Isaiah 7

3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, [b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. 4 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. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'It will not take place,
it will not happen,

I am always amazed in Scripture when God seeks out evil men to change their hearts and their circumstances. Here we have Ahaz an evil King who worshiped the idols of Molech, and through the prophet Isaiah God brings him a message; “calm down, I’m here, don’t be afraid, trust me I’m telling you this great travesty that these to weaklings are planning will not happen, it will not take place”. How cool is that! God brings a message of peace and victory to a man who is not even interested in Him.

Ahaz wouldn’t trust God. He held onto his fear and his people followed suit. The very people God longed to call His own wouldn’t place their hearts in His hands, If the king of Judah and the people of Judah had put their trust in the LORD, they would have had the peace of God in this conflict. Why was it so hard for Ahaz to do this? Because he didn't see the situation the way the LORD did. Ahaz looked at Israel and Syria and saw a terrible threat. God looked at Israel and Syria and saw two stubs of smoking firewood. To the LORD, they were all smoke and no fire!
The interesting thing here is that God offered Ahaz both “peace and victory” all he had to do was trust. He was even invited to prove God worthy by asking for a sign.
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."

I think Ahaz was not only evil but was crazy! Don’t you wish God would do that for you. I would love to hear Him say those words to me “Susan I know your struggling with trusting me, ask me for a sign, you name it, I’ll bring it and then I know you will trust”! Instead Ahaz says “no thank you… all set” The Victory comes because God said it would and He didn’t change His mind (which He could have; He could let Judah fall but He chose to give them the victory for His greater plan). Ahaz thinks he had victory because of some backdoor deals he makes, but the truth still stands that God ordained it. Ahaz loses the blessing of being “established by God”, Judah gets the victory but the people including Ahaz don’t get the peace God promises.

As I have struggled with trusting God, this chapter has so loudly spoken to my spirit. God clearly has told me… Susan I’m still going to do what I’m going to do, for I have planned it before the beginning of time. I have victories for you, and I will give them whether you trust me in them or not, and I want to give you my peace in the them too, for victories can only come after a battle, so you can go on not trusting me to bring you through them, or you can “'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart” and have my peace in the battles.

I will choose both! The peace and the victories! How about you?