Word For Now

There is a scripture in 2 Chronicles that has a lot to teach us about faith and entering into rest.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with 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 of Judah.

The background to this story is the Sennacherib King of Assyria had invaded Judah, his was a mighty army that eclipsed the army of Judah led by King Hezekiah.

As part of his war strategy, Sennacherib sent his war general to taunt, threaten, and harass the children of Judah. This general spoke strong fearful words, flaunting his many victories over the surrounding nations, he said in effect, if the gods of the nations around could not save them, why did Judah feel that their own God would?

Day after day, Rabshekah (the general) taunted Judah, speaking in their language, so they could fully understand what he was saying.

Hezekiah responded to the situation with the words above. Assyria depended on her strength but Judah relied on her God and he would see her through.

Hezekiah was a man of faith, he had a history with God, he understood their covenant with God, and more importantly, his people had faith in him.

Verse 8 tells us that the people rested on the words of King Hezekiah.

This is true faith, at the words of their king, anxiety, striving, worry & fear ceased. The people rested because they believed their king.

The story ends with God sending an angel to wipe out 185,000 Assyrians, Sennacherib lifts his life at the hands of his sons. He had come against the wrong people & God.

This is the lesson!

There is One greater than Hezekiah in the midst today, His name is Jesus Christ, and his words are the words of life.

In his hands lies all authority over devils, demons & evil spirits. God wants us to trust Jesus and come to rest

As the scriptures say, he that has believed in Jesus has come to rest! Ceasing from his works and trusting solely & completely in the finished works of grace.

When the Lord Jesus Christ declared ‘ it is finished’ he meant that everything that had to do with our peace was settled.

All that remained was to believe and enter into rest. This is the great challenge of the believer to be at rest, knowing that God is working out all things through Jesus Christ

The rest of faith is an attitude of trust, waiting for divine commission or direction, it is not being fretful, knowing that He that is working in you is greater than he that is against you.

Be anxious for nothing the apostle Paul said, but in everything by prayer and supplication make your request known to God and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your heart.

This position of rest is the product of a walk with the Lord, of knowing him or his ways, rest does not come by just quoting scriptures, it is in knowing him.

The great evangelist Smith Wigglesworth once said, ‘If God said it, I believe it and that settles it’s

This is rest!

This rest does not consider the rantings of the Sennacheribs of this world, it doesn’t take into account the threatening sickness or economic issues, no, not at all, it does not deny the problem but it places God’s word on a pedestal far higher than the threat.

How do you get to this place? It is by looking into the word, realizing that this Jesus is as alive today as He was in the flesh, that every promise he made is backed up by an irrevocable covenant and sealed by His word.

Jesus said, the heaven and the earth may pass away but my words will not pass without fulfilment.

You must see this, it must fill your heart, the utter impossibility of the word of God failing.

There is one thing that weakens people’s faith and that is a consciousness of their imperfections, of their past failures & defeats but you must see something, the people’s faith did not rest on themselves,

It rested on what King Hezekiah said, likewise, your faith must rest on the faithfulness and ability of the Lord Jesus.

It is him that undertakes for you, it is like a little child being carried by its mother, it is the mother that carries the child, all the child does is to trust that the mother is sufficient to carry it.

Jesus is sufficient to carry you, what has he said about your challenge? Trust him to see you through.

You will never be good enough to merit whatever God has for you, how can you be? It is the blood of Jesus that cleanses you from all unrighteousness.

You are accepted in the beloved! He is your righteousness and your justification. Rest in him!

Just as the children of Judah rested on the words of their king, we must rest on the words of our king.

He will come through for us.

The scriptures say

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, do not fret yourself and he shall grant you the desires of your heart.

Those who do not believe will not enter into His rest and will not experience his mighty power