Thursday, July 29
Stay faithful
Scripture: 2 Chronicles 31-32, Psalm 88, Revelation 1
2 Chronicles 32:1 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself.
Observation
The chronicler has told us repeatedly that Hezekiah was faithful and so God blessed him with success. But here he adds that despite his faithfulness, the king of Assyria invade Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. In almost every other instance, these invasions were seen as God’s judgment on their idolatry and unfaithfulness. But here the invasion is in spite of Hezekiah’s faithfulness to God.
Note the end of the story: Hezekiah prayed and continued to trust God, and God delivered them in a big way!
Application
This is a reminder that bad things happen to good people, that even when we’re faithful to the Lord we may still face trouble. When we feel innocent or at least undeserving, we often ask, “Why?” and the answer is that we live in a fallen world filled with sinful people who do bad things. I have a friend who is faithful to the Lord and is suffering right now; it is undeserved, but due to another person’s bad choices. This is the world we live in—and that Hezekiah lived in too.
The big takeaway: when faced with undeserved suffering, stay faithful to God. Don’t think, “This isn’t working” and abandon your faith, but stay faithful and trust the Lord. He is good—other peoples’ sin doesn’t change that, and shouldn’t change your faith in Him.
Prayer: Help us remain faithful, Lord, when things are good or bad. Help my faith be as constant as Your faithfulness to me.