«O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see» (2 Kings 19:15, 16).
THE WORDS OF TODAY’S VERSE are part of the prayer that King Hezekiah raised to God when everything seemed to indicate that Judah would be invaded by the mighty hosts of Sennacherib. Already Samaria, like other cities, had been crushed under the passage of the bloodthirsty Assyrians. Would Judah be the next victim?
Undoubtedly, that was the intention, as is apparent from the words of the Rabshakeh: «[Hezekiah,] Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, ‘Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered?» (2 Kings 19:10, 11).
What did Hezekiah do in the face of such a crisis? The account tells us that the king «received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord» (w. 14, 15). In other words, he gave the letters to God! With this act, Hezekiah was telling God something like, «Lord, it is Your honor and Your glory that are questioned in this letter; therefore, it is not I who must answer, but You.» Then he prayed, «Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God» (v, 16).
Not only did God listen, but He also responded to Hezekiah’s plea. Through the prophet Isaiah, He had announced to King Hezekiah how the crisis would end: » ‘By the way that [Sennacherib] came, by the same shall he return; and he shall not come into this city,’ says the Lord. ‘For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake’ » (vv. 33, 34). That same night the angel of Jehovah «killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand» (v. 35), Sennacherib would later die, killed by his own children as he worshiped in the temple of his god.
That is your God and my God! The God who sees the anguish of His children, and who responds to their cries at the right time. Therefore, if right now you are facing great challenges, if difficulties are threatening to crush you, just as Hezekiah sought God in prayer, give Him your burdens believing that He will not only listen to you, but will also answer you, out of love for Jesus, and for the glory of His name.
At this moment, heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I give You my burdens.
As You promised, please take them out of my life, according to Your will, and for the glory of Your name.
#AdultsDevotional
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
