Trouble is an inevitable part of life. The scriptures we look at in this article will give us some valuable ideas of how to deal with trouble when it comes into our lives. Notice, I said when; it simply is a fact of life. There are no simple formula's to follow or words to chant that will ever keep trouble away. But, God is able to keep us when trouble comes our way. Let's look into the scriptures for a good set of practices to keep us when calamity arises.
There is a narrative in the second book of Chronicles, inthe Old Testament, that gives us some great ideas about how to surviveamid a hostile environment. It is found in chapter thirty-two, duringthe reign of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a Godly King who reignedover Judah and lead the nation into a spiritual reform.
For the better part of fourteen years, Hezekiah had faithfullydone all that God asked of him. Consequently, the nation was in revival.A revival of God's approval. As the preacher of wisdom said: "righteousnessexalteth a nation" 1
Then came Assyria; a nation bent on defeating the known world.Alongside Egypt, they were a world power. Sennacherib, Assyria's King,sent his army into Judah. He laid siege to the Northern cities andmade his way to Jerusalem, the capital city of Jerusalem.
How often has things like this happened to us? We do God'swill, live the best we know how, do everything by the book, and thenout of nowhere calamity comes. And, by nature, while I wish I couldsay differently, but it is human nature-we tend to blame God, whenit really is not God's fault.
I am happy to report that Hezekiah did not do this. WhenSennacherib's army besieged Jerusalem, he closed the city and beganto set some things in to motion that would ultimately lead to Hissuccess.
Isaiah chapter 37 is a companion scripture to this story.The entry ways of the city of Jerusalem were closed up and daily thearmy of Assyria would send one who would speak to those on the citywalls and tell them they were fighting a losing battle. They wouldoffer peace, which amounted to nothing more than servitude.
These messages would be taken to Hezekiah the King and onone such occasion, the King tore his close and headed for the temple.When he got there, he put on sackcloth, began to pray, and calledfor the Prophet Isaiah.
Before we go any further, we need to make several observationson Hezekiah's part. He could have needlessly indicted God: "I'vedone all this for you and this is what you do to me!" Hecould have paced back and forth, wringing his hands inside the King'spalace, crying out to God, "why have you done this to me?"
Hezekiah knew that was not the answer. It never is the answerwhen something bad happens. Hezekiah turned to God. Answer numberone. When trouble comes we need to learn to turn to God. God has theanswer! He is the only one who can fix what is wrong and will alwaysmake things work together for our good...2
Answer number two is that Hezekiah went to the house of God.Usually when things go wrong, the first thing that suffers is ourChurch attendance. Usually, a good barometer for whether or not somethingbad is going on in a family or not will be seen in their Church attendance.
Next, and answer number three, is that the King sent forthe Prophet Isaiah. Now, in this day their were no bibles, they hadprophets who spoke for the Lord for them during times of crisis. Isaiahdid the right thing. He cried out for a fresh word from God that wasin season for the time.
Now, of all the things I can tell you to do when troublecomes along, there is nothing more relevant than hearing a viablevibrant word from God almighty. When you get in trouble, you needto hear from God. Nothing else will do.
Hezekiah got what he was asking for. The King asked and Godanswered. He was told that the battle would be won without one arrowbeing shot or the sound of clinging swords or shields. God was goingto miracously help them overcome where so many had failed.
Now, this is where Hezekiah is set apart from many of hiscontemporaries. Although he knew God was ultimately going to win thebattle for them, he did not sit idly by and waited for it just tohappen. He realized that while the battle is ultimately the Lord's,we have a part to play in any victory.
Let's go back to 2 Chronicles 32 and see what Hezekiah didin spite of this foreknowledge. In chapter 32, the first thing, whichis answer number four in our quest, is that he took counsel with hismighty men. Once again, the preacher of wisdom proclaimed that thereis great safety in the multitude of counselors. 3 Hezekiah used wisdom here in not going off half cocked although he had a prophetic word to the account that he would be the victor.
Once he got himself oriented, he and his counselors madeseveral really good decisions. Which leads us to answer number five,of what to do when trouble comes your way. When these mighty men gottogether, they made one very important decision. They decided to stopthe flow of water outside the city walls of Jerusalem.
Hezekiah's forefathers, many of whom were ungodly men, hadmade the decision to create aqua-ducts that would provide the citywater in the case of a siege, just like this. So, the mighty men wentand plugged up all the springs outside the city and they turned theaqua-ducts on to divert the water inside the city, causing the springsto dry up on the outside.
Answer number five, then, is that if the enemy is going tolay siege to your city, he needs to bring his own water. The principletoday is clear: we can not stock the enemies munitions pile and everexpect to win the war. Without having to spend time citing sources,there is example after example where nations have sold arms to othernations only to find themselves fighting that very enemy with theirown weapons.
I am lingering here cause this is probably one of the greatestprinciples during a spiritual or physical siege of the enemy. Paulput it this way: don't give the devil place. 4 (my paraphrase.) This means that we watch our tongues. We do not allow our bodies or minds to become the enemies playground.We listen to God, not the enemy, The enemy, who will never have ourbest interest in mind.
Sixth, they mobilized the people to begin repairing the citywall. Places that had been damaged were repaired. This point leadsus to the idea that we need to improve our defenses when bad thingshappen. Go to Church, confess your faults, listen to the advice ofspiritual advisors, read your bible, pray, etc
The latter portion of verse five and verse six leads us thenext to the last component in this formula of what to do when troublecomes. Scripture tells us that the seventh thing they did was makeshields and swords in abundance and set captains of war over the people.Hezekiah already knew that the battle would not be won by militaryforce. Still, instead of listening to the daily taunts of the enemy,he got them involved in preparing for an offensive.
Now, I have read the end of the story. I know in Revelationschapter 22 that we win it all. That does not mean that we sit idlyby and do nothing. In 2 Corinthians 10:4, it says that the weaponsof our warfare are not carnal or fleshly (my paraphrase)...In that statement, there is a subtly that implies warfare. if youdon't think so, read Ephesians 6. We may be victors ultimately, butthere is some fighting to be done between here and the ultimate fulfillmentof God's promises.
Lastly, the scripture tells us that He comforted the peoplewith these words:
7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the kingof Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for therebe more with us than with him: 8 With him is an arm of flesh; butwith us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles.And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king ofJudah. 5
The ultimate answer to all our problems, problems that accordingto the apostle Paul are common to man, 6 is trusting in God. That verse goes on to say that God is faithful and will not tempt us above what we are able to bear.
Learning to trust and act accordingly is a lesson well learned.Turning to the right sources rather than away from them. Watchingour language and yielding ourselves to God rather than negativityand stuff is what makes a victor rather than a victim. Which willyou be?
Footnotes:
1 Proverbs 14:34, American Standard Version, 1901
2 Romans 8:28
3 Proverbs 11:14
4 Eph 4:27
5 2 Chron 32:7-8. ASV
6 1 Cor 10:13, KJV
Will God ever get it right?
“...man has messed up everything he has ever touched. I don't have to spend any time what so ever trying to qualify that statement. Anyone who is in the least bit acquainted with history would have to agree. Put simply, God gives us a garden with a perfect atmosphere and the next thing we know we are earning our keep by the sweat of our brow and so forth and so on.”
Eucharistic Confessions of a Simple Saint
Sitting in the sanctuary this morning in anticipation of the Eucharistic celebration to come, my mind began to muse about the integral facet of confession within any Communion experience. Within our Wesleyan tradition, we usually will read aloud and in unison a confessional prayer1 that is fitting and that will generally hit the big things. I mean, had you committed some form of grave sin and had prayed the prayer sincerely, you would probably be covered. But if not, this is customarily followed by a time of silent prayer in which we can personalize anything that was not covered by the previous exchange. (Boy, them Methodist think of everything!)
