«Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him» (2 Chronicles 32:7).
The Assyrians wanted to make the inhabitants of Judah their subjects and to make them pay taxes. Try wanted revenge because Hezekiah had restored holy worship services and ceremonies, had destroyed the idols, the altars and the rituals that the Assyrian king was devoted to. Assyria and its king had felt offended, because they considered that Hezekiah had profaned their god, so they set out to offend and debase the God of Judah so He would be at the same level as the pagan idols.
Begin a revival, a restoration of true worship, and persecution will arise. «Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution» (2 Timothy 3:12). «Let there be a revival of the faith and power of the early church, and the spirit of persecution will be revived and the fires of persecution will be rekindled.»—The Story of Redemption, ch. 44, p. 324.
To deal with the Assyrian invasion, Hezekiah closed the water sources available to the invading forces, bringing water to Judah through underground tunnels. He repaired the city walls, raised towers, and forged swords and shields (see 2 Chronicles 32:4, 5). In your spiritual warfare, are you doing your part? Are you «cutting off the water» that your enemies need? Can you identify those water sources? Are you repairing broken walls (God’s law)? How is your shield of faith and the sword of God’s word? If you do your part, God will do His.
Then Hezekiah trusted that God would give him the victory, and he called on the people not to be afraid of the enemy forces. Trust in God, and He will give you the victory at the right time.
When Hezekiah compared the Assyrian multitude to the armies of heaven, he exclaimed, «There are more with us than with him» (verse 7). The key is to give our battles over to God. «What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?» (Romans 8:31).
God fulfills His promise: «You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world» (1 John 4:4). God made a pact with us, not only to fight alongside you, but to fight for you.
An unbreakable trust in God will lift us above any fears we may have. Give your battle over to God today and ask Him to fight for you.
Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023 “DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate