SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 20
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, `This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. [2 Kings 20:5]
Hezekiah is sick, he cries out to God in desperate tears – a common enough story, this happens all the time.
Yet in this story God steps in and heals; He even offers a miracle to convince him that he will be healed – the sun goes backwards ’10 steps’!
Experience tells us that this does not always happen, God does not always respond to tears with a miracle or healing.
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. [Luke 22:42-44]
Tears of anguish, a sincere and desperate request, yet apart from the comforting presence of an angel, God does not intervene.
In that same anguish Jesus cries out again, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matthew 27:46]
The only way we can make sense of this is that when and how God answers prayer depends on the bigger picture, what God is doing in the world, and how we fit into that.
It was good that Jesus did not get His prayer answered, or we would still be in bondage to sin, death and hell.
Hezekiah’s healing prolonged Israel’s security, as he was a God-honouring king; his son was not to follow his direction [2 Kings 21:2]
God does what He does to produce the best results, but He does limit Himself by working with us.
Hezekiah’s humility helps, but his folly in entrusting himself to the Babylonian king makes him a target of that king’s future conquests.
God’s kingdom will come, but how it comes depends on our participation.
If we humble ourselves and follow Him, God can do great things in and through us (however He chooses to answer our prayers).
But if we resist God, live recklessly or immorally, we stand in the way of His kingdom and risk getting run over.
I see this story as a reminder to humble myself before God, to live wisely before Him, and to trust Him for great and wonderful results.
PRAYER:
Lord, You are good and what You do is right. Help me to entrust myself to You above all else.
Prayer walking – – – walking in the presence of God each and every day must be part of the Christians life. Heze certainly must have done that since when he was told that he was to die because of his sickness, he did not plead for life but rather asked the Lord God to remember him as a faithful servant. He talked oft with the Lord.
And yet . . .
Pride before the fall.
Heze showed his wealth and richess to the envoy of Babylon. He was in fact saying saying see what my hands have accomplished – pride. He did not share how faithful God had been in his life but rather shared his own accomplishments. God had spared – extended the number of years. He gave proof of it by the sun going back in time! Did he share that with the envoys? And when the prophet came and told what would happen because of this show off, Heze accepted what would happen. He accepted what would happen will happen. Totally different when he was told he was to die.
We live each day in His presence. We are not our own but belong to Him in all we do and say – – – all must come under His rule – – – our daily life, our daily living. It must show whose we are.
Help me in my prayer walking this day Lord. Help me to be a living letter.
Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.