2Ki 19:7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

In the 14th year of Hezekiah's rule in Judah, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He sent three of his most trusted officers with a great army to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And when they came, they began to boast how great the Assyrian army was that none of the gods of the nations they conquered could save them. They mocked the Jews and boasted their God Jehovah would not be able to deliver them either (2 Kings 18:13-37). In 2 Kings 19, we see Hezekiah was disturbed by the words of the three Assyrians. The prophet Isaiah told him not to worry and he said that Sennacherib won't even be able to shoot a single arrow against Jerusalem. Sure enough, in the middle of the night, an angel of God went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. When the others got up in the morning, they saw all the dead bodies. Thereafter, Sennacherib departed and returned to Assyria (v.1-36). What can we learn from 2 Kings 19? One lesson is: Man proposes but God disposes. We can make whatever plans we want, but in the end, God is the one who decides what actually happens, whether they fail or succeed. In this case, Sennacherib boasted he would destroy Jerusalem and Hezekiah and his God could not stop him. He had great plans; but he underestimated God Jehovah. Jehovah is not like the gods of the nations. God determined he should not succeed. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:9: “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”                                                           1. The men of Babel wanted to build a tower that reached up to heaven; God confounded their language and caused them to disperse (Genesis 11). 2. Joseph’s brethren intended to get rid of him for good; God took him and preserved him for good. 3. Jonah had no desire to preach to the men of Nineveh; God would not allow him to have his way. 4. Haman’s one purpose in life was to destroy the entire Jewish nation; God turned his plan around and he was destroyed instead (Esther 7). Proverbs  19:21 says it well: “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” Put God in our plans. When we submit our proposal to God, He can do four things to it: 1. Reject it because it is not good for us. 2. Accept it because it is good for us. 3. Refine it and make it better. 4. Give us something different but better. I like this verse: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).                                                                                                                                     When God rejects your plans; expect something better coming your way. It may not come immediately; but it will come. Joseph had to wait 13 years in an Egyptian prison for his life to turn around; he became the prime minister of Egypt. Be patient. When you look back today, I’m sure you are glad that things did not happen the way you wanted. You agree now that the end is unexpected. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). Let God direct your paths.