The Enemy’s Challenge: King Sennacherib’s Threat
“Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”
“And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, ‘Look, he has come out to make war with you.’ So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
”Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.””
‘Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered?'” (2 Kings 20: 8-11).
King Hezekiah’s Prayer
“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.”
15 “Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: ‘O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.’
16 ‘Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.’
17 ‘Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.’
19 ‘Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.'”
God, Jesus, El Gibbor—The Mighty Warrior’s Response
32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it.’
33 ‘By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city, ‘Says the Lord.”
34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.'”
El Gibbor—The Sovereign God’s Victorious Outcome
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
35 “And it came to pass on a certain night that the Angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.”
36 “So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.”
37 “Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”
The Sovereign God Is Unknown To Most of Today’s Christian Believers
“My people perish for the lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). From redirecting our faith and focus to ourselves and the world’s temporary wealth, success, and pleasures, truthfully, we do not know who the Sovereign God is.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:13).
From not studying the Bible, we do not know Jesus’ Love, our Mighty Warrior’s Faithfulness, Promises, and His Perfect Record of Absolute Victories.
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24).
Unless we develop a heart-to-heart relationship with Jesus Christ through daily personal worship, surrendering to follow our Shepherd, praying continuously, and studying the Holy Scriptures in the Bible, we will redirect our faith and focus to ourselves.
But from embracing the unbeliever’s life of trusting in human thoughts and strategies, we travel on the road of Self-Reliance, which places us on a Spiritually Dead End Street.
“And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10).
At some point, when we have suffered enough consequences from excluding God, we realize our human limitations, and feeling defeated, instead of repenting, we begin to blame God for abandoning us.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28).
For the Believers that follow Jesus with faithful obedience, when we face the hardships and vicissitudes of life that are impossible for human thoughts, wisdom, and strategies to resolve, we bow on bended knees, crying out for God’s Help.
“Behold, I am YHWH, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27, BLB). Everyday, we must choose to practice the steadfast faith required to believe in and trust God’s Sovereign Power.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV).
Whether experiencing life’s routine challenges or severe struggles, the righteous use their faith to believe and rely on God’s Promises that they have memorized; and the Holy Spirit encourages us by speaking through our thoughts, and reminding us of God’s Faithfulness, and His Commitment to always help us.
“You will keep him in perfect peace because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). For those who live a lifestyle of worship, we choose to completely trust God.
“Peace, Be still.” Yes, we place our life in His Capable Hands, and enjoy His peace. How? We believe that Jesus is Sovereign, Loves us, and is Our Shelter and Deliverer when facing the raging storms of life.
“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. (Psalm 42:5, Amplified Bible).
At times, even the strongest Christians may feel discouraged, especially when our trials last for a long time; but from developing the habit of prayer as our First Response, we invite the Holy Spirit to encourage and empower us with Jesus’ Divine Peace and Strength. Pray continuously!
The Bible Keeps Us Anchored In Christ
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105). Through the Holy Spirit, God’s Word provides Spiritual Guidance, revealing that Jesus is our Guiding Light even when we are traveling on the dark Path of Adversity.
God’s Word is the Spiritual Catalyst that brings us back to our Spiritual Senses: Jesus tells us: “Take no thought for tomorrow; I will never leave you or forsake you; Fear not, for I am with you…”
The Holy Bible reveals God’s Higher Thoughts and Ways, always redirecting our faith and focus away from our circumstances and back to The Sovereign Power of Jesus Christ, El Gibbor, Heaven’s Mighty Warrior.
“For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37). The Bible gives us the intimate details of Yeshua: Jesus is our Mighty Warrior, promising to give us Victory when we place all of our faith and trust in Him.
Jeremiah 17:14: “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” Every day, Jesus is still performing Supernatural Miracles of Healing and Restoration, giving us the Strength to persevere, and comforting us while we endure illnesses, griefs, and hardships.
“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). “Behold I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20). And we must never forget that Jesus, our Warrior is still reaching out to the heart of sinners to accept Him as their personal Savior.
Make the decision every day to put Jesus Christ as the Lord of your Life; He is a Loving and Faithful Shepherd, The Great Physician, Our Dedicated Protector, and Powerful Warrior, who tells us, “You will not have to fight,” Be still, and know that I am God.” Yes and Amen!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV).
Lord God, we desperately need Your help. We are facing many struggles and hardships that we cannot resolve, and even if we could, Jesus, we bring our burdens to Your Throne of Grace, because You promised to help us in our time of need. Lord, we make the commitment to use our faith to trust You with our lives. We realize only You can give us the victory and bring glory to Your Holy Name. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Loving and Righteous Name of our Mighty Warrior, El Gibbor, Jesus Christ, Amen.
© STEPS 2 Success With Spiritual Solutions Ministry
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