the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
2 Kings 19:14-24
To suffer in silence, to answer nothing, this is what we have seen is to be the attitude of the believer, both in the face of the world’s provocation, and of its most attractive seductions. But when he is before God, he can find words to speak. That is the way in which Hezekiah acts. Beginning by spreading before the eyes of the LORD the letter he has just received, he says to Him something like this: "This concerns Thee; I leave it to Thee to deal with the matter". For the Assyrian has blasphemed God Himself, whose glory is thus being challenged (v.19).
Hezekiah completes his surprising military preparations by the most effective of tactics: he quietly withdrew, keeping himself out of sight, letting the enemy face the LORD Himself, who is the stronger! "To let Thee act alone and, confident of victory, to rest ourselves on Thee" are the words of a hymn. In our difficulties, small or great, let us begin by being conscious that we are too weak to overcome the obstacle. Bring the matter to the Lord in prayer. Finally let us wait in peace for deliverance to come from above. Thus it will no longer be the trial which will come as a screen between the Lord and ourselves, but rather will it be the Lord who will Himself be like a protective shield between the trial and us, His redeemed (Psalms 38:14-15).
