«Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me»‘ (2 Kings 19:6).
I was reprimanded by my supervisor for having made my faith known publicly. I had made mention of the name of God in my conversations at my work place. I promised to be more careful. Several months went by and the day of our annual meeting came. They had rented out the local SDA conference camp for the meeting. The first activity was to share something about our personal life with each co-worker. There were thirty of us. No one could stop me from sharing my experience! I began with a smile: «I believe Jesus is coming soon. The Bible is my guide for everything I do. I enjoy my Christian life . . .» I said to the director of the program: «I love Jesus with all my heart and I love talking about Him.» Then I told her «I am going to Africa as a missionary.» In the end, I even received financial help from her for my mission trip! Keep firm in your faith, and God will open doors where it seemed like they were all permanently closed.
Hezekiah sat on the throne of Judah after his father Ahaz. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (see 2 Kings 18:3); he cleaned the country of idolatry. But the Assyrian king rose up to turn Judah against Hezekiah (see verse 29). His threats included deportation, destruction, and subjection. Tre people did not respond to his provocation, because they had been instructed by King Hezekiah to keep silence. Silence is golden; wait for God to show you the right time to speak.
The messengers from the king of Assyria attacked God’s honor, putting Him on the same level as the pagan gods. God said to Hezekiah: «Do not be afraid,» and He instilled in Sennacherib, King of Assyria, a spirit of fear that made him return to his homeland terrified and confused. Hezekiah went to the temple to pray that God’s honor be reestablished: «Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone» (2 Kings 19:19). That night, God saved them, completely defeating the enemy army (see verse 35). «This is true not only of the nations that arrayed themselves against God in ancient times, but also of nations today who fail of fulfilling the divine purpose.»—Prophets and Kings, ch. 30, p. 366.
Place your anguish and your fear in God’s hands and wait. God will give you the way out, and for the honor of His name He will defend your cause.
www.meditacionesdiarias.com
https://twitter.com/meditacionesdi1
http://www.instagram.com/meditacionesdiarias7
Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
