The Lord says: "There may be people who make life difficult for you at the moment, and those who oppose you or cause problem to you at the moment, but look to Me, for I will know how to turn it around for you. I will know how to turn it around for your good and for your victory. I will strengthen you, and My grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness, I will be your strength. Take heart."
Beloved of God, if you have been going through a certain challenge in life, or going through some problems in life, or some people are opposing you or causing problems to you, take heart. The Lord says He is here for you, as long as you do what He tells you to do and keep your focus on what He has spoken for you to do. He will know how to turn things around for you. His grace is more than enough for you.
For today, we are going to look at the life of King Hezekiah.
2 Kings 18:13 says, 'And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.'
Here, you see that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against Judah and the people of God. This name 'Sennacherib' comes from the original word 'Senkerib'. The original meaning of 'Senkerib' is 'sin being multiplied'. So, this can speak of the spirit of darkness or the work of darkness that comes against you, that tries to persecute you and cause problem to you, as you walk with God on this earth.
2 Kings 18:28-30 says, 'Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, "The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."''
By the way, 'Rabshakeh' was a title in the Assyrian kingdom those days, and Bible scholars believe he was the chief of staff or a governor who served the king of Assyria. Here, this Rabshakeh was challenging the people of God, "Don't let Hezekiah deceive you, or make you trust in the Lord!" In short, "Don't trust Hezekiah!"
Beloved of God, if you are in the same situation when someone tries to sow seeds of distrust against you or sow seeds of discord against you, just look to the Lord and trust in the Lord. He will know how to take over.
Fast forward to 2 Kings 19:1-3, 'And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth... Then Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth."'
Maybe you too are in a situation when you have no more strength to carry on. Remember what the Lord has spoken just now? In your weakness, He is your strength! And I'm going to tell you something very interesting here, what the name 'Hezekiah' means: 'Khizkee Yah' in Hebrew. It means 'Yah strengthens' or 'Yah is my strength'.
So, in a time of weakness, or in a time when you feel you have no more strength to carry on, the Lord wants you to receive this strength from Him. Remember: 'Khizkee Yah'. Yah strengthens you. Yah is your strength. Yah is the name of the Lord your God. His grace is more than enough for you. His grace is sufficient for you. He will know how to give you the strength. And He will know how to add upon you the strength that you need!
2 Kings 19:5-7 says, 'So the servants of King Hezekiah came to prophet Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the Lord: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."''
Notice here: "...return to his own land." You know what that means? It means God's going to turn things around and push all those works of darkness back. In other words, God has started to take over!
It is the same for you, beloved! God has started! God has begun! God has started to turn things around for you! You've got to believe this! Remember, He is a God who is not dead. He is a God who is very much alive in your situation, whatever you may be facing at the moment.
Let's continue with 2 Kings 19:21-22. Just now, the Lord spoke to Hezekiah. But now, the Lord spoke about Sennacherib. Here, the Lord said: 'The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind your back! Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel...'
2 Kings 19:32-34 then says, '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. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return; and he shall not come into this city. For I will defend the city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake."'
Beloved of God, I want to declare upon you the same, that the Lord is going to defend you, and the Lord will know how to fight for you. You don't have to fight for yourself or by yourself. The Lord will fight for you. Because the battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord's. Amen!
Now look what's written in 2 Kings 19:35-36, '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, the enemy, 185,000! And when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses - all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.'
You see again here? God took over and turned things around. Of course under the New Covenant, we are not fighting flesh and blood. We are fighting against the principalities and the power of darkness. We are fighting against the rulers of the darkness of this age. We are fighting against spiritual hosts of wickedness. You can see that in Ephesians chapter 6.
And finally, in 2 Kings 19:37, 'Now it came to pass, as Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his God, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword...'
It means his own children killed him! And the so-called great and mighty Sennacherib was finally defeated! And he wasn't even defeated in a battle. But he was defeated by the people of his own clan.
The power of darkness better not play a fool with the Lord God. See what happened to those who boasted against the Lord and the people who put their trust in the Lord?
Therefore, beloved of God, as much as the enemy had wanted to crush you, I tell you what, the good news is this: God will not allow it! God will turn it around for you and get back to the enemy!
So, take heart, if you are just being faithful doing what God tells you to do in each time and season of your life. Whatever people want to say, let them say. But you stay focused on what God tells you to do. And God will take care of the rest.
I want to declare upon you that 'No weapon that comes against you shall prosper, and every word of judgment that rises against you, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Your righteousness comes from the Lord.' That's in Isaiah 54:17. Amen!
Let's pray: "O Lord God, we thank You that as much as the enemy wanted to crush Your people, You will not allow it. You will know how to turn things around, and You will know how to get back to the enemy. We do not have to fight this battle. The battle is Yours. So, we can take heart in this truth, that You will know how to take care of the rest, as we stay focused on what You have spoken for us to be and to do. You will know how to strengthen us. In our weakness, You will be our strength. Your grace is sufficient for us. As you have done for Hezekiah; You are the same yesterday, today and forever; You can do the same for our lives too. In the name of Jesus. Amen."
