"It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left." -Isaiah 37:4
When King Hezekiah heard the mocking words of the ambassador of the King of Assyria, ridiculing the Lord and Hezekiah’s faith in God, he went into the Temple to pray and sent this message to Isaiah the prophet, asking him to pray, too.
Hezekiah put his desperate situation into God’s hands, reminding Him that He was their only hope, and prayed for“the remnant that was left,” that small, overwhelmed but faithful group of Jews who still trusted in the Lord.
In the verse before this one, he said,“Children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.”
(Isaiah 37:3)
Hezekiah and Isaiah had been working together to birth a revival of repentance and faith in Judah. They were just at the point of a real spiritual breakthrough when the Assyrians attacked. People were just at the point of turning away from their idols and their sinful way of living to trust wholeheartedly in God, when suddenly this terrible disaster threatened to sweep them all away - unless they gave up the idea of faith in God and surrendered to the king of Assyria.
That’s how it always happens. Those who hate God and His Word will be at their most threatening just before the next great awakening to spiritual life. In fact the viciousness of their attacks is a pretty good barometer of the panic that is roiling the kingdom of darkness as the earliest signs of revival begin to appear. The enemy is losing his grip; he goes into a fury and gets really vicious.
Brothers and Sisters, it may get worse before it gets better. We don’t know where we are along this timeline, but the next great awakening is coming. Worldwide persecution of Christians is at its all-time peak right now. We are seeing the merest ripples of it here but if the devil has his way it will get much more vicious everywhere.
Pray for the remnant that is left. Pray that we who know Jesus remain faithful in the face of trouble, threats, temptations and persecutions. Pray that we can maintain a loving, compassionate spirit of forgiveness and keep our own hearts pure; clear of fear, self-righteousness and bitterness.
Pray that we will be ready to receive and disciple the inflow of new believers who will see the difference that it makes to know Jesus and come to Him as this new revival sweeps over the earth.
Lord, keep Your remnant faithful. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, so that the fruit of Your character is seen in our lives. Prepare us to love and forgive injustice and cruelty, so that our enemies’ hearts are convicted and they surrender to You. Let your Kingdom come, even as the enemy rages. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles