Have you ever felt like all hope was gone? I recently listened to an audiobook where Trevor Noah shared his story about growing up in South Africa and the impact his mother had on his life.
She had immense faith in God. For most of her life, Jesus was her only constant, apart from Trevor and his two siblings.
One day, Trevor’s stepfather shot his mother. Trevor thought everything was lost. She was shot in the hip and the back of the head. He rushed to the hospital and found her in the ICU. Everything seemed hopeless.
When the surgeon came out to talk to Trevor and his siblings, he said, “I’m not a big believer in miracles, but what happened here is a miracle.”
He explained to Trevor and his two brothers: “The shot to the hip caused no damage. It went in one side and out the other, only needing stitches. The shot to her head was similar. It missed all vital parts of her brain. A millimeter or two difference could have hit her eye, but it exited through the nasal cavity instead. All we needed to do was clean her up and stitch her wounds.”
Incredibly, four days later, she was released from the hospital after being shot twice by her husband.
The part of the story that made me tear up was when Trevor’s mother told him about the terrifying moment with his father. As he stood over her with a gun, all she could do was pray and call out to Jesus repeatedly.
He pulled the trigger several times, but each time the gun misfired. It wasn’t until she managed to get into the car that he shot her through the back windshield.
Miraculously, the bullets aimed at her didn’t harm her. She felt that Jesus had saved her life, turning her hopelessness into abundant hope in the goodness of the Lord.
The Crisis:
Like Trevor Noah’s mother, Hezekiah faced a life-and-death crisis. The mighty Assyrian army was at the gate of Jerusalem. The king’s representative called upon the people to turn on Hezekiah.
Thus says the king [of Assyria]: “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.
Do not let Hezekiah make you rely on the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
Do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’” (2 Kings 18:29, 30, 32).
If the people joined forces with the Assyrian army, the nation would be doomed. Hezekiah and his family would be killed, ending their story.
Hezekiah decided to take action the only way he could. He had previously trusted God to destroy pagan altars, and now God’s reputation was on the line. Would God defend his people?
The Action:
Faced with the might of the Assyrian army, Hezekiah went into the temple and uttered one of the Bible’s saddest phrases. It was a statement filled with hopelessness.
“This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth” (2 Kings 19:3).
However, Isaiah had a different message because he had heard from God. While Hezekiah saw the dire situation and felt despair, Isaiah knew God’s plan and had a different answer.
Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master: Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.
I myself will put a spirit in him so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land” (2 Kings 19:6-7).
When we read the Prophet Isaiah’s amazing book, we see that he had many deep experiences with God. Because he knew God and understood God’s will, he could reflect God’s will in what seemed like a hopeless situation.
What God revealed to the prophet needed to be put in action by the king.
The Solution:
Hezekiah took the letter of accusation and threat from the Assyrians and laid it before the Lord. He prayed, asking God to act in a way that only He could, much like Trevor Noah’s mother had done.
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
So now, O Lord our God, save us, I pray you, from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone” (2 Kings 19:15-16, 19).
When I listened to Trevor Noah’s story about his life and his relationships with his mother, father, and stepfather, I laughed. I was intrigued. I felt challenged.
By the end of the book, I saw the beauty of a simple woman who trusted Jesus. She relied on Him, and He came through for her and her family.
We all face hopeless situations. When we turn them over to God, He transforms our despair into hope. Along the way, we are blessed, and He is glorified.
The Emotional Journey:
As we read more about King Hezekiah, we see that God dramatically turned back the Assyrian armies and gave Israel a great victory.
One friend of mine says, “Don’t give up until the miracle happens.”
Another friend mentions the five-second rule. “While waiting for the miracle, he says to take five seconds and always follow what God tells you.”
By doing this, we turn our hopelessness into hope because we trust in the Lord.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 