My husband and I enjoy traveling and camping in our RV. Most of the roads we travel are interstates, but there are times when our route takes us along country back roads. I enjoy the scenery, but I get a little anxious on these narrow, curvy roads while towing a loaded 37-foot 5th-wheel. It is not easy to stop if someone pulls out in front of you; on two-lane roads, the option of changing lanes or moving out of the way is limited. My husband often says, “Read your book,” which means for me to read, relax, and trust him to get us where we are going.

We often travel with our camper from Chelsea to South Alabama. One stormy afternoon, part of our route was on a two-lane road that was not only narrow and curvy but also hilly which prevented other cars from being able to see us. Cars were pulling out in front of us more than usual. The wet pavement added to the danger. I was nervous.

My husband is an excellent driver, aware of what is happening in front and watching the rear, but we both know that things can happen in a split second. At times, the best of drivers cannot prevent a disastrous situation. Before he had time to say, “Read your book,” I closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths, and prayed for not only our safety but that of others on the road. As I prayed, I relaxed, and a peaceful feeling covered me like fresh summer rain, saturating every part of my soul. I felt God speak to my heart with the words, “Open your eyes and trust me.” I opened my eyes, and the beauty I saw left me speechless. Spread before me was the most vivid sky, with colors of yellow, orange, pink, purple, and hues of blue.

Grabbing my camera, I did my best to capture the moment, but I realize that no camera can capture the message, “Open your eyes and Trust Me,” which God put in my heart that day. The picture you see here was taken just moments after I opened my eyes and focused my camera on God’s handiwork. I took shot after shot until the sky cleared.

Open Your Eyes and Trust Me

Since that stormy day, God has asked me many times to open my eyes and TRUST HIM when facing the storms of life and struggling with an anxious heart. When my son deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, the deaths of my mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and two of my brothers all within a short time of one another, God asked me to open my eyes and trust Him. He didn’t say, “Open your eyes and trust Me if…” or “Open your eyes and trust Me when…” It is a simple statement, “Open your eyes and trust Me,” with a period at the end; no question mark, no if or when!

I love the story of King Hezekiah. What a lesson of trust for all of us!

Hezekiah Refused to Listen to Man and Chose to Listen to God

Read the story of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32. (The following is a summary of the NLT version.)

King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He surrounded the walled towns, giving orders for his army to break through their walls. What did King Hezekiah do?

HE PREPARED THE CITY

Hezekiah consulted with his officials and military advisers. Together they prepared the city.

1. Stopped the flow of the springs, cutting off the water supply that ran through the outside fields
2. Repaired all the broken sections of the wall, built towers, and a second wall outside the first wall
3. Reinforced the supporting terraces in the City of David
4. Manufactured large numbers of weapons and shields

HEZEKIAH ENCOURAGED HIS LEADERS

Hezekiah appointed military officers and had a meeting with them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged the leaders by saying: “BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for THERE IS A POWER FAR GREATER ON OUR SIDE! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. WE HAVE THE LORD OUR GOD TO HELP US AND TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES FOR US!”

KING SENNACHERIB’S RESPONSE

King Sennacherib sent a message to Hezekiah and all the people in the city, telling them they could not survive his siege against them. He said Hezekiah was lying. King Sennacherib assured the people of Jerusalem that no god or nation had been able to stand against him or his ancestors.

His officers mocked God and King Hezekiah. They sent letters and shouted out in Hebrew so the people of Jerusalem would understand what they were saying. They told the people that the God of Hezekiah would fail. King Sennacherib’s officers knew if they caused fear and doubt, it would be easier to capture the city.

KING HEZEKIAH TAKES ACTION – HE PRAYED
King Hezekiah and Isaiah, the prophet, prayed. The result? God sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army, including its commanders and officers. As a result, Sennacherib returned in disgrace to his homeland.
(2 Chronicles 32, NLT, Summarized)

We Can Trust God — He Has Not Changed 

Our  God is the same for us today as He was for Hezekiah. He never changes. God’s ways are not our ways. God has shown many times in life that my plans are weak, but His plans are always perfect and on time.

God wants us to TRUST Him. Daniel 6:23 “The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.”

God desires for us to PRAY. Psalm 34:17 “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles”

God calls us to BELIEVE. Mark 5:36 “But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

When we face challenging times, God is there! He is in the middle of the fire. He is leading the way over rocky terrain. Whatever we face, we can trust Him!

Show me Your Ways, Lord, Teach Me to Trust in You

Early in life, I learned the Scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) Most of us can quote this Scripture from memory. Recently, I asked several of my friends their thoughts on the meaning of “lean not unto your own understanding.” The responses were varied, but at the core of each answer was to pray and ask God for His direction in our decisions each day.

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me how to trust. Is this the cry of your heart? Let’s learn how to trust God with every part of our life. How do we do that? Let’s take the principles we learn from Hezekiah and apply them to our daily walk of trust.

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. How did Hezekiah do this? Hezekiah remained faithful. 2 Kings 18:6-7 “He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute.”

Verse 5-6 in The Message reads like this: “Hezekiah put his whole trust in the God of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. He held fast to God—never loosened his grip—and obeyed to the letter everything God had commanded Moses. And God, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures.”

2.  Lean not unto your own understanding. Hezekiah waited on words from the Lord. Our culture is in information overload. We have advice and opinions coming at us from every direction with good intentions, but too often, self-centered or self-serving. Often the advice we receive comes from limited knowledge. When King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened Hezekiah, Hezekiah prayed, then waited on words of the Lord that came from the prophet Isaiah. Before we seek counsel from friends, or the internet, we need to wait on our all-knowing God!

The story of Hezekiah shows us how to face challenges and live with trust and confidence in our Lord. My prayer is that the Lord will help me to be like Hezekiah and place my challenging storms of life at the foot of the cross as I “open my eyes and trust Him.”

Psalm 55:17 “Morning, noon, and night  I cry out in my distress,  and the Lord hears my voice.”

Will you be a Hezekiah? Then, remain faithful and wait on the Lord to show you His plan and purpose in everything you do. Trust in God’s unchanging Hand!

Scripture References:

2 Chronicles 32

Daniel 6:23

Psalm 34:17

Mark 5:36

Proverbs 3:5

Psalm 55:17

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.