Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? (Isaiah 37:10-11)
When the Assyrian army was outside the gates of Jerusalem, the commander of the Assyrian army sent this threat to Hezeikah. Clearly, it was intended to keep his heart fearful and anxious. He was saying "you've heard about what we've done to other countries, you're next!"
Had Hezekiah taken the Assyrian message in that way, he would have lived in constant fear. But he didn't, and neither should we!
It's important for Christians to understand that God does not want his people to live in fear. Fear is one of the great banes of our day - people are fearful about the economy, fearful about terrorism, fearful about the future. We need to remember what Jesus promised us:
Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:7)
Paul told us...
...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
(2 Timothy 1:7)
(2 Timothy 1:7)
But, why shouldn't we be afraid if we're facing a difficult situation? Because the resolution to our situation won't be found with man, but by faith in God.
This is what Hezekiah does. When he received the letter from the hand of the messengers, Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.
Saints, that is our job. We're not to overcome our fears by strength or power, but by prayer and faith!
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
When we're faced with a threat, a bad report, a possible devastation, we can do the same thing Hezekiah did - PRAY!
Look at Hezekiah's prayer:
Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God. (Isaiah 37:15-20)
Notice how accurate this prayer is. Hezekiah acknowledges the facts as they are. Assyria is a powerful force that had already swept other kingdoms away before it. But these nations were depending on idols to protect them, while Hezekiah's dependence was on the Lord of heaven and earth.
So the next time an army invades your life, go to your quiet place, spread your troubles on the alter, and ask the Lord God almighty to intervene!
Pastor Clay
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