Sunday, September 15, 2013

September 15 (2 Kings 19:14)

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.  (ESV)
Hezekiah, king of Judah, had received yet another threatening message from Sennacherib, king of Assyria.  The Assyrian king had continually mocked the Lord and taunted Hezekiah and his people for following Him.  Through his messenger Rabshakeh, Sennacherib tried to chip away at the faith of Hezekiah by pointing out that the gods of all the countries Assyria had conquered had been unable to save them and that the Lord was just as weak and useless.
When Hezekiah received the latest attempt to undermine his faith, he did what a man of faith does.  He took the matter straight to God.  Rather than try to reason the matter out on his own, rather than pull himself up by his own bootstraps, he boldly laid the issue at the feet of God.
We live in the age of Sennacherib and Rabshakeh.  Faith in God is mocked and undermined throughout the wealthy and powerful nations and violently oppressed in others.  Listen to the news.  Look at popular culture and social media.  What will you do when your belief in the Bible, your faith in the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, your conviction that Jesus is the one, true way are attacked?  It is too much for me to handle.  I have to do what Hezekiah did.
O God, at times it feels as if I am alone in a world that hates You.  Everywhere I turn I see and hear vicious arguments against You.  Strengthen my faith, Lord.  Show me how to respond to the attacks on Your name.  Keep me close that I may never stray from You.  Amen.
Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

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