Trust in the Lord

The city was surrounded...besieged by an army in order of magnitudes bigger than its own paltry defense. Below the city walls, the top general of the Assyrian army taunted the king’s three emissaries above. This was the last city standing in all the country.

Heretofore this king had been everything one would hope for. He was a humble yet strong man with an inveterate faith in God and His provision. While the people and kings before him had chosen a different path, upon his ascendance to the throne, he had immediately initiated reforms to return to God as their sovereign in all aspects.

Unfortunately, most people were so immersed in their own decadence that they had not only balked but in effect rebelled against their king and God Himself...and now they had, every last one of them, been crushed under the foreign army’s inhuman terror tactics.

The city was Jerusalem and the king was Hezekiah. As aforementioned, he was a godly man, but even he had his weaknesses. At the first arrival of this army, he had in fear-driven obeisance paid a substantial “tribute” of silver via treaty but this was quickly abrogated. Now the general demanded immediate surrender as well. 

What was to be done? His men were more than willing to fight to defend their people but they were hopelessly outnumbered. The apparently logical thing to do would be to consult with his generals to see how they could best hold out and for how long. But that is not what he did. Instead, he took the letter and went alone over to the Temple and as he prayed aloud, he literally laid it out before God. Jerusalem’s deliverance was subsequently not by sword or shield, and is detailed in the 19th chapter of 2 Kings.

There is a lesson here for us all. In our personal lives, it can be all too easy to become overwhelmed by circumstances to a point where we despair and the mountain of our problems seems insurmountable. Although Hezekiah’s fears and weaknesses had gotten the best of him, he remembered his faith and his trust in God. By “laying out” his fears before God, it was as if he was saying, “This is all far bigger than me. I have done and will do all that I am capable of, but You, Lord, are my only true strength. My trust, my faith and my very life are in You alone.”

Christ Jesus loves us so much that He gave His very life to give us new life now and eternal life in heaven. His invitation is to you, even now, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Soli Christus Gratia