By Brad Hannink
Have you ever felt trapped in a place where there seemed to be no way out?
Centuries ago, King Hezekiah of Judah was trapped as well. The king of Assyria had invaded Judah and was capturing city after city. As the king and the hordes in his army were closing in on Jerusalem, the people knew they were going to be trapped inside the city’s walls. They knew the Assyrian plan was to lay siege to the capital and prevent food and water from reaching the people and, sooner or later, they would be forced to surrender and ultimately be enslaved, exiled, or executed.
Hezekiah, king of Judah, gathered all the people together and told them to trust in their heavenly King, and not fear earthly kings or armies.
“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed
because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude which is with him;
for the one with us is greater than the one with him.
With him is only an arm of flesh,
but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
As under-shepherds we face what in our humanness seems like impossible situations, but we must remember that truly, “with God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37).
We learn in 2 Kings 18 and 19 that when Hezekiah prayed and brought the problem to Yahweh, God answered his prayer in a miraculous way. He sent an angel from heaven that very night who struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. What was left of the Assyrian army retreated and Jerusalem was saved!
We know a bit about being “trapped” in our own homes when we sheltered in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our enemy, however, was not an army of men. Nor was it even a biological virus. It was the spiritual virus of fear.
These have been and continue to be unprecedented times from a human perspective, but nothing is too great for our God. And nothing takes Him by surprise.
Whether your fear is centered around a decision you face, a diagnosis you dread, or a family situation that seems insurmountable, be encouraged, dear fellow under-shepherd, that this is the time to draw near to the Father. Turn to Him with your problems, about your fears, for your loved ones, and for our nation. Pray for Jesus Christ to use your current circumstance – no matter what it is – to draw you and others to Him.
Above all, praise Him that He is our God and that He will provide whatever He knows we need. We have nothing to fear.
