The world can be a scary place. It may be the fear of something that we face or simply the fear of the unknown, but all of us experience fear from time to time. We can respond to our fears in many different ways. We can deny our fears, face our fears, give in to our fears, or overcome our fears–and that is just barely scratching the surface. How we deal with fear, though, says something not only about who we are, but who we can become.
King Hezekiah faced Sennacherib’s Assyrian armies twice at Jerusalem. The first time he attempted to buy peace. It cost him all of the gold from the doors of the temple, but it worked–for a while. Dealing with fear by using earthly resources bought Hezekiah some time, but that was all. The armies came back again. This time there was no more gold on the temple doors. The king had no ransom to buy peace, and even if he did, how long could it last? No, this time Hezekiah would have to deal with the Assyrians in another way. His army was not up to the task, so that was not a viable option. His city walls were not likely to fare any better than those of other cities that had already fallen, so a passive defense by hiding behind the walls wasn’t a good choice, either. All he had left was prayer, and that was all he needed. He prayed. God answered. The Assyrians were routed. Jerusalem was saved. Sennacherib never tried again.
Martin Luther understood the awesome strength of God, too. He wrote A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, which is based on Psalm 46. It is a testament to God’s might, and also to the will of God for His truth to triumph through us.
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
God protected Hezekiah. He protected Luther. As we continue our journey, remember that He loves us and will protect us, too.
Follow the Path!
CARadke
[Use with Protection, day 29 of A Labyrinth Pilgrimage]