“In the time of his distress, he became yet more faithless to the Lord. This same king Ahaz.”
– 2 Chronicles 28:22
Wow, what a commentary on King Ahaz’s his life. In the time of his distress, like when things were not going well, when the nation of Judah was struggling, King Ahaz became yet more faithless to the Lord. And you read his story, not just faithless, but idolatrous and immoral. When I read 2 Chronicles 28:22, I think God help me in times of distress to be faithful, more faithful, more full of faith. And if we’re not careful in each one of our lives when we go through challenges and difficulties, there is an adversary who wants to make us think that God is not good, that God is not powerful, that God is not wise, that God is not listening to your prayers, that God is not going to answer your prayers.
God, I pray especially for people who are walking through distress right now to know your faithfulness to them and your love for them.
2 Chronicles 28:22 Reminds Us to Be Faithful
There’s so many different ways that the adversary attacks faith in times of distress, and I just want to encourage you, even as I’m encouraged by this text this morning, in the middle of distress, may we be all the more faithful. These are the moments we need more faith, not less faith. More trust in the faithfulness of God, more trust in the goodness of God, more trust in the power of God, and the wisdom of God, and the reality that we know God hears and answers our prayers, according to his good wisdom and his good ways, that he is working all things together for our good, the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.
I don’t know what kind of distress you might have experienced over the last year, you might be going through right now, but can we just pray? God, help us to become yet more faithful in times of distress. God, we pray that you would keep us from becoming yet more faithless like King Ahaz did here.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for Those Who Are Suffering
God, I pray especially for people who are walking through distress right now, challenges in different ways. God, I pray that they would know your faithfulness to them, your love for them, your wisdom that is far higher than our ways and what we think is best. For your power, your sovereignty, over all things. I pray that you would give faith, you would build faith in times of distress. That we would walk through times of distress and come out with deeper trust in you and deeper rest in you and your love for us.
The thing about a song I was reading the lyrics to yesterday, old hymn, Be Still My Soul, the Lord is on your side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide. He faithful will remain. God, we praise you for your faithfulness. Help us to be faithful to you, especially in times of distress. In the name of the one who endured suffering and distress and death on our behalf, that we might have hope and joy and eternal life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
