Courage in Conflict

The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 2 Kings 18:7 (NKJV)

Hezekiah, king of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and his trust in the Lord was so great that there were no king like him before or after his reign. In his reign, Assyria was the dominant military power, and had defeated Israel and all the countries around them, but Hezekiah would not bow down to the king of Assyria, so King Sennacherib sent his commander Rabshakeh to besiege Jerusalem. Rabshakeh offered a reward for Hezekiah's submission, he told him that God would not help him, he told him he had no allies, and he spoke to the people directly saying they would eat well if they surrendered. Yet Hezekiah and his people did not bend and chose to have the courage to trust in the Lord.

Like Judah, we are guaranteed to have conflict in our lives, and we have an enemy that will use our weaknesses against us if we allow it. When we are in conflict, Satan uses lies, deception, and a false sense of urgency, urging us to focus on our own weaknesses rather than on our relationship with God. Like Hezekiah, that is when we need to have the courage to trust in the Lord. Jesus says in John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Courage to face our conflicts comes from Jesus, where we know in our minds and trust in our hearts that Jesus will get us thought whatever trouble we may be experiencing.

Choose to go to Jesus first in all conflict. Pray about it and wait on the Lord. Get the support of other believers who can give you the strength to resist worldly advice. Choose to strengthen yourself for future battles by reading the bible daily and meditating on it. Write out verses of courage on a notecard and memorize them. Once such verse is Psalm 27:1, which says "The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?" Remember, we have a God that is greater than this world and He gives us the courage to face our conflict and trust in Him.