Even When It Seems Like He Is Not, God Is Sovereign
It seems that we live in a time when alarmism has become a favorite pastime of nearly everyone. You don’t have to look far to find someone telling you that the end is here. It used to be near, but now it is here. Why? Depends on who you listen to. The end is here because we have President Trump as president, or the end is here because the Democrats control the house. The end is here because gasoline prices are rising, or oil is lowering. The end is here because the Church is declining, or Islam is rising. The end is here because we have a constitution that restricts progress or because we have a constitution that doesn’t. Gang violence, drugs, murder trends, persecution, gay rights, homophobia, rampant liberties, too much limitation to protect life, legalized marijuana, or not enough solidarity, the list goes on and on and it depends on which side you are on whether you are for or against something and whether that something is good and necessary or evil and debilitating. Many would have us believe that the end is here and there is nothing you can do about it. Why? Because it gives them power.
I was reading in the Bible today and came across a horrifying and reassuring story that I have read many times before. It helped me put some of this into perspective.
“‘Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. “By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,” ’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ” Then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.” (2 Kings 19:32–37, NASB95)
How does this apply to what I have been writing about? I am glad you asked. News outlets, websites, and even political parties make big money off of panic. They would convince us that the world as we know it is over. Why? Because then we will look to them for the answers. That is exactly what Sennacherib was attempting to do with Judah. In the verses preceding the passage above, Sennacherib had sent his forces to Judah to threaten, malign and terrorize the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He hoped they would turn to him for protection and then he could exact tribute from them and forced labor as well.
When faced with the imminent threat of the world power of their day, what did Hezekiah do on behalf of Judah? He took the accusing letter and spread it out before God and prayed. How did God respond? By showing that He is sovereign, even when it seems like He is not. He fought for them and wiped out Sennacherib’s entire army. He then wiped our Sennacherib.
What do we learn from this lesson and how does it apply today? First, we must not allow this world to cause us to panic or draw us into their thought process. God told Isaiah,““You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.” (Isaiah 8:12, NASB95) God doesn’t want His people running around like chicken little panicked that the sky is falling. It might be, and one day it will, but our confidence is not in this world, so it can burn down, but we will not be moved. Second, we don’t need to look to a news network for answers only God can give. We do not need to let the radio, tv, podcasts, or other avenues cause us to think that God is no longer in control so that we turn to others for guidance, protection, or provision. Lastly, we need to pray for our nation and others who are falling into these traps. We need to pray for God’s peace and grace to prevail in hearts, minds, and lives.
As our troops deploy to protect our interests and allies, whether or not you agree with why they are there, pray for them, for their safety, and for the families they leave to protect ours.