Trust God or Ignore Him — The Moment That Reveals the Heart

January 29
Week Five – Trust Lived Out in Real Life

“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: “Lord Almighty, the 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, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples 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 human hands.

Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.” Isaiah‬ 37‬:‭14‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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 he prayed.

1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him
because He cares for you.

Context & Meaning

The pressure has escalated. Earlier, the Assyrian field commander mocked God publicly. Now those threats are formalised in writing by the Assyrian king.

The letter is official. The threat is real and the future feels very uncertain. King Hezekiah does not deny the seriousness of what he has received.

But he makes the right choice. Instead of carrying the weight himself, he takes the letter from the Assyrian king into the temple and spreads it out before the Lord.

He has seen what happens when God is ignored. This is a deliberate trust decision. Hezekiah casts the anxiety to where it belongs. He trusts God with the outcome.

The Contrast Isaiah Wants Us to See

Isaiah has already shown us another king under pressure. King Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father also faced a similar threat in his time. Isaiah came to him with God’s word. He gave King Ahaz clear reasons to trust God.

But Ahaz failed to do what Hezekiah does here. He did not bring it to God. He did not trust God and lay the threat down before Him.

He ignored what God was saying. He looked elsewhere for solutions. And the consequences followed.

Hezekiah chooses differently. He is not perfect. But his heart posture is right. The son does what his father King Ahaz failed to do. He casts the burden onto God.

Reflection

This is where trust shows itself for us. Most of us are not mocking God like the Assyrian emperor. But many of us are tempted to carry things alone.

We read the message. We hear the news. We feel the pressure. And then we choose.

Do we hold onto the anxiety? Or do we hand it over? Trust is not shown by how calm we look.
It is shown by where we take what weighs heavily on us.

Gospel Thread (Jesus)

Jesus lives this way. When burdened, He prays. When pressure rises, He entrusts Himself to the Father. When the outcome is costly, He still trusts The Father.

Peter later gives us the language for this way of life. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

That is exactly what King Hezekiah does here.

Practice

Today, notice what you are carrying. Concern, fear. An outcome that you cannot control.

Bring it to God. Lay it down before Him. Cast it onto Him.

Prayer

Father God, I bring this to You now. The thing I have been holding tightly. The worry I keep replaying.

I choose to trust You with it. I cast it onto You
because You care for me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Closing Invitation

Hezekiah trusted God by laying the burden before Him. Ahaz did not. Today, you are invited to choose.

Do we trust Him or will we quietly ignore Him. Holding on or handing over.

Cast it onto God and trust Him with what comes next.