God’s problem
26 June 2018
In today’s first reading the warmongering King of Assyria, Sennacherib, engages in psychological warfare against the people of God, seeking to discourage and terrify them ahead of an imminent knock-out invasion.
The God-fearing Hezekiah does not make the problem his own, nor does he attempt to match Sennacherib might for might. Instead, he makes the problem God’s problem and asks the Lord to act “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”
In response to Hezekiah’s faith-filled prayer, the Lord does not promise a glorious triumph. He simply declares that his people need not be alarmed and that Gods own purposes will continue, even if only through a ‘remnant’ of ‘survivors.’ This is enough for God.
Similarly, we need not be alarmed when all appears lost, and people of power seem to have no respect for the ways of the Lord. Our job is to have a heart for God’s purposes: to pray and to work that His kingdom might come and His will be done. The how and the where and the when and the who is God’s problem.
Let’s lay all our fears and worries before the Lord today and ask him to reveal to us his goodness.