Trusting Is Not Without Its Confirmations

"Now on whom dost thou trust...We trust in the LORD our God" (2 Kings 18:20, 22)

After cycles of wicked, or indifferent, kings of both Judah and Israel we get Hezekiah. Now, not only did he do that "which was right in the sight of LORD, according to all that David his father did" (2 Kings 18:3), and "he clave unto the LORD, and departed not from following him" (2 Kings 18:6), but he also "trusted in the LORD God of Israel" so much that it was written of him that "after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him" (2 Kings 18:5). He was one of the great ones.

And yet, not that I would say that he had moments of doubt, but the uncertainties of mortal life allow for confirmation of trust, of revelation. During Hezekiah's reign he rebelled against the king of Assyria, whom a former king of Judah had made alliance with. At that time Assyria was the big thing, the great world power. And Assyria was not happy. The Assyrian army came down, and the captain told all of Judah that if they trusted in the LORD God that they would fail, for no gods had stopped the Assyrians before from conquering other lands, and this God was no different.

Now, not that I think Hezekiah doubted the power of the Lord, but in this moment of confusion and the overwhelming view of an invading army, the King needed the comfort of divine confirmation. So Hezekiah went to the temple and from there called Isaiah, who confirmed again the Lord's will that Jerusalem would not be taken.

But the Assyrian captain came again with a letter, taunting, saying "Let not thy God in whom thou trustiest deceive thee" (2 Kings 19:10). So Hezekiah goes to the temple and spreads out the letter before God, and prays. Isaiah sends word to Hezekiah the answer to his prayer: another confirmation. That night an angel descends upon the Assyrian camp, killing everyone.

In our lives this happens all the time. We have been given assurance from God Himself that a thing is to be, will happen, that He will support us to our success. But, that doesn't mean that voices won't come to discourage us, from evil spirits, from enemies, or even from friends and family. When that happens, it is okay to go again to the Lord to receive another confirmation, another shot of divine strength and reassurance. It is not doubt. We are fallen man, and we need some extra comfort once in a while. It can be faith building. It can lead to revelation. It confirms again that the Lord is God.