“Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay…” ~ II Kings 18:14
REFERENCE:
To fear or to trust? Life will always confront us with situations that test our response to this inquiry. As believers, we are to trust in God as our hope and refuge in all life situations because He is a sure foundation and the God of all grace. The devil often strikes at this foundation, knowing that if we fail there, we fail everywhere. He throws challenges, difficulties, and illnesses at us. If we lose trust in God and give in to fear, satan’s arrows will hurt us.
Our text shows Satan’s classic way of eroding our trust; he waves the record of his successes before us. Hezekiah was a godly king, but when he heard how Assyria overran Israel and took her captive, Israel being a bigger nation, his courage failed him when Sennacherib began to invade Judah. He concluded that resisting, praying, or trusting in God for help was no use.
Satan will tell you how many ministries have failed, people killed by cancers, marriages ruined, never amounted to anything after retirement, etc.; he will tell you not to expect your case to be different. Will you fear or trust God? From the beginning of the chapter, we see what Hezekiah accomplished with God’s help. If only he could cast his mind back to that or remember God’s dealings with his forefather, David, and with the patriarchs of his faith, faith would rise in him.
Hezekiah allowed his trust in the Lord to be shaken by the might of Assyria and Sennacherib’s boast. He lost his confidence to fear because of what he focused on, like Peter, who took his eyes off Jesus when he saw the storm until he began to sink. What you focus on determines whether you fear or trust. What information do you feed yourself with? About the situation or your God?
Decide to feed your trust and starve your fear. Know more about what God can do than what the devil, sickness, lack, etc., can do. Feed yourself with the word of God and stories of His deeds. When ‘Sennacherib’ comes, what you have fed your spirit with will show; you will not wonder whether to fear or to trust. If you choose to trust, God will always give you surprising victories.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Psalm 125:1, Matthew 14:28-30, and Mark 5:35-42
PRAYER:
+ Father, I receive the grace to choose trust over fear. I trust You to keep Your word in my life.
+ Lord, help me see problems from Your viewpoint; may I not capitulate at the first sight of trouble.
+ I receive the strength to focus on Your power, trusting You still despite uncertainties and danger.
