Hezekiah's Faith in the Face of Adversity

Today, I read 2 Chronicles 32:7 in the Amplified version, and was encouraged by Hezekiah's faith in the face of great adversity in his world--much like the world I feel like I'm facing today...


"Be strong and courageous. Be not afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there is Another with us greater than [all those] with him."  AMP

This statement of faith is even more impressive when you understand the context, and what had happened in Israel leading up to this moment.

Get the picture:  The Assyrian army had defeated every other army they had faced.  They were the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.  All victories.  No losses.  No worries.

But now they were up against the people of the living God, not a group who prayed and bowed to idols.  But Sennacherib (what a name) considered God to be just like all the others gods of the people he'd faced--and defeated.  Bad assumption.  Now he was up against the Creator, the Living God, the True King, and he didn't stand a chance.

His many victories in battle had swelled his pride and blurred his vision.  He felt invincible.  He was wrong.  But it didn't seem like it at the time.  He had won every battle, set his sights on Judah, and now had the capital surrounded with his might war machine.  He was honed, confident, and already gathering the spoils in his mind.  He'd probably heard about the gold items in the Temple, and could already taste the metal.

His army was also skilled at psychological warfare, whipping the people of Judah with insults and boasts designed to tear down their morale.  But it didn't work on one man--one important man:  the king, Hezekiah.

Picture this:  an undefeated army masses outside the locked gates of Jerusalem, an enemy much less formidable than many they'd faced previously.  They offer the people a chance to surrender and pay tax to Assyria forever, and one man (Hezekiah) stands up and says, "Guys, have courage!  Dont be afraid of this bully from Assyria.  Forget the facts (they are undefeated, bigger, stronger, well-armed, and confident).  We have someone on our side that guarantees victory:  The Lord God.  And He is greater than any army."

Who do you think won this battle?  Read the answer in 2 Chronicles 32.  And let this story give you courage to face your own battles today.

Your Servant,

Steve


Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.