Feeling Threatened?
As I write these next few words, I do not write with the purpose of being creative or waxing poetic. I am writing from a heart filled with overwhelming hope in the Lord and enormous faith in the abilities of the God we serve.
If I know anyone, I know my brother, Fernando Zamora. I know his faith in Jesus for salvation, I know his fear of the Lord concerning his deep respect and reverence of Him, and I know that he knows, beyond a smidgen of a doubt, that his God will deliver him out of this trial. I know this about Fernando Zamora!
I want to tell you about a time I walked with my brother through a fiery trial early in our friendship.
I received a call from Fernando late one fall evening, several years ago. He sounded hopeless and discouraged. Defeated.
We discussed the events that led to his despair. He detailed a series of mountaintop experiences littered with several dark, cold valleys.
This particular evening he shared about a dark cloud that seemed to be hanging around and some real circumstances that wouldn’t go away.
I invited him to my house for a talk, some time in the Scriptures, and prayer.
While he made his way to my house, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to share with Fernando. I had been doing a study on the kings of Israel and Judah and had just read about king Hezekiah, one of Judah’s faithful kings. A true revolutionist.
2 Kings 18 details the deadly threats coming from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to the ears of the people of Judah. He had just conquered Samaria, Israel and was now quickly expanding his reign of terror south to conquer Judah.
He sent an army of messengers who spoke the language of the Hebrews, and through them he delivered bold, blasphemous threats to the people and to their God. The result? Hopelessness. Dread. Despair.
I sensed that the Lord wanted me to have Fernando read this chapter to me out loud, followed by 2 Kings 19. Take a moment to read them aloud as well. You won’t regret it.
I met Fernando in my driveway and got into his car. I shared what I sensed the Lord was leading me to share with him. Fernando read aloud to me, looking up at me from time-to-time, very confused about why I was having him read the text. He remained faithful and continued reading.
When he arrived at 2 Kings 19:14, he tried to boldly read through the rest of the text, but couldn’t hold back the tears which began streaming from his eyes.
2 Kings 19:14-19 tells us what king Hezekiah did when his men handed him the official letter of threat from Sennacherib, the Assyrian king.
2 Kings 19:14-19 says, “Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: ‘O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.’ “
Fernando finished both chapters, his glasses off and both hands now squeezing tears from his eyes. He said, “I know what I need to do.” I prayed for him, he started his car and drove off without further dialogue.
Several days later I called Fernando to ask him how he was doing. He was in a great mood. He excitedly told me, “I went before the Lord and laid out to Him everything that has been happening to me, just like king Hezekiah did, and pleaded with Him to rescue me from the constant threats directed at me.” I believe that he had also been fasting.
Like king Hezekiah, God heard Fernando’s prayers!
If you read through the text you already discovered what happened next. Let’s read it together in 2 Kings 19:35-36, “And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. So Sennacherib, king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.”
The Lord came through for king Hezekiah. The Lord also came through for Fernando. He will do it again!
Feeling threatened? “Spread it before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14).
Pastor Adam
If I know anyone, I know my brother, Fernando Zamora. I know his faith in Jesus for salvation, I know his fear of the Lord concerning his deep respect and reverence of Him, and I know that he knows, beyond a smidgen of a doubt, that his God will deliver him out of this trial. I know this about Fernando Zamora!
I want to tell you about a time I walked with my brother through a fiery trial early in our friendship.
I received a call from Fernando late one fall evening, several years ago. He sounded hopeless and discouraged. Defeated.
We discussed the events that led to his despair. He detailed a series of mountaintop experiences littered with several dark, cold valleys.
This particular evening he shared about a dark cloud that seemed to be hanging around and some real circumstances that wouldn’t go away.
I invited him to my house for a talk, some time in the Scriptures, and prayer.
While he made his way to my house, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to share with Fernando. I had been doing a study on the kings of Israel and Judah and had just read about king Hezekiah, one of Judah’s faithful kings. A true revolutionist.
2 Kings 18 details the deadly threats coming from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to the ears of the people of Judah. He had just conquered Samaria, Israel and was now quickly expanding his reign of terror south to conquer Judah.
He sent an army of messengers who spoke the language of the Hebrews, and through them he delivered bold, blasphemous threats to the people and to their God. The result? Hopelessness. Dread. Despair.
I sensed that the Lord wanted me to have Fernando read this chapter to me out loud, followed by 2 Kings 19. Take a moment to read them aloud as well. You won’t regret it.
I met Fernando in my driveway and got into his car. I shared what I sensed the Lord was leading me to share with him. Fernando read aloud to me, looking up at me from time-to-time, very confused about why I was having him read the text. He remained faithful and continued reading.
When he arrived at 2 Kings 19:14, he tried to boldly read through the rest of the text, but couldn’t hold back the tears which began streaming from his eyes.
2 Kings 19:14-19 tells us what king Hezekiah did when his men handed him the official letter of threat from Sennacherib, the Assyrian king.
2 Kings 19:14-19 says, “Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: ‘O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.’ “
Fernando finished both chapters, his glasses off and both hands now squeezing tears from his eyes. He said, “I know what I need to do.” I prayed for him, he started his car and drove off without further dialogue.
Several days later I called Fernando to ask him how he was doing. He was in a great mood. He excitedly told me, “I went before the Lord and laid out to Him everything that has been happening to me, just like king Hezekiah did, and pleaded with Him to rescue me from the constant threats directed at me.” I believe that he had also been fasting.
Like king Hezekiah, God heard Fernando’s prayers!
If you read through the text you already discovered what happened next. Let’s read it together in 2 Kings 19:35-36, “And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. So Sennacherib, king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.”
The Lord came through for king Hezekiah. The Lord also came through for Fernando. He will do it again!
Feeling threatened? “Spread it before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14).
Pastor Adam
Posted in Pastor Adam Gomez