king, “a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.”

He wasn’t on starvation rations. He didn’t just get enough to get along on. He didn’t get his rations just on Sunday or even just on Sunday and Wednesday evening but it was a daily ration. A rate given him for everyday of his life, 365 days a year.

We are called to be well fed and well-nourished Christians and God has allotted a supply for us that will give us a daily ration for every day to meet our needs. There are those who starve themselves and find that they are defeated because they haven’t collected their daily rations. I don’t imagine that anyone had to urge Jehoiachin to receive his daily ration. It was what kept him fit for the throne. It was what made him look and feel the part of the representative of the kingdom that he was.

Remember Daniel, who refused the rations of the king of Babylon and ate what he knew God wanted him to eat. He proposed in his heart that he would not be defiled by the kings meat and drink. And when he appeared for inspection he was in better shape than those who ate at the king’s table.
I would that everyone of us would purpose in our hearts to be fed on daily rations from what God has provided for us that we would be what He wants us to be. We need to purpose in our hearts to be everything God wants us to be. Take time to get on our daily rations. God has the provisions but we have to take it. He doesn’t force it upon us. He provides but we have to want it.

II. NOTICE THE EMPHASIS THE BIBLE PUTS ON DAILY PROVISIONS.
The Bible implies that there is not a place to store up grace and provisions from God, but they must be kept fresh. Daily. Remember the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness they had to gather the manna daily. It wouldn’t keep over. It had to be fresh. That is the way for the daily rate God has for everyone of us. It has to be gathered fresh. Daily.

1. THERE IS DAILY PRAYER.
(Psalms 86:3) Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. (KJV)
We cannot live the Christian life as we should without a daily supply of the mercy of God. We are full of blunders and failings and without the daily ration of the grace of God we are soon overcome rather than being overcomers.

Someone has said, “Prayer is the Christian’s vital health, the Christians native air.” Without it we suffocate. We can’t make it without prayer. The neglected daily prayer is the hidden secret of many a sad trip into sin and a fatal fall from grace. Almost without fail, those who go into sin, and fall from grace, can trace their fall to a lack of their daily ration of grace prayer.

Temptations come but grace gives strength to overcome. Pressures come but grace gives strength to overcome. You can’t store grace you have to collect it daily through prayer.

2. THEN WE NEED DAILY PARDON.
I am not implying that we willfully sin and just ask pardon every day. But I do believe that we need to keep our pardon fresh and clean before God.
Jesus said to the disciples,

(Luke 11:4) And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (KJV)
Are you clean? Is all clear before God? We need to keep a daily cleansing before God. The only way is to search our own soul before God daily. Many big things would never come into the life of individuals if there was a daily searching and taking care of the little things that keep us from being crystal clear before God.

3. THE TEXT IMPLIES FOOD. “A DAILY RATE FOR EVERY DAY, ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE.”
Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is more than just a supply for our temporal needs. While it does include our daily provisions, Jesus also said,

(Matthew 4:4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (KJV)

The commandments should be soul bread for us. The provisions should be soul bread for us. The examples in the Word of victory should feed our souls and strengthen us. The admonitions to live godly and righteously before God should be food for our souls.

(Matthew 5:6) Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (KJV)

They are blessed daily – not just at camp meeting or revivals but every day. They realize satisfaction in the things of God.

Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Through His life I now am saved.

It takes a daily ration to satisfy. Some folks go on a spiritual diet and find that they have starved themselves to death.

4. THERE HAS TO BE A DAILY ROUTINE OF GRATITUDE.
(Psalms 68:19) Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. (KJV)

We often look back over the year or a certain time period and thank the Lord for His goodness to us, but we need to realize that He daily loadeth us with benefits. If we aren’t careful we soon begin to take so much for granted that we lose our gratitude. We become self-sufficient, or so we think, having need of nothing. But Jesus said,

(Revelation 3:17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (KJV)

When we cease to realize God’s goodness to us and are not gracious to God for what He does we lose something out of our souls that makes us His. We may profess and do a lot of things commendable before men but we soon lay aside any privileges before God.
Privilege of prayer, privilege of dependence on Him, privilege of bringing before Him my needs and realizing from my heart that He understands and cares and has the answer for me.

We have to keep an attitude of gratefulness to God on our hearts daily. One of the prayers of the Christian should be (Psalms 116:12) What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? (KJV)
It would make us live closer to Him.

5. THEN WE NEED TO HAVE A DAILY RATION OF VIGILANCE.
Vigilance – watchfulness.
Jesus told His disciples to be watchful. He said, (Matthew 26:41) Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (KJV)

(Hebrews 3:12-13) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (KJV)

There are three words here that catch my eye. First is “brethren”. They were believers. They had an experience with God had faith and walked with Him.
The second word is “depart.” They are warned to take heed lest they depart or leave their experience. Some are leaving their experience with God and departing little by little until they are totally departed. We must take heed lest we depart from the old paths, depart from God’s Word.
Then notice the word “deceitfulness.” They are warned not to be deceived. There are many who are deceived today. They wouldn’t say so but they act like God has changed. They don’t follow as close as they once did and they allow things to creep in that they wouldn’t have allowed in days gone by. They are deceived into taking another way. But God’s word still holds true and God’s laws are still the same.
There is a guard against these things it is vigilance. Watchfulness- watch over your soul. The enemy not only comes as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but he comes as an angel of light seeking whom he may deceive. Watch over your soul that those things you once counted as wrong or had convictions against don’t slip in. Watch that you don’t count as not so bad, those things you once abhorred. Be watchful daily. Every day, 365 days a year.

6. BE READY TO BEAR YOUR CROSS DAILY.
(Luke 9:23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (KJV)
Cross bearing is a daily ration. There are some things we have to bear because we are Christians and God gives the strength to bear them. What is the cross I have to bear? It may come in different ways and different forms but it is your stand for the Lord. The cross is the true symbol of true sacrifice. It isn’t the spectacular thing but it is the daily self-sacrifice that proves to whom we belong. The cross is the symbol of Christianity. It isn't the gold cross on your lapel, or the cross on the church steeple but it is the Old Rugged Cross that stands for salvation and laying our life down for what God wants us to be.

So I’ll cherish the Old Rugged Cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

Your cross may be heavy and at times hard to bear but there is a time when you will sing-

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

7. THEN WE NEED A DAILY PURIFICATION.
Not because of backsliding, but a daily cleansing.
Paul said, “I die daily.”

(1 John 1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (KJV)

The word “cleanseth” means keeps on cleansing, keeps us clean-daily.
A daily sanctification comes from a daily walking in the light. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
Our light comes from the Lord. Look unto Him. Not what someone else does – not what I do or anyone else does but what the Lord shows you through His light.

Walk in the light as he is in the light. He shines light on our pathway to sanctify us and keep us sanctified. It is a daily walking in that light that keeps us sanctified daily.

8. THEN WE HAVE A RATION OF DAILY STRENGTH.
(Deuteronomy 33:25) ….and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. (KJV)

We don’t know what we will have to face in the future, but we can be sure that if we live where God wants us to He has made provision for us. The trouble is that often we worry about what the future holds or how we will go about taking care of certain problems instead of relying on god and drawing on the strength and help He has for us.

(Philippians 4:19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (KJV)

Our daily supply of strength for one day lies in the Word. When we start the day with prayer and Bible reading it makes a real difference.

(Acts 17:11) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (KJV)

They received the word with all readiness of mind. This is what made them strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
We don’t know what the future holds but we are sure that as we live a daily life for the Lord He has a daily ration that will satisfy the soul and meet our need.

He who lives his daily life here with God will live it forever with God above.
What victory you can have if you take your daily ration and use it as God desires.