God’s got this. He really does.

April 2, 2014: God’s got this. He really does. Please SHARE this new Precious Prodigal Post: http://bit.ly/1hiAScL

2 Kings 19:34 “For I will defend this city, to save it…”

Outnumbered, outflanked, and overwhelmed. There was absolutely no way Hezekiah could defend his city, his people or himself. But God had a plan, and the story wasn’t finished yet. And Hezekiah wasn’t going to have any part in it. God was going to do it all.

My son and his wife were divorced, he lived on the west coast, she on the east coast, and she had physical custody of the kids. No divorce is without controversy, and this one had more than its share. In her anger, frustration, and pain, she struck out at Harry and me and told us we couldn’t see the kids.

We were beyond devastated. Harry and I had loved this girl like our own daughter, and we had been a part of the kids’ lives since their birth. We knew and she knew we had done nothing to hurt her or the kids. How could she do this? And how could we “fix” it? We called and texted her, but she would not respond. We even made a trip to Georgia only to be turned away at the door.

On a planned a trip to Florida, I intended to stop and “have a conversation” with her. I’m glad I decided to both pray about it and talk it over with a friend who refuses to co-sign on any crazy idea I come up with. This idea was no exception.

As I wept tears of grief that only those of us who love a prodigal can understand, she put her arms around me and told me, “You’ve done everything you can. Now leave it alone. When God wants those kids back in your life, you won’t have to do anything.”

But surely if I could just say the right words or do that one thing or “accidently” run into her somewhere, or make her see what she’s doing, I’d be able to fix this. The thing is, like Hezekiah, I really had done everything I could possibly do. Now it had to be up to God.

God’s message to Hezekiah was that, in spite of Sennacherib’s threats, he wouldn’t “come into the city, shoot an arrow, or raise a shield.” (2 Kings 19:32) God worked it out better than Hezekiah ever could. The angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers as they slept, and Sennacherib saw the wisdom of taking himself and what remained of his army elsewhere.

God didn’t destroy an army for me, but He did work it out in His time and in His way…oh, and without my help. When the phone rang one day, I answered, and a hesitant voice said, “Hello?” On her own, without my interference or manipulation, my daughter-in-law was calling to apologize and to invite us to come and see the kids.

You see, God knew what it would take to change Sennacherib’s heart, but He also knew what would change her heart. My job was to give it to Him and let it go. What are you trying to “fix” today? How long have you been agonizing over and struggling to carry what God never intended for you to carry? If you’ve done everything you can, maybe it’s time to give it to God and let it go.

Challenge for Today: Can you, just for today, take a step back and look at what or whom you are fighting? Can you ask yourself if it’s time to let it go?