Submit That Issue To God By Babatunde Olugboji
King Hezekiah gave us the blueprint on how to respond to bad news, first as he handled threats against him and his regime in 2 Kings 18 and 19, and secondly, as he reached out to God when Isaiah delivered a devastating message from God that he was about to die. In 2 Kings 18 and 19, Judah’s entire fortress had been breached and Jerusalem stood like an island in the midst of Assyrian forces, surrounded and besieged.
The King of Assyria dispatched his lieutenants to Hezekiah to speak at the gates of the city and told Hezekiah in no uncertain terms to surrender. Earlier, Hezekiah had in error made a pact with Egypt, despite Isaiah’s continual warnings. And as the Assyrian forces massed at his backyard, Hezekiah turned to God in prayers, thus:
“LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
“It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste to these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, LORD, are God.” (2 Kings 19:15-19)
Did you notice that the first 2 statements of Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19:15) correspond to the first sentence of the Lord’s Prayer?
Elements of Hezekiah’s prayer
- Adoration (2 Kings 19: 15)
- Supplication (2 Kings 19:19)
- Glorification (2 Kings 19:19)
God answered his prayers and gave him victory. One night, the angel of the LORD put to death 185,000 in the Assyrian camp. Sennacherib’s temper, exasperated probably by his reverses, displayed itself in the most savage cruelty and intolerable tyranny over his subjects and slaves, till he was assassinated by his two sons, whom some Bible historians claimed, he intended to sacrifice to pacify the gods and dispose them to grant him a return of prosperity. He ended up being killed by his own sons. What a mighty God we serve. Things appeared to have started out terribly for Hezekiah and his people, but everything eventually worked out for his good.
Note that in this world, getting bad news or dreadful reports is inevitable, but all we have to do is learn from Hezekiah, and turn such reports over to God. The God who dealt with almost 2 million Assyrians in a single night, is willing and able to give you victory.
As you proceed with whatever you are doing this week, lay that terrible news before God, and watch Him do great and mighty things in your life.
Have a great week.
Kingdom Dynamics, a weekly column is written by Dr. Babatunde Olugboji, the President, Kingdom House, a non-profit organization in New Jersey, USA.
