How can we discern truth when leaders claim "the LORD your God cannot deliver"? When Powerful Voices Challenge God’s Power “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you… How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?” (2 Chronicles 32:15). Sennacherib’s envoy stands outside Jerusalem’s walls, claiming the LORD is powerless. The scene repeats in every age whenever leaders, experts, or influencers declare that trusting God is naïve or useless. The Unchanging Test for Truth: God’s Word • God’s promises are settled: “Forever, O LORD, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). • God’s character does not shift: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). • Any message that contradicts Scripture is automatically false, regardless of the speaker’s rank or credentials. Four Marks of False Claims 1. Elevating human achievement above God’s sovereignty (cf. Daniel 3:15). 2. Citing past “victories” over idols as proof the living God is no different (cf. Isaiah 36:18–20). 3. Urging immediate, fear-driven decisions that bypass seeking the LORD (cf. 2 Chronicles 32:11). 4. Mocking faithfulness as deception or misinformation (cf. 2 Peter 3:3–4). Practical Discernment Steps for Today • Compare every claim with the whole counsel of Scripture before accepting it. • Recall specific instances of God’s past deliverance—both biblical (Exodus 14; Daniel 6) and personal. • Seek godly counsel from believers saturated in the Word (Proverbs 11:14). • Refuse to let urgent threats drown out prayerful dependence (Philippians 4:6–7). • Speak truth aloud, as Hezekiah did in 2 Chronicles 32:7–8: “With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” Reasons We Can Rest Secure • The LORD answered Sennacherib’s boast by sending an angel who “destroyed every mighty man of valor” in the Assyrian camp (2 Chronicles 32:21). • God delights to showcase His faithfulness when the odds are stacked against His people (Judges 7:2). • Even death cannot separate believers from His delivering love (Romans 8:38–39). Living the Truth Trusting God’s unwavering Word exposes falsehood and steadies the heart. When voices insist, “The LORD cannot deliver,” recall that He already has—in Egypt, at Calvary, and countless times since. The One who proved Himself then will not fail now. |
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