Got to Have Hope
2 Kings 18:28?19:19
Many spend time thinking about, planning for, and working toward the future. Yet because they realize the future holds uncertainties, many also spend a lot of time worrying about the future. In this week’s lesson, we find God’s people facing uncertain times. Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, threatening King Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem. Their response is to rely on the Lord’s saving power as the basis of their hope, even in seemingly hopeless situations.
In the midst of such dire circumstances, a spokesman for Assyria’s king tried to persuade the people inside the besieged city of Jerusalem to give up their trust in the Lord to rescue them. However desperate our circumstances may become, we can have hope by trusting that the Lord knows about our situation and will help us as His people. We must resist the temptation to distrust our God (2 Kings 18:28-32).
Rather than choosing to listen to the Assyrian’s ungodly advice, Hezekiah’s servants visited God’s prophet Isaiah. Isaiah sent them back to the king with a message of encouragement from the Lord. Believers can bolster their hope for the future by encouraging one another to rely on the Lord’s saving power. We must learn to gain strength from other believers (2 Kings 19:5-7).
King Hezekiah earnestly prayed that the Lord would save Jerusalem and its people from destruction by the Assyrian army. The Lord miraculously delivered Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege. Nevertheless, Hezekiah’s prayer was not only for deliverance but also for the Lord to make Himself known to “all the kingdoms of the earth.” Believers show that their hope is in the Lord when they pray and boldly ask the Lord to work powerfully in their situations. We must boldly request God’s help (2 Kings 19:15-19).
“Will I get cancer?” “Will my spouse and I ever be able to retire?” “Will our nation endure for our children and grandchildren?” “Will Christians in America one day face the severe persecutions that believers in other places and times have faced?” We do not know the answers to these questions. However, we can live with an enduring sense of peace and purpose. No matter what the future holds, we can base our hope on the Lord who holds the future. His saving power is sufficient to carry us through even the darkest of times and the most overwhelming of circumstances. As Christians, we can trust our awesome God!
Larry McDonald– Lessons by Larry McDonald, dean of North Greenville University’s Graduate School of Christian Ministry and professor of Christian spirituality. He holds a Ph.D. from Southeastern Seminary and a D.Min. from Reformed Theological Seminary.