II Kings 18:29 Thus says the king: “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand”.
Facts or Faith – where is our focus?
The Hebrew word used for “deliver” here is pronounced “nasal”, and it appears 213 times in the Old Testament. The meaning given to the word in the Hebrew dictionary is to be saved, spared, or rescued.
There is, of course, an obvious fact being stated here by the enemy – and I’m sure all the residents of Jerusalem would have had to acknowledge this – Hezekiah, in himself, had no power, resources, or ability to deliver {save, spare, or rescue] the city of Jerusalem or the population from the Assyrian army. That is a fact.
The Assyrian officer goes on however and in the next verse, this is what he says. II Kings 18:30 “Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying. The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria”.
While stating that Hezekiah on his own has no ability to deliver the people, the enemy has in some ways spoken a fact. Now, however, the enemy as always goes too far. He says that the people are to have no confidence in their God to deliver them either, attacking their faith.
There are areas in each of our lives where we struggle. Relationships, habits, finance, children, intimacy, career, and dreams are just a few of the more common areas. We start to focus on the facts and wonder if there is hope. Hope is not connected to facts however, real hope is actually connected to faith. The battle is always for your faith.
It would be easy for the people of Jerusalem to start to listen to the enemy’s words, and to rationally consider the facts. It’s just as easy for us today to see all the barriers and obstacles as facts.
But, there is something wonderful, something beautiful, about a faith in God to deliver, about trust in God when all the facts scream “you can’t trust God anymore”.
The battle in Jerusalem was actually for their faith, and today’s battles are equally for your faith, and therefore for your future. When we trade in our faith we trade in our future.
About faith, God’s word says in 1 Peter 1:7 “so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ”.
Our enemy is constantly doing everything he can to get us to choose fear based on facts. We are not in denial, the facts are the facts. Jerusalem really was facing a massive enemy, just as you are really facing difficulties and challenges. But facts can never be our foundation. Only faith can provide a firm foundation.
If we want our faith to grow we need to intentionally soak ourselves daily in God’s word, in His presence and His promises. If we spend all day focusing on the facts, then that’s where our focus will be. Faith comes from spending large amounts of time dwelling with God, getting to know his character, his nature, and his ways. Our faith is not an abstract feature in our lives, but rather in a God whom we choose to know intimately each day.
Hezekiah had rid himself of every distraction and idol that led him away from God and had opened the doors to the Temple so that again he could daily connect with the living God. He did this before he hit the crisis – it was his way. What a great example.
Principle 33 – develop your relationship with God every day, sowing into faith.
Strength – Relator – your authenticity makes you someone people naturally trust. You keep confidences well, and as such, you can be a guide, advisor, and mentor. Your genuine care for people allows “hard truths” to be explored in safety.