Surrounded by an Army of Trials

Have you ever felt surrounded by trials in life? It seems there is no way out. You feel overwhelmed. It’s as if a powerful army has showed up at your door seeking to conquer your life. It’s an overwhelming feeling and it seems there is no way out.

This is how King Hezekiah felt when the Assyrian army showed up to besiege Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 32:1 tells us, “Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself.” When Hezekiah sees that Sennacherib is intent on taking Jerusalem, he prepares for battle and does not focus on the overwhelming strength of the Assyrian army. Instead he tells his military officers, “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that 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 (7-8).”

Did you catch that? God who is with you is stronger than those who come after you in the flesh. The Lord God is with you to help you fight your battles. Do not focus on human strength, but on the strength of God. Even when Sennacherib heckles the people of Jerusalem, mocking them and bragging about how he has conquered other cities and how their gods didn’t save them, Hezekiah remains focused on God. “But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven (20).”

Hezekiah and Isaiah did not listen to the heckling, the criticism about their faith in God, the voices that sought to discourage them and cause them to give up. Instead they prayed to God about it. They “cried out to heaven.” God answers their prayer and destroys the Assyrian army. Sannacherib returns to his land in shame. “So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side (22).”