Faith is a Fight

Faith is a fight. 

When we receive news, we get afraid sometimes. It’s only human.

In 2 Kings 19, there's a true story about the fight for faith. Here the good king Hezekiah receives a report from the battlefield. It threatens their national security. It’s bold and the dangers from Assyria are serious. In chapter 18 you can read it and you get the sense that it’s meant to intimidate them into retreating and rolling over. When Hezekiah gets the report he gives us an example of what we should do:

2 Kings 19:14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. 17“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 19Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Notice what he doesn’t do:

•  Hezekiah doesn’t deny the report. In the past some of us have erroneously been taught that faith is to DENY the report that is discouraging. Sort of like living in a land of make-believe with our fingers in our ears. We were taught to fake our way through to the miracle by saying, “I’m not sick.” Or just, “The devil is a liar.” While it’s true the devil is a liar, Hezekiah shows us a better way to deal with discouraging news 
• Hezekiah doesn’t make threats back to the enemy, like saying, “You’re going down King of Assyria!” He isn’t rash. In fact, in chapter 18, he tells God’s people, “Don’t answer the enemy.” (See 2 Ki 18:36) Some people get into strange areas when they rant at the darkness. We should beware and be watchful. Sometimes we DO get a word from the Lord to command an evil spirit to leave. But notice how Hezekiah is careful with his mouth and urges the people to be still.

What Hezekiah does right:

• He spread out the news before the Lord. (v14) He didn’t deny it. He didn’t fake it. He told God what God already knew, “Lord…listen to the words Sennacherib has sent…” Have you done this? I’ve done it many times. I’ve laid plans, letters, drawings and budgets out before the Lord and said, “Lord, see this. Look and hear us.” Yes, God already knows but it demonstrates where our confidence is—not in ourselves, but in our God. 
• He asks for deliverance for the purpose of God’s glory—not Hezekiah’s glory. (v19) 
• Hezekiah prays a big prayer to a big God: Deliver us!

Well, the end of the story is that God took care of the enemy in a glorious way.

…declares the Lord.34I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’ ”35That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 36So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

Now your story, my story, may not always end like this. Truth is, that until His kingdom comes in fullness, we will all face suffering from time to time and eventually the reality of death. We don’t know how every circumstance will turn out in the temporary, but we do know how things are in the eternal!

  

• We know God can be glorified in everything.

o   He is glorified when we cry out to Him, just as Hezekiah did. It demonstrates our faith and trust in a mighty and benevolent God.

o   He is glorified in the healing, the miracle, or the deliverance as He was here in Hezekiah’s case. (Read the end of chapter 19!)

o   He is glorified in the world’s eyes as the One who defends and stands up for His own.

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•  We know His love does not change for us. Whether the end of the story is as we had hoped or it turns out otherwise, we know that nothing can separate us from His love.  We know that God is working all things toward an ultimate good ending for the people of God. (Romans 8:28; Jer. 29:11).   
• We know God is mighty and able to do exceedingly above.

So spread out the news before the Lord. Yes, He knows already but it demonstrates trust and faith.

Pray a big prayer as Hezekiah did: Deliver us mighty God! Pray that He is glorified in whatever outcome.

God is good. God loves us. God is working. God is mighty.

Let us hold to these things in the face of every circumstance.