Hezekiah: Strength in Battle

From Before The Throne by Crickett Keeth

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

2 Kings 19:14‭-‬19

Life has its ups and downs. We sometimes experience times when everything’s going great, but we also go through seasons when life is hard, and we face overwhelming circumstances. How will we handle those hard times? Will we look to God for help or turn our attention elsewhere?

King Hezekiah saw both good and hard times during his reign over Judah. He was one of the good kings. He had reinstituted the celebration of the Passover, and the people were worshiping the true God after they destroyed their fathers’ idols.

Just when it would be easy to sit back and get comfortable, God brought an overwhelming situation into Hezekiah’s life—an invasion by a foreign king, Sennacherib, king of Assyria. How would Hezekiah handle this situation? He turned to prayer and gave us a great example of praying when we find ourselves anxious and overwhelmed by life circumstances.

Hezekiah began his prayer by focusing on God’s character. I confess I often begin my prayers with my needs instead of slowing down and considering who God is. When life isn’t going as I had hoped (for me or others), I can easily get discouraged and begin to focus on the circumstances, which discourages me even more. At times, I don’t know how to pray. But Hezekiah’s prayer reminds me to begin by focusing on my God and worshiping Him.

A Time of Reflection

What battles or overwhelming situations are you facing today?

Which attributes of God do you need to focus on in this situation? How does focusing on God’s character help you walk through challenging times?

A Time of Prayer

Use Hezekiah’s prayer in 2 Kings 19:14–19 to guide you in praying about your circumstances.

Father, oh how I need You. It seems our world is out of control. But You are still in control, and You are working in ways I can’t even imagine to bring good out of this. Keep me on my knees before Your throne, looking to You for my hope.