26-Jul-2024 – Do not hear the discouraging words of the devil but trust the LORD
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. – Isaiah 37:14
The context of this verse is when the Assyrian king Sennacherib came against the kingdom of Hezekiah. His servant Rabshakeh came to Jerusalem and spoke against Hezekiah and the God of Israel.
And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. – Isaiah 36:10
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. – Isaiah 36:15
Here, the enemy is trying to demoralize the people of Israel. First, he claimed that the LORD, the God of Israel, told him that His hand is against the kingdom of Judah. He also told the people not to heed Hezekiah when he urged them to trust the LORD, insisting that the LORD would not deliver them.
It is a strategy of the enemy to either demoralize or provoke, tricking them into either becoming scared and losing the battle or making mistakes that lead to defeat. In our current days, we can compare this to situations where our weaknesses and vulnerabilities cause us to worry when facing adverse circumstances. Even though we want to overcome, our inability, weakness, and failure mindset can be used by the devil to manipulate us into emotionally losing the battle and surrendering. But Hezekiah did not fall into these traps; he depended on the LORD alone.
And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. – Isaiah 37:1
Hezekiah knew that unless the LORD delivered him from the hands of his enemies, he could not win the battle. He also knew that the LORD is a living and hearing God who responds with answers and works according to His will.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. – Psalms 46:1
This is a great verse and truth to stand on. He is not only our refuge but also our strength to bounce back. A very present help means that in our troubled times, in any given moment, whatever help is required to get through that moment will be provided by the LORD. Likewise, moment by moment, in changing situations, the required help will be provided by the LORD.
In the case of Hezekiah, God responded with a supernatural intervention by confusing the enemy soldiers and smiting them by the hand of His angels. In our case, He may respond differently, but our LORD is a responding God. His love and grace are shown through His works in any given situation in our lives.
That’s why, if you believe, you will stand like Mount Zion that is not shaken.
They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abideth for ever. – Psalms 125:1
Prayer:
Dear loving heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to us today through this portion. The enemy comes against us in many ways. Today we saw a wicked and cunning way of an emotional attack by highlighting our weaknesses. But LORD, we stand not by our strength but by the strength of our LORD. Help us to declare this truth in our situations. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
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