Spread It Out Before the Lord

"Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 'O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands.  They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.'"
2 Kings 19:14-19

King Hezekiah was one of the most beloved kings of Judah. He led with integrity of heart just as David had. But he reigned in a very difficult time in the history of the Jewish nation. The king of Assyria marched against Judah and sent many into captivity. He laid siege to Jerusalem, threatening to sack the city and drive its people into exile with the others. This is the point that we pick up the story. Sennacherib, king of Assyria delivered his threats via letter to Hezekiah. It is what Hezekiah did at this point that speaks of his character and success as a king and man of God.
    Hezekiah went to the temple and spread the letter out before God. I believe this was the very thing that eventually brought the deliverance of Jerusalem. Hezekiah acknowledged that he had no strength to defeat the enemy. His army had been decimated, his people taken prisoner, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem left to starve. It may have been a point of desperation, but he knew there was only one place to receive help. And he went to the One who was his only strength. He prayed and asked God for help. Although he did ask for God to deliver them from the enemy, his cry was for God to bring victory so that He would be exalted in all nations of the earth. Hezekiah knew that this was a fight much bigger than just for a city.
    The end of the story was glorious. Hezekiah's prayer moved the hand of God. Isaiah the prophet spoke the word of the Lord declaring that victory would surely follow king Hezekiah. The next morning 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were killed. The people of Jerusalem never lifted a hand against them. God fought for them and the victory was won.
    You may be facing a time or a situation that has brought bad or threatening news. Perhaps there is danger of financial loss or a broken relationship. Whatever the bad news is, spread it out before God. If there is an actual letter, lay it before the Lord. If it is a situation that threatens, you may write it out and lay it before God. It is not that God needs to be reminded of the situation, it is that you need to realize that your strength is not sufficient. Only God can truly deliver you.Be faithful to pray. Tell God the situation and expect him to show up with the answer. God has a track record of coming to the aid of his people. Just as he did for the people of Jerusalem all those years ago, so he will do for you. Spread out your needs before God and he will come. You will not have to fight the battle. The victory belongs to the Lord!