2 Kings 19:1-7 - Take all discouragement to God

Hezekiah’s representatives were totally affected and discouraged. Returning to the King with torn clothes they reported to him Sennacherib’s threats and demands. On seeing them distraught, 2 Kings 19:1-7 then describes Hezekiah’s immediate response. In great distress, he tore his clothes put on sackcloth, and beelined for the house of the Lord. Meanwhile, he sent both Eliakim and Shebna, dressed in their mourning clothes, to Isaiah. Conveying the king’s utter helplessness, they told the prophet how Hezekiah felt. However, from what was said to Isaiah, there was a hint that the king was concerned for the honor of God. As Eliakim and Shebna conveyed the words of Hezekiah to the prophet, they also requested Isaiah to pray for the remnant held in Jerusalem, hopeful that the Lord would hear the prophet’s prayer.

Verse 6-7 narrate how Isaiah responded o what he had heard. He told them to return to assure the king not to be intimidated. They were instructed to tell Hezekiah, saying  “Thus you shall say to your master, “‘Thus says the Lord, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

God is faithful. He could not stand idly by and allow His name to be blasphemed, and His people intimidated. He assured the king that He would respond to the threat of Assyria. God would be sending a spirit of fear upon Sennacherib who would receive a disturbing rumor from his own homeland and hurry home and would be assassinated.   

From these verses, we learn that we can always bring our fear to the LORD. We can lose heart and succumb to needless fear when our discouragement is not properly handled. This passage gives us a clue on how to handle fear and discouragement. The right thing to do is not to make light of what we hear but take it to the LORD. Like Hezekiah, we ought to take every threat seriously and bring our fear to the Lord. In other words, make God our first option and not our last resort. That should be the first thing we must do when we feel the stinging words of intimidation. Secondly,  Approach reliable, trustworthy, and proven men of God to seek godly counsel and prayer.  Thirdly, having put your trust in the Lord and rest in the Lord. Our God is able to do far more exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask, think or imagine. Praise His name!