2 Kings 19:20-28. Isaiah sends word to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, after Hezekiah has prayed to God about the looming Assyrian threat. God says he knows of the Assyrian king's arrogance, and overconfidence. He knows of his mocking of him, the God of Israel. He knows the Assyrian king thinks that his military strength and power are overwhelming to Judah. But God has allowed him all of his power and military success. His crushing of cities thus far has been in accordance with God's plan. God knows everything the Assyrian king does - he sees his every move, and now, because he has been arrogant and mocked the one true God, "I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and I will turn you back on the way by which you came."

So Assyria's advance stops here and now - God will not allow them to conquer Judah. Hezekiah prayed to God in his and Judah's need, and God heard and answered him. The Assyrian king has let his victories convince him of his own power. He mocks Judah's God - saying no other nation's gods have been able to save them, nor will your God. He doesn't know who he is dealing with! God tells Hezekiah, through Isaiah, that he has allowed the Assyrian advancement up to this point, but he will not allow them to conquer Judah.

Everything that happens is part of God's plan. God is outside of time, he has seen it all play out from the beginning of time. He is, I believe, the "quantum observer" of his creation, the universe. Thus, our only hope for happiness and solace while here is Abandonment to Divine Providence, and surrender to his will. We are in the story, we do not know the ending, but God does. We have to trust him, knowing that he loves us. God loves each and every one of us infinitely! He is allowing his plan, our story, to play out in the best way possible for all of us.

For some reason, it was better for the cities that Assyria conquered to be conquered. "I planned from days of old . . . that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins." Does that mean that God doesn't love the people in the conquered cities? No - the exact opposite! He knew they needed to be conquered to have the best chance of salvation. Just like, eventually, Judah will also have to be conquered because there will be too much evil in her for any change to be made without total destruction.

God knows the timing of all of these things and has them come to pass when necessary. If we truly trust him, and abandon ourselves to his plan, offering any suffering as a sacrifice to him for the greater good, then all is right with us. We cannot lose in trusting him!