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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Hezekiah got it right when he said, “There is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chr 32:7–8 NIV). Now that is true faith! Like the people of Judah, I take encouragement from this. There’s no reason to fear the enemy when I am on your side! Hallelujah! Today in Your Word Today you told me about the Assyrian invasion of Judah. When Sargon II died and his son Sennacherib took the throne (c. 705 bc), rebellion broke out in several parts of the Assyrian Empire. In the east, Merodach-Baladan II retook the throne of Babylon, and in the west, Hezekiah seized the opportunity to gain Judean independence. He stopped paying tribute and even went so far as to attack Philistia, an Assyrian puppet state and an encroacher on Judean land (2 Kgs 18:7–8). It took some time for Assyria to respond, but in 701 bc, Sennacherib invaded Judah and attacked all the fortified cities (2 Kgs 18:13). At first Hezekiah tried to buy Sennacherib off, but when he realized Assyria could not be dissuaded, Hezekiah rallied the people and encouraged them to trust in you. Sennacherib sent some of his officials, accompanied by a large army, to Jerusalem and told the people: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you! Your god cannot deliver you from my hand! Look at what I did to the gods of all the other nations! Surrender now and I’ll let you live!’ Hezekiah then did what I should do when I’m confronted by such an enemy. He humbled himself and cried out to you for help. You told him through Isaiah not to be afraid, and you promised to deal with Sennacherib personally. Reflection Sennacherib’s army was real and his threats were frightening, but ultimately, he had no power—he only had lies. So it is in my life. The enemy may seem invincible, but his only power is his ability to deceive. If I reject his lies and trust in you, I can never be defeated! Request Father, give me the faith of Hezekiah. Help me to stand strong against the fiery darts of the enemy and to be an encouragement to those around me. Thanksgiving You told Hezekiah, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard…” (Isa 37:6). Thank you for that comforting message. I rest today in the promise of your protection! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “There’s More With Us” — H. Robb French. Meditation Verse: Isaiah 37:6.