July 21, 2021: SOAP #4248:  2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 32; James 5

SCRIPTURE:  2Chronicles (NIV) 32:7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

2Kings (NIV) 19:35 That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

OBSERVATION: Sennacherib’s army had come to Jerusalem.  Before fighting he sent threatening messages to King Hezekiah as to what he and his great army would do.  Hezekiah had no hope in being able to withstand the enemy, …but he did not need to have hope in his strength to fight back.  His hope was in the Lord!  God was present with them.  

It took only one angel to wipe out 185,000 soldiers of King Sennacherib!  The Assyrian king withdrew and shortly afterwards he was killed by his own sons.    

APPLICATION:   The same God that WAS with King Hezekiah IS with me!  When I must deal with someone’s “arm of flesh,” I need not fear or be dismayed!  Like King Hezekiah, I need to state the truth.  I can feel sorry for the enemy; he does not know who he is up against!  He has no idea of the power and authority of Almighty God. 

I need to make sure that I have a higher regard for the power of my God than I have for the “arm of flesh” that is against me!  

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, Help me not to become focused on the strength and ability of the “arm of flesh.”  Help me always be realistic about the power and wisdom and authority of God, my Father!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!