Have you ever felt completely surrounded by problems, as if there’s no escape?
It could be financial struggles, family problems, the threat of eviction, a court summons, a betrayal or the constant pressure of life wearing you down. When life hits you hard, it can leave you feeling helpless and even ashamed.
But this isn’t just something that happens nowadays! Even people like king Hezekiah, whom we read about in the Bible, faced situations where his back was against the wall.
In ancient times, most cities were often surrounded by large, fortified walls for protection. When enemies sought to invade, they would lay siege to the city which meant that it was surrounded by military forces, preventing people from leaving or supplies from entering. This war tactic was very effective because sooner or later, the inhabitants would run out of food, water and other basic necessities. This would weaken the city to the point where starvation would leave their armies too weak to fight.
This is exactly what King Hezekiah faced. In 2 Kings 18:27, the Assyrian commander mocked the people of Israel, saying: “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people… who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”
In other words, we’ll make life so unbearable that you’ll be forced into the most desperate, degrading state just to survive!How humiliating… but don’t we often find ourselves in the same situation? Instead of armed soldiers, we are faced with an ‘army’ of problems. If it’s not one thing stealing our peace, it’s something else trying to drain our strength. And how do most people cope with this?
By turning to anything that can take our minds off of it – even if it’s just for a moment: alcohol, a casual fling, shutting the world out or partying the night away. Whatever it is, deep down we know the problem won’t just disappear. It lingers confronting us all the same.
So, what to do? Let’s see what king Hezekiah did to put an end to this affront
He did not run away. He did not panic. He did not prepare for defeat. Instead, Hezekiah understood that he did not have all the answers nor the resources to resolve this problem alone. So, he took his case to God.
In today’s society, this may seem like such a foreign concept but it worked! Hezekiah’s humility won God’s favour and God delivered him and the entire city from devastation.
And maybe that’s what you need too – some Divine intervention to get you out of your rut or long-awaited justice to come your way. That’s why we have declared Sunday, 15 June, the Day of Decision, a day where we will pray for all those who find themselves with their backs against the wall and ask God to bring about a great victory in their lives just as He did for King Hezekiah.
Be our special guest. You can write down what has been an affront in your life and bring it with you to your local Universal Church.
Event: The Day of Decision
Day and time: Sunday 15th June at 10am (also at 7:30am)
Location: Your local Universal Church
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