just pray...

God has also been faithful to remind me of His ability to take care of even the seemingly impossible. I was reading in 2 Chronicles 32:1-22. Israel and Judah are still divided and Israel has fallen way off the wagon, but King Hezekiah, the king of Judah, has lead his nation well and saved them from destruction (so far). Judah was attacked Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and his plan to attack and plunder them for his own gain. Hezekiah saw that King Sennacherib was coming and he and his men took what steps they could to protect and defend themselves. He spoke to the people and said,

“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of 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 out God to help us and to fight our battles.” (verses 7-8)

Sennacherib comes at them and claims that no god can deliver them from his hands and he tries to tell them that Hezekiah is deceiving them. Then verse 20 starts the cool part,

“But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. …So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem form the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all other and guided them on every side.”

Did you catch that? There was no cool military strategy, no extra army, no reinforcements. They just prayed. Hezekiah knew that his God was stronger than all others and that he was more than capable. He trusted in God.

This convicted me of two major things.

1)Why do I not trust the power and plan of God? Why do I worry and fret and scramble?

2) Why do I think that praying is not enough? Why do I pray so little and strategize so much?

No matter what is going on in your life, what seems stressful, what you are waiting on, what you are worried about, remember that God is MORE than capable of doing it. His plan is guaranteed!! He could send an angel to do it. He could stop the sun if he wanted. I LOVE that Hezekiah did not even have to fight a battle, he just prayed. The Lord literally took care of it. I know for me, I forget that God could do that if He wanted. I don’t think I trust him enough to just sit back and pray when he calls me to. I wonder if Hezekiah while he was praying, ever thought about getting up and getting his people ready? I wonder if he ever started coming up with a plan? Or if he trusted God enough to know his dependence on him and he just kept praying, knowing without the Lord he stood no chance?

This has been a good reminder for me this week. My lack of trust in what the Lord can do can keep me from waiting on him and waiting for what he has. I’d rather just go and try to be resourceful than wait for what he has. Now that does not mean that if we are patient that we never do anything, there are definitely times when trusting in the Lord will require us to move and move quickly. But what I am talking about are those times in your life when we have to wait to see what the Lord is going to do and how he is going to show up. Do I really believe that he is greater than all other gods? Even the god of my own pride?

In Isaiah over and over again, God declares that He is God, and there is no other. Or He is God and there is none beside him. That statement has been ringing in my mind for the last several weeks. It brings me so much comfort. I have been claiming it as doubt or worry creeps into my life. As I wonder at what will happen or I look at the uncertainty of life, I have hope because the God I trust in is far above all other gods!!

Pray and trust. The two go hand in hand. As I spend time getting to know my Lord and listening to Him, I trust Him more and more. As I spend time before Him, I realize my frailty and I see my need for Him, so I have no choice but to trust the One that is above all else.