God with Us

2 Chronicles 32 vs. 7-8 (NKJV)

⁷“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. ⁸With 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 were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Hezekiah had just led the people to seek and serve the Lord by first offering their selves and then, their offerings unto the Lord. The people sacrificed and had a great feast before the Lord. After this, came Sennacherib (the Assyrian king) to threaten the children of God. This tells us that even while doing God’s will and work, the enemy can still appear to threaten us but as believers, that’s all he can do, he can  never be able to harm us.

Hezekiah started by seeking counsel from his princes and mighty men, and they were of great help to him; but their help could not resolve the problem at hand. He later sought help from the Lord and God sent His angel to defeat the armies of the Assyrians. This reveals that in as much as seeking counsel from men is good and helpful, we must always seek God’s help in every area of our lives first.

Men advised Hezekiah to stop the waters of the fountains and brooks which ran through the land. He built up the broken walls and the towers, he also made darts and shields in abundance. These were great strategies of war but without God, the best of mans strategy in the face of war and warfare will only lead to a tragedy.

One great thing Hezekiah did was to assure the people that God was with them even amidst the threatening of the wicked. When you are faced and fazed with life’s difficulties and challenges, you must understand that God is there with you; not only is He watching you, He is watching over you.

“for there are more with us than with him”

What an assurance that we are always surrendered by heaven’s host whether we know it or not. Was this not Elijah’s prayer to God that his servant’s eyes be opened when they were besieged by their enemies. God did open his eyes to see that the mountain is full of horses and chariots of fire round about them. May God open your eyes to see that God is with you even in fire.

“With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles”

There is nothing more reassuring than to know that we have God on our side who is ready, willing and able to help us. He is the one that fights our battles for us. God once told Jehoshaphat “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20 vs. 15). He also told the children of Israel through Moses at a point in time that “the Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14 vs. 14). The Lord we serve is a Mighty Man in Battle, the El-Shaddai, the Great and Mighty God, the Lord of Host is His name. When He fights, He breaks enemies without hands. Just a breath of his nostrils causes the earth to shake and quake. Just an Angel and 85,000 armies of the enemies were gone.

“And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah”.

It should be noted that the threats of Sennacherib brought agitation and panic into the hearts of the people. Confusion was clearly written on their faces. Some might have strategized how they would escape to the neighbouring countries/towns/villages to seek refuge while the war lasted. Looking through the ‘Curriculum vitae’ of Sennacherib, they realized that indeed he was a warrior. It was clear for all to see his exploits. How he had utterly wasted those he warred against; for some, it was a complete and total annihilation while for some others, they were a little lucky to find some remnants after the war. Therefore, the people’s panic and fears were genuine.

However, the word of Hezekiah doused their fears, their eyes were opened and their understanding enlightened. He rekindled their confidence in God and made them find hope. They found rest even during the war chants. They believed that their case was different; other nations may had fallen by the sword of Sennacherib, but Israel’s case is different. Israel is special, they are the chosen of the Lord and He watches and guides them jealously.

As leaders today, we must ensure that our words rekindle hope in the lives of our followers especially seeing that the heart of men is failing them daily. Some are constantly agitated by political threats, economic threats, academic threats, spiritual threats and other threats . We can do them good by reminding them that once they are in Christ, they are secured and covered by heaven’s unfailing insurance package. “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14 vs. 27). Knowing this kind of peace will make believers sleep (rest) like Master Jesus even in the midst of the storms.

We must realize that we are special, wonderful, and chosen of God; and nothing will by any means hurt us.

May the God of peace Himself give us peace always in Jesus name Amen.

by Ndubuisi Paul Okafor

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