The Bible does not teach you that once you become a believer, accept Christ as your savior, your life in this world will be a life of comfort and smooth sailing. In fact, my experience has been that as you desire to walk with God, he takes you through a process of causing a transformation in your life, the way you think, your desires, your wants, and how you go about achieving a means to an end. He takes you on a path allowing for your faith to grow. Only when our faith grows, matures, can we see the true glory of God, the LORD of LORDS, the KING of Kings, a Master over all circumstances !
King Hezekiah was a god fearing king of Israel. Though his father was the evil King Ahaz who turned Israel to idolatry, under Hezekiah's rule he undertook many religious reforms to bring Israel back to worship Jehovah, the God of their ancestor David. Yet we read in the Bible, this god fearing king went through many difficulties in life. We read in Isaiah 37 about a siege by King Senacherib of Assyria around the kingdom of King Hezekiah. In the beginning of the siege Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance and God's promise of deliverance came through his prophet. In Verse 29, we read that God said through Isaiah regarding King Senacherib, "And because of your arrogance against me, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your mouth. I will make you return by the road on which you came.' "
Yet, God allowed the siege to continue for two years. Isaiah 37:30, "Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Here is the proof that the LORD will protect this city from Assyria's king. This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit.' " The people of Judah suffered as a result of the siege. During those two years of the siege, the Israelites suffered starvation as there were no merchants trafficking in and out of the city walls due to the siege; agriculture must have become a second thought as I would presume all hands were on deck to defend the city from an imminent attack from Senacherib's mighty army. As we read further down in the chapter, we see that God forced Senacherib to withdraw from his siege by sending an angel who annihilated Senacheribs army in one night. 185,000 troops died in one night at the hand of God's angel. A God who was able to destroy Senacherib's troop in one night with one of his angel causing him to withdraw let the siege go on for a couple of years. Why?
Following the withdrawal of the siege, we read in Isaiah, chapter 38, that King Hezekiah came down with a very grave illness and was going to die. We read in Isaiah 38:1:3, "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." When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight." Then he broke down and wept bitterly. One could feel the pathos of that prayer, the depth of sorrow, grief, in Hezekiah plea to God.
And, God heard his prayer and healed him for He is a God who hears his child's prayer, sees his/her every tear, feels your pain, understands your doubts and though he, the omniscient God, knows what's good for you, sometimes grants you your heart's desire. Isaiah 38:4-7, "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, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city." An emphatic declaration of healing and protection from God. To underscore His promise, God performed one of the most remarkable miracles of the Old Testament: Isaiah 38:7-8, " 'And this is the sign that the LORD will give you to prove he will do as he promised: I will cause the sun's shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!' " So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Why would a god fearing man have to go through these trials in life, with continuous threats on his life? Why would God delay the deliverance He had promised to Hezekiah as the kingdom of Judah lay under a siege? Isaiah 37:31 says, "And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will take root again in your own soil, and you will flourish and multiply. For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passion of the LORD Almighty will make this happen!" The trials in our lives are the refining process that molds our faith, create a group of survivors who will withstand anything life can throw at them for they have seen the glory of God. His promise of deliverance had come through following the two years of the siege. During that time God did not allow Senacherib's army to enter Jerusalem. (Isaiah 37:33-35) The experience allowed for the Israelites faith to mature.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit."
In the New Testament of the Bible, Apostle Paul who understood trials and hardships very well in his life writes, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:3-5)
As you get through your problems, struggles, and trials, may God's grace strengthen you and allow a remnant of you to take root on your own soil, flourish and multiply, and produce delicious fruits, as Jeremiah wrote, for others to see the glory of God.
Draw me close to you
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