July 21st~Lay Down Your Letters

2 Kings 19:1-19

Isaiah 37:1-20


2 Chronicles 32:9-19

2 Kings 19:20-37

Isaiah 37:21-38


2 Chronicles 32:20-23

We continued with the Assyrian invasion of Judah, particularly of the siege of Jerusalem. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, applied pressure to Hezekiah, King of Judah, to surrender; but, Hezekiah’s confidence in the Lord outweighed his fear of the enemy. He asked the people to assemble at the city gate, and he said to them, “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid of the King of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are just men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” (2 Chronicles 32:6-8). These words greatly encouraged the people.

However, Sennacherib was relentless. He continued to send messages to Hezekiah to scare him and demoralize the people. “Don’t let this God you trust deceive you with His promises... You know perfectly well what the Assyrians have done wherever they have gone. They have crushed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different?” (2 Kings 19:11).

I love Hezekiah’s response to Sennacherib’s letter. He went up to the Temple and spread it out before the Lord and prayed. ”You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth... It is true, that the Kings of Assyria have destroyed other nations. They have thrown down the gods of those nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all, only idols of wood and stone, shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord, rescue us from their power; then, all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You alone are God!” (2 Kings 19:14-19).

Hezekiah put his trust in the Lord and He delivered Jerusalem. That night, He invaded the Assyrian camp and slew 185,000 soldiers. Sennacherib then returned home, only to be assassinated by his own sons. God had indeed saved His people from danger.

Daily Reflection

As a Christian, you have access to the same God as Hezekiah did, not because of your righteousness but because of the righteous life and sacrifice of Christ. Because His blood has made you clean, you are able to approach the throne of God with confidence, call upon His name, and cast your cares before Him, “so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22).

Hezekiah’s name literally meant, “The Lord Jehovah is strong.” His strength did not come from his own wisdom or abilities; it came from his trust in God. He laid his letter before the Lord and believed that God would fight the battle for him. Are you trusting God in this way? Are you laying your burdens before Him and trusting Him to be strong on your behalf?

What troubles you today? What is it that’s weighing you down? Are you laying it down?

Know that the Lord your God listens to the prayers of His children. In Jesus’ name, you can do what Hezekiah did and know for certain that God cares for you. Therefore, “be anxious for nothing, but, in everything, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind” (Philippians 4:6, 7).

BiAY.org | Day 202 — 163 Days to Go