And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem,:

• he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”
• He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David.
• He also made weapons and shields in abundance.
• And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:2-8 (ESV)

Note verses 7 and 8, the absolute confidence that the Helper was with them! Wow! What a response to sudden desolation!  We win the war first in our hearts with the word and then spoken in our mouth (Psalm 37:31; Psalm 119:92).

For such days as we are in, consider Proverbs 4:20-27 (TPT)

Listen carefully, my dear child, to everything that I teach you, and pay attention to all that I have to say. Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit. Then, as you unwrap my words, they will impart true life and radiant health into the very core of your being. So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are.

Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life. Avoid dishonest speech and pretentious words. Be free from using perverse words no matter what! Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions. Watch where you’re going!

Stick to the path of truth, and the road will be safe and smooth before you. Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked for even a moment or take the detour that leads to darkness.

Hearing attentively and assimilating in the heart the word of God, brings life and healing to the body.

Now guard your heart that you don’t take in negative and destructive ways, for they will lead you into damage and self-destruction. Neither let these neutralise the saving power of God’s instructions that you have received. Focus on where you are going, God’s promised presence, and mark out the pathway that will take you there being careful to walk in it without being distracted and following what is evil.

So remove distractions, too many voices out there seeking to explain what you can directly learn from God, too many activities that you need to prioritise what brings the highest return!

Learn from the Lord to protect yourself from distraction, withdraw to be alone, shutdown the phone and set time to pray for while you may know people’s needs, how to meet those needs come from prayers for direction from God (Luke 5:16).

Above all remember Philippians 4:13 for all pressures of life. Again, please fill your heart with His word, for what you plant in the soil of your heart is what will grow. The enemy never lets up easily but know that you are just a proxy (ambassador) in Satan’s angst against the Most High God. Learn to defect all of Satan’s charge back to God through your prayer of dependence while holding your ground in faith! Hezekiah did and the Most High stepped up. Selah.



Pastor Afolabi Oladele