Trust God’s Word.

Hezekiah is facing battle, destruction, and deportation just like the northern tribes of Israel experienced.  The king of Assyria is sending out threats and Hezekiah prepares for the next steps by turning to the LORD in prayer.  He also asks the prophet, Isaiah, to reach out to the LORD for direction.  Isaiah does.

After King Hezekiah's officials delivered the king's message to Isaiah, the prophet replied, "Say to your master, 'This is what the LORD says:” (2 Kings 19:5-6a NLT)

When a true prophet of the LORD speaks, people listen.  That’s because the message they have to say is not their own.  They are speaking the very words of God.  They knew it, whether the people of their time period recognized it or not.  Their writings made it to the pages of Scripture because their track record has proven that they passed the tests of a true prophet of God.  Isaiah was one such prophet.  His words were sent as a message to king Hezekiah.

"'Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against Me from the Assyrian king's messengers. Listen! I Myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.'" (2 Kings 19:6-7 NLT)

The LORD is telling Hezekiah that he will be saved.  He is telling him how he, and all of Judah, will be saved.  Now, Hezekiah has a choice to make.  Will he try to come up with his own plan, or will he trust God at His Word?  Hezekiah chose to trust the LORD.

That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria. (2 Kings 19:35-37 NLT)

How about you?  When you face problems that are bigger than you can handle, do you turn to God in prayer?  Do you read God’s Word in Scripture?  When you do, has the LORD given you answers through either or both?  How do you respond?  Do you trust God at His Word?