Trust The LORD—Even Through Adversity
Scriptures such as Proverbs 28:26, Psalms 40:4, Psalms 9:10, and Isaiah 26:3-4 tells us to trust in the LORD. Some of us very much believe that we do trust the LORD, when in fact we don’t. We may trust God with our finances, relationships, or our future, but how many of us trust Father with every aspect of our lives? How many of us trust Father when we are faced with a spiritual threat? Let’s look at some scripture.
2 Kings 18:5-6 (NLT) says “ 5. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. 6. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses.”
As scripture states, King Hezekiah was like no other king because he was faithful to the LORD in everything. Before Hezekiah began to rule Judah, past kings of Judah were wicked. They worshiped other idols and encouraged the LORD’s people to do the same. Instead of trusting in God, they trusted in man, which scripture tells us not to do. See Psalms 118:8, Isaiah 2:22, Jeremiah 17:5. As a result of their wickedness, they were handed over to their enemies(see 2 Kings 17). On the other hand, the LORD was with Hezekiah due to his faithfulness and obedience (see 2 Kings 18:7).
Do you see the difference between Hezekiah and the previous kings of Judah? By Hezekiah trusting in the LORD he died to himself. As a result, the LORD blessed him and made him successful. On the other hand, the kings who did not trust in the LORD were consumed by their enemies.
How can we prosper and be what the LORD has called us to be if we don’t trust Him? The answer is we won’t prosper. Look at John 15:4-5
“ 4. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
To remain in the LORD means to invite the LORD in everything that we do. Without full entrustment in the LORD, we cannot be fruitful.
It is important for me to mention that we need to trust the LORD through the good and the bad. We cannot allow fear to keep us from recognizing who God is. Read 2 Kings 18:15-18.
“13. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. 14. King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: ‘I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw.’ The King of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold. 15. To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the LORD and in the palace treasury.”
King Hezekiah was faced with a spiritual threat, the spiritual threat being the King of Assyria invading Judah. In verse 14, we see fear consume King Hezekiah because he immediately sends a message to King Sennacherib expressing his regret. He offers to pay the King of Assyria whatever he wants, if only he withdraws from Judah. Like Hezekiah, we as saints trust God, until everything starts to go wrong. We either believe that we can solve the problem ourselves, or we go to man instead of going to God. The same matter that we refused to go to God with, ends up triumphing over us.
Nevertheless, Hezekiah stood up to the threat by seeking the LORD (see 2 Kings 19:1-2 NLT)
“ 1. When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the LORD. 2. And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priest, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.”
King Hezekiah could have fled, continued to hand over money to the king of Assyria, or turned his back on God. Instead, he turned to the LORD and trusted that God would see him through this hardship. We as God’s creation need to do the same. God is not just a faithful, loving, almighty, and powerful God when things are going well. He is all those things and more in our darkest hour. The LORD promised to never leave thee or forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5 KJV). The LORD promised and it is up to you to believe.
Brothers and sisters, I urge you to put God first. I urge you to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT). Withhold nothing from Him, and allow God to be everything he wants to be in your life.