July 21st
Today's Bible Reading
Before Him
Isaiah 37:14
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
Bad news in whatever form you receive it can be disconcerting. It can suck the very life out of you and leave you drained and devastated. It is even worse when you can’t see any hope of resolving the situation.
As we discussed in the previous devotional, the Assyrian army had embarked on a campaign to conquer all the cites of Judah. Now they had surrounded Jerusalem, Judah’s capital, laying siege to it with their massive 185,000 men army (Is 37:36). The future looked bleak for God’s people. It was either surrender and endure the captivity that would follow or fight to the death hoping that the Lord word intervene and prevail.
Add to this the letter which Hezekiah, the king of Judah, received from the Assyrian king. It basically demeaned the Lord, detailed Jerusalem’s demise and demanded their surrender, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.” (2 Chron 32:17) This was bad news indeed.
But it’s not the bad news that our text considers, but how Hezekiah responded to the news. We all respond differently to difficult news. Some of us even respond differently under different circumstances. Hezekiah didn’t flinch, he knew exactly what to do with the letter he had received. The text tells us his response. “Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” He took his trouble to his Lord. This was not a frantic attempt to get God’s attention, but a honest plea from a humble servant to seek the Lord’s direction. He did not fear the threats contained in the letter, because his faith was in the one who could contain the threats within the letter. God would know what to do with the letter and the threats therein. He would know, because He knows.
And God worked in two very present and powerful ways in their peril. First, He sent Isaiah, his prophet, to bring God’s answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19:15-19). God’s response was straight forward and concise. Isaiah tells Hezekiah, “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD.” (Is. 37:33-34). Then second, “the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.” (Is. 37:36).
What a great story of God’s power and presence in a very precarious situation. This can be the way of our struggles too. When devastating news hits you, like Hezekiah, you can “spread it before the Lord”. In whatever form your bad news arrives, you can write it on a piece of paper and lay your burden before Him. (Ps 55:22). If God can send one angel to destroy a massive 185,000 man army, then He can powerfully come to your aid. So do like Hezekiah and spread your concerns before Him and let Him handle it. He will.
Today don't hesitate to spread your concerns before the Lord. Whatever it is, lay it before Him. Like in Hezekiah's case, He will hear and respond. Thank the Lord that the same power that prevailed in Hezekiah's peril can prevail in yours. So don't delay to "spread it before the Lord"
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