Isaiah 37:1-38:22
Galatians 6:1-18
Psalm 65:1-13
Proverbs 23:24
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
- Galatians 6:9
In isolation, this verse seems perfectly sensible, absolutely doable. Of course we do not give up! Why would we? We have the Lord!
And then life hits. Marriages struggle, spouses fight, families fall apart as children rebel. Hard work isn't appreciated, the loyal employee is let go. Finances look dire, health deteriorates. Where then is the hope? Why isn't giving up the logical choice?
In this, Hezekiah is my inspiration. Faced with slaughter and enslavement at the hands of an enemy they could not defeat, he found the strength to turn to God - in today's reading not just once, but twice. Faced with death per God's word, he found the will to turn to God a third time. Leave aside for a moment the fact that, in both situations, his prayers were answered. When faced with impossible situations, without knowing how God would answer, Hezekiah had such a relationship with, and a faith in God, that his instinct was to turn to Him.
Why the instinct to turn to a God Who had ordained his painful circumstances in the first place, Who had "like a lion [broken] all my bones", for help? Perhaps the secret to Hezekiah's faith was in how he chose to see his painful circumstances: "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish."
That's the faith I want. The one that can see the pain in my circumstances and know that not only is God in control, God is permitting these things to come to pass FOR ME. For my benefit. Because He loves me. I want that faith even when I don't know how things are going to turn out.
Father you said that if we were lacking in faith, we had but to ask and You would give abundantly. Give us faith like Hezekiah's, that we can take comfort in the knowledge of Your love and control whatever our circumstances.
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