2nd Kings chapter 18.
It says that King Hezekiah did right before the Lord yet he had many difficult trials. Their enemy, Assyria, attacked them a few times. They were ready to overtake King Hezekiah and Judah and destroy their place and then take their people and put them in different cities. The people tore their clothes when they heard what Assyria was going to do.
I feel like, “That's life!” We follow the Lord, but we are not free from trials and tribulations. Sometimes we get the mindset that because we love Jesus we should not have difficult days. So when they come we become angry with God.
1. Difficult days actually help us put our faith in the Lord and not in ourselves. It teaches us to trust him rather than our own abilities.
2. Trials remind us that it's not by our power and might that we can stand but by God's power and might.
3. It's through our weakness that God is revealed as strong. Therefore he ends up getting the glory and not ourselves.
Something that the people of Judah did that we need to do more of is be broken before the Lord. We don't have to tear our clothes like they did but how important for us to have our hearts broken and surrendered to the Lord. To do this let's God now we can't do this, we surrender our lives and trust Him to intervene even though it looks too big or difficult.
What are you going through right now? Does it look too big to handle? It's not too big for God! Humbly come before the Lord and surrender it to Him and then trust Him with it. Blessings!
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What I read in verse 31 of chapter 18 reminded me of when Satan appeared as a serpent in the garden of Eden and spoke to Eve to tempt her in Genesis 3.
Both messages sounded something like this: “Don’t listen to the one who has authority over you, but do what I tell you and just think about what you’ll gain!”
Jesus is our perfect example as we can see how He responded to temptation in Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke 4. He answered by using the Word of God.
We need to be careful to not fall for the enemy’s trap and remember what we are told to do. We’ve been warned about our adversary in 1 Peter 5:8-9.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”