Isaiah 38: 1 and 4-5 - About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill,
and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this
message: "This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you
are going to die. You will not recover from this illness."
…Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD: "Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, 'This
is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your
prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life,
The
news from Isaiah was not good… Hezekiah was about to die. Upon hearing the news he turned his face to
the wall and cried out to God to save him.
He cried tears. Then he let the
obedient things he had tried to do pass through his memory…which of course God
and everyone around him could hear. And God heard him and granted him 15 more
years of life.
This
passage should be the go to for anyone who has been diagnosed with a life
threatening illness. Of course we are not all told we are getting extra years
added to our life. Sometimes God is just
finished with us…and since we can’t see how glorious and wonderful heaven
really is…we try to convince ourselves that the death sentence we have been
given is a bad thing. Satan reminds us
of all the family and loved ones we are leaving behind…and perhaps we just don’t
trust that God is going to take care of them after we are gone.
But
sometimes…God decides to give us a few more years…and use the miracle of how he
saved us to speak to others about his supernatural power that is greater than
death. When we get to be one of the Hezekiah’s
that God heals...we need to say what he said in verse 19… “ Only the living can
praise you as I do today. Each generation can make known your faithfulness to
the next.” That is really the only reason God has to let us stay. All those
things God helped us accomplished don’t mean anything…they have already
happened. But if we can convince God we can help him bring more people to him
being alive…then maybe we might get a few extra years added on like Hezekiah.
Either
way…the lesson is clear. God is in
control…and he knows what he is doing.
It is our job to accept the things we cannot change ….ask for courage to
change the things we can…and ask God to give us a spirit on discernment to know
the difference. Hezekiah spoke life with
his prayer…and somehow changed his mind.
So did Moses. So did Jonah. And there are probably others that never
made t the cannon of the Bible.
Father…thank
you for the reminder that I always have the opportunity to come to you with my
heart. Thank you for reminding me that I
can change your mind with my tears. Forgive me for the times I never asked…and
help me to discern when I should the next time. Amen.
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