Day 130: 2 Chronicles 31, 32 and 33

Be strong and courageous . . . for there is a greater power with us than with him. (2 Chronicles 32:7)

Here again the Chonicler regales us with the story of Judah’s deliverance from Assyria’s King Sennacherib. Sennacherib had already destroyed Samaria and exiled the people of the Northern Kingdom to the far reaches of the Assyrian Empire. Now its sights were set on Jerusalem.

Rather than focus on Judah’s deliverance as we did on Day 109, let’s focus on Judah’s preparation for war. Hezekiah did everything he could militarily and strategically to prepare for the coming assault. He repaired the weaker sections of the city wall, built another wall around the first, built towers, engineered new weapons and trained his fighting men, promoting those deserving to officer status. He blocked off the water outside the walls while ensuring a steady flow of fresh water inside the city. After strengthening his position, listen to his speech to a nervous city.

He didn’t say, Be strong and courageous because we’ve done everything we can; we have impenetrable walls, we have new weapons, we have plenty of water. No, he said, Be strong and courageous because God is on our side.

This is a good lesson for us. We are responsible to prepare for the future, but it is in God we put our trust.

What can you do this week to prepare for your future?