Last night, my daughter was sleeping beside me when a storm warning alarm, followed by thunder and rain, woke her up.
“Mommy, are we going to be safe?,” she asked, no longer asleep. “I’m scared.”
“Yes kiddo. Let’s ask God to keep us safe,” I responded.
“But how do you know we will be safe,” she asked?
“I trust God, and we just asked him to keep us safe,” I said.
She wasn’t whole heatedly convinced, so I added, “Plus, daddy is watching the radar and will let us know if anything changes.”
Soon, she was back fast asleep, while I laid in bed contemplating how I still hadn’t studied the lesson for Connect Group discussion tomorrow morning.
So early this morning, while she was still peacefully sleeping, I sleepily crawled out of bed and picked up my Bible. I found it intriguing that Isaiah 7 is a chapter centered around the question, “Do we trust God, or do we test God?”
As I studied about King Ahaz, I thought about how often I don’t stop and pray. I try to handle things on my own, without asking God for help.
It’s so easy to do when prayer isn’t a habit and life is busy.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Isaiah 7 tells the story of King Ahaz, the 12th king of Judah. Syria and Israel had formed an alliance and tried to convince Judah to join them. King Ahaz did not want to join them, and the Syro-Ephraimite War started.
To protect Judah, King Ahaz went to Assyria and asked King Tiglath-Pileser to mobilize his army to protect Judah. He gave the king gold and silver, and he brought back plans to build places to worship pagan religions. He led his people into idolatry.
God sent Isaiah to King Ahaz to tell him not to turn to Assyria. Isaiah told the king to trust that God would take care of everything. He told King Ahaz to ask for a sign.
King Ahaz refused. With fake humility, he responded, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”
Isaiah responded, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
What did God know before he sent Isaiah?
1. Ahaz had already decided to ask Assyria for help.
2. Assyria had already decided to conquer Israel and Syria.
What does God already know about in our lives before we ever turn to him with our problems, and why does he still send us signs even if we don’t turn to Him?
God never forsakes us, but he does give us free will. We make the choice to follow His signs or do as we please.
Why do you think King Ahaz really didn’t want to ask God for a sign?
Probably for the same reasons we often avoid doing the same.
In his heart, he probably knew if he knew God’s plan, it would make him doubt his own plan. Plus, he was a king. He probably felt he knew better than God what to do for his people and his kingdom.
How often in life do we act like King Ahaz?
It’s easy to confuse our pride with false humility as we don’t go to God for guidance.
When you find yourself in a situation where you’re not sure what to do, where a big decision needs to be made, where a relationship needs to be mended, or where life is just hard, trust in God. He wants you to go to Him in prayer. He wants you in church, in His word, and getting Biblical counsel from others who are believers, too. That is how you’ll see the signs and find the comfort that only He can bring.
Gods always keeps His promises. We have to remember to always trust in Him.
