“When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” Isaiah 7:1-2 NIV
Sometimes we face circumstances in life that shake us and rock our world. That’s what was happening in this account. The enemies of Judah were joining forces in their attack against them and although they had not been overpowered yet, they were shaken by these new alliances. Have you ever felt like the whole world had joined forces against you? Okay, so the ‘whole world’ might be a bit of an exaggeration, but doesn’t it feel like that some times?
“Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘It will not take place, it will not happen,” Isaiah 7:3-7 NIV
I think it’s very cool that God sent a prophet to reassure King Ahaz, especially since the Bible describes him as a king who rarely did right in the eyes of the Lord. I love when God gives us reassurance! He doesn’t owe us that but does it because He values our relationship.
After reassuring King Ahaz, God admonished him to stand firm in his faith. There really is no other option.
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’ Isaiah 7:9b NIV
In Ephesians 6, Paul also talks about the importance of standing firm. “After you have done everything, to stand, stand firm then.”
There comes a time, when the enemy is pressing in, that we just have to decide to stand firm, to refuse to be moved. Let’s face it, we live in a world that is always pressuring us to move away from the God we love. We are inundated with voices that tell us values don’t matter as long as we are happy. But God has a different message. True joy is found in Christ alone and walking in godliness is the only path that leads to lasting happiness. We must stand firm at all times, always choosing right over wrong, always pressing in to please the Father.
When the enemy pushes hard and tries to move you, stand firm! Stand on God’s word. Stand in prayer. Stand in truth and righteousness. Do everything you can to stand firm!
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV