God's Glory Church

Dear Church! Today, events are taking place in our country that neither you nor I could even think about recently. Russia, which is our neighbor and in which almost all of us have relatives and friends, has actually declared war on Ukraine. And this despite the fact that no one has encroached on the territorial integrity of this country, and especially no one is oppressing the rights of Russians and the Russian-speaking population here in Ukraine. We all know this very well and until recently we did not want to believe the forecasts that were made in the media and on the Internet. But today this is reality and each of us has more than one question: “What’s next? What should we do as believers of Ukraine, citizens of our country?” I believe, and I would like to encourage you to do this, that the first thing we definitely should not do is panic and think about where we can go. This is the very last thing a person who knows the Lord should think about. But what should we do in such circumstances? There is only one answer – trust in God!!!

Scripture gives us many examples of how God has subverted the most insidious plans and the most sophisticated plans of various kingdoms and nations that tried to enslave or destroy God’s people. Today I would like to give just one example from scripture that we must stand in the gap for our people and for our country:

“And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria went up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them… And Rabshakeh said to them, Tell Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What is this hope in which you trust? I think [that] these are only empty words, [and] for war, advice and strength are needed: therefore IN WHOM DO YOU TRUST, because YOU HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM ME?…”(Isaiah 36:1, 4-5)

“When KING Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, and WENT TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD;… And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the ambassadors and read it, and went to the house of the Lord, and Hezekiah unrolled it BEFORE THE LORD; and Hezekiah PRAYED before the Lord and said: O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who sits on the Cherubim! You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth; You created heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; Open, O Lord, Thy eyes and look and hear the words of Sennacherib, who sent to revile You, the living God. Really, oh my God! The kings of Assyria devastated all their countries and lands and threw their gods into the fire; but these were not gods, but the product of human hands, wood and stone, and that is why they destroyed them. And now, LORD OUR GOD, SAVE us from his hand; AND ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH WILL KNOW THAT YOU, LORD, ARE ONE GOD.” (Isaiah 37:1, 14-20, and 2 Kings 18-19)

The picture of what Israel experienced was not comforting. The enemy is under the walls of Jerusalem, and there is nothing to answer him with, and the only thing Hezekiah and all the people could trust in is their God. And they turned to the One who sets up kings and overthrows them, to the One to whom all principalities and powers obey. And a miracle happened. The enemy, who seemed invincible, fled in disgrace, and the one who was the instigator of the aggression was killed by his own sons.

“Therefore thus says the Lord about the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city, nor throw an arrow there, nor approach it with a shield, nor build a rampart against it. He will return along the same road by which he came, but he will not enter this city, says the Lord. I will guard this city to save it for Myself and for the sake of David My servant.” And the angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand [people] in the camp of Assyria. And they got up in the morning, and behold, all the bodies were dead. And he retreated, and went, and returned, king Sennacherib of Assyria, and dwelt in Nineveh. And while he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adramelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword, and they themselves fled to the land of Ararat. And Asardan his son reigned in his place.” (Isaiah 37:33-38)

Therefore, let us pray, dear friends! God is with those who are humiliated and oppressed!!! And, of course, on the side of those who trust in Him! Today is the time for God’s miracle. A miracle that will change our people and turn them to their Lord.

Pastor Alexander Koltukov.