Solutions to Life’s Troubles

In 2 Kings 24, the king of Babylon conquers the city of Jerusalem and makes a young
man named Zedekiah king. But Zedekiah didn’t like being a puppet king, especially when his
father ruled as a king in his own right. So he rebelled against the king of Babylon, hoping to
throw off the foreign ruler and become a king like his father had been. Yet when Zedekiah heard
that Nebuchadnezzar was on the march to put down his rebellion, he was afraid and looked for
anything to help him in the upcoming battle.
In Jeremiah 21, Zedekiah sent a message to the prophet Jeremiah, asking him to pray to
the Lord. “Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds,” Zedekiah
said, “and will make the king of Babylon withdraw from us.” However, he received a different
reply from God. Go out to the king of Babylon. Surrender to him, and you will live. Stay in the
city, and you will certainly perish. But Zedekiah didn’t want to listen. He wanted to do things in
his own way. Thus, he stayed in the city and was defeated, just as the Lord had said.
Zedekiah trusted in himself and his own strength when faced with a difficult situation. He
thought he could be the savior of Israel and deal with the problem himself. What do you do when
faced with trouble? Where do you turn? Do you trust in yourself and your own strength to fix
those problems? While that may work with the little ones, there are many things in life that aren’t
so easy to fix. Even if you are able to find a solution, how long will that solution last? Sooner or
later, like Zedekiah, all the hard work in the world finally fails.
In Jeremiah 23, the prophet tells king Zedekiah that he will not be the savior of Israel.
Yet the Lord will be. Zedekiah promised peace, but the Lord would give a real, lasting peace.
Zedekiah promised salvation, but the Lord would bring a real salvation. Zedekiah promised to be
the king Israel needed in her hour of trouble, but the Lord would raise up the true King of Israel.
Zedekiah, whose name meant “The Lord is my righteousness,” would fail, but the Lord would
raise up a true “Zedekiah,” whose name would be called “The Lord is our righteousness.”
This mighty King is the Lord Jesus Christ, who God raised up to save His people. He is
also our solution in the midst of life’s problems. Jesus is the fortress of His people, their
stronghold in the day of trouble. Jesus has promised to take care of us and give us the things we
need. Jesus promises life, salvation, and peace, and He will not fail to keep His promises. If you
are struggling with life’s problems or are uncertain about the future, turn to Christ and call on
His name. He will never let the righteous fall.