Music Monday: "Friends” by Michael W Smith

 Music Monday: "Friends” by Michael W Smith

I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on growing up with a disability this weekend, as I have written a short story hoping to submit it to Stephanie’s special needs anthology; I’m glad the pair have tackled such a topic- it’s really needed. My story talks about the need for true “inclusion”

Growing up with cerebral palsy (CP) and being quadriplegic has not been easy; from the very beginning, I have always struggled with my identity as a disabled person because inside I don’t feel limited, but the reality is I am. In middle school, this is when it really became clear to me. I remember the strange stares I would receive as I drove from class to class with my head controls; they parted the way as if I was an alien and they didn’t want me to touch them. A few would offer to take notes for me - only to get extra credit from their teacher.

A lot has changed since then. Though the memories of middle school still sting, I have come to realize that only makes my friendships from college even sweeter. These friendships have shown me what true loyalty means; they have the ability to look beyond my limitations and see me as just a person. Though Concordia is a Christian community, I believe this is just who they are and how they live out their faith on a daily basis. I don’t have all the time to list names, but they know who they are.. They are authentic examples of Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times, a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

In short, their friendships have meant more to me than my readers know; it’s true what they say in Proverbs 27:9: “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” That being said, I thought “Friends” by Michael W Smith would be the perfect song for this week; not only is it a favorite of mine, but it reminds us that as Christians, an unshakable bond of God’s love connects us. Though we might be distant from each other, we are still all doing God’s work in our own way.

You can access Michael W Smith video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOnSToVsBz4

 

 

 

Fun Friday: New series “I am Shauna Rae” Chronicles the life of a 22-year- old “trapped” in the body of an eight-year-old.

 Fun Friday: New series “I am Shauna Rae” Chronicles the life of a 22-year- old “trapped” in the body of an eight-year-old

 

Dear Readers,

Forgoing Friday’s theme, I have decided to highlight one of TLC’s newest series, “I am Shauna Rea.” Since the creation of this blog, it has been my dream to cover controversial issues surrounding different disabilities or conditions; with the introduction of weekday “themes,” this dream had been put on the back burner as part of an ongoing effort to create more of a growing audience for my blog. However, in the process, I temporarily forgot my primary purpose for this for- to entertain and inform others about new information about disabilities. That being said, I will try to get back to that primary goal- keeping the themes intact while informing readers of further shows/information about disabilities when necessary.

This may include an occasional distraction from weekly themes such as today.

Over the past three weeks, I have enjoyed watching as a new “kind” of disability is revealed on The Learning Channel (TLC). No, I’m not talking about a newly discovered disability recently reported in the news; rather, one that is rarely talked about - the side effects of using chemotherapy to treat childhood cancer. Now I’m not saying chemo should be banned as many strides have been made when treating cancer in children these days; I’m just saying we should be more aware of the potential long-term side effects these drugs can have.

I believe Shauna Rae would agree!

Shauna was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer at just eight months. She quickly underwent surgery to remove most of the tumor and had chemotherapy to shrink what was left. However, doctors discovered that the chemotherapy had stopped her pituitary gland from working and stunted her growth.

At just 3’10” tall, Shauna is not your average 22-year-old young woman; because of her short stature, she deals with her own unique set of Challenges- anything from ranging how to navigate the dating scene, age this discrimination in public, to the battle for independence from parents to the battle for independence.

Join me as I learn more about Shauna and her family every Tuesday at 10 PM

 

Wisdom Wednesday: The Wise Farmer with Counsel and Judgment

                                   The Wise Farmer with Counsel and Judgment                  

               Submitted by Debbie’s Dad

Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my speech.   Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?  When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow the black cumin [seed used as spice]And scatter the cumin, Plant the wheat in rows, The barley in the appointed place, And the spelt [rye] in its place? For He instructs him in right judgment, His God teaches him. For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, And the cummin with a rod.    Bread flour must be ground; Therefore he does not thresh it forever, Break it with his cartwheel, Or crush it with his horsemen. This also comes from the Lord of hosts,Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance [sound wisdom]. Isaiah 28:23-29 (NKJV)

 

Isaiah chapter 28 is a long chapter that issues a “woe” to the Jewish people in the Northern (vv. 1–13) and Southern Kingdoms (vv. 14–29) that warns of severe punishment that is coming because of their pride and drunken rejection of God’s way. The stinging indictments in this chapter, Isaiah pronounces the judgment of God on wicked leaders who will not listen and learn. Isaiah asks who will learn from the Lord? Knowledge, is taught incrementally to children, “… precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” (28:10). But the leaders would not listen to Isaiah’s message from God! Instead,” The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. ...” (28:7–8). What an indictment!

They would be taught, but by “another tongue” (v. 11) – the foreign language of the Assyrian army that concurred the Northern kingdom (722 BC) and subsequently the Southern Kingdom would fall to the Babylonians decades later. The conquest of these divided kingdoms of God’s people were horrific; the thought of being conquered by the Assyrians brought terror to minds of the people. (28:19) Iron age warfare was merciless, killing and torturing the conquered fighters, and carrying the population off to foreign lands to work. Isaiah’s message was harsh. 

The Wise Farmer

At the conclusion of the chapter, Isaiah pauses and inserts today’s passage before continuing his list of woes to Jerusalem in chapter 29. He reminds the people of the how the farmer carefully plows the fields (vv. 24-25) and plants the different kinds of seed (v.25). And when the farmer harvested and threshed, a specific method of threshing is used for each crop. But the farmer does not beat, grind, or crush the plants forever to extract the precious seeds; he knows when he has completed threshing. (vv. 27-28) even so, implies Isaiah,  The Lord will know when the time of the coming judgment will stop, and it will produce the repentance of people who will turn to Him.

The Wise God of Israel

Who is the farmer?  Isaiah concludes in verse 29, “All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.”  (NIV) Yes, Isaiah concludes that the Lord who brings the terrible judgment is:

·       Wonderful in the counsel that He brings – the very counsel that has been rejected by Israel’s’ leaders, and,

·       Magnificent in wisdom – even applying the judgment by the Assyrian army to bring about repentance in his people.

Earlier in Isaiah’s prophetic book, He speaks of the coming Messiah, upon Whom the Spirit of the Lord will rest with counsel and wisdom: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. (11:2)

Here is the divine and wise farmer who applies the right instruments, even punishment and judgment, in our lives to purify and remove the sin that easily besets us!  (Hebrews 12:1)

 

 

Music Monday: "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield by Debbie

Music Monday: "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield by Debbie

 

As I pondered my next song choice, I came across this upbeat tune by Natasha Bedingfield. Okay, so it happens to date me- being that it shows how old I am and reminds me of one of my favorite movies during my teen and college years -the Sisterhood of The traveling pants I & II. For those unfamiliar, these movies chronicle the lives of four friends, each from various walks of life. In the first movie, they come across a pair of jeans that miraculously fit them all! So, as the friends go off to different locations this summer, they plan to share them through the mail.

 

Being a writer, I can relate to the idea of a blank page. Because in reality, that's what we truly are – a part of God's marvelous creation. We are made in God's what's own image; unfortunately, though, because of sin, that image is tarnished. It is only when we accept Jesus and God's gift of grace that we can be reconciled with him - transforming our lives forever.

 

By accepting Jesus as our Savior, we now serve as beacons of light and hope to those around us. We have a responsibility and duty to use our gifts and talents to shine God's light into a fallen world-doing good wherever we can.

 Ephesians 2:10 reiterates our purpose, stating, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared for us in to do." (NIV)

 

Many people grow up believing that Christians have an easy life; I will be the first to assure you that that's not true. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean we will have a perfect life; it just means that we aren't alone and have a companion on this journey called "life." After all, we still live in a fallen world and are prone to revert to our sinful habits; as Natasha's lyrics reverberate, we are conditioned not to make mistakes, but I can't live that way…."

So if you're looking for another uplifting song to start your week off on the right foot, I would look no further.

Natasha Bedingfield's video of "Unwritten" can be accessed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7k0a5hYnSI

not https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqjc24xkaGw 
 

Faithful Friday: "Restoring Joy"-Insights From Psalms 51

 Faithful Friday: "Restoring Joy"-Insights From Psalms 51

by Debbie

 

In response to my Twitter poll about what we should discuss today, I received an overwhelming response of one vote for Psalms 51:12-Restoring Joy. In all seriousness, though, with the year we've had, it's no wonder people are looking for something tangible to hold onto during difficult times.

After all, Romans 12:2 says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Sounds easy, right? In reality, it's not. You see, we live in a world where people expect instant gratification. They expect things right here, right now; otherwise, they're not satisfied

in 2 Samuel 11, we find King David in a similar situation. Enamored by the beauty Bathsheba, he devises a plan to make her his own. Long story short, he sends her husband to war, insisting he is a part of the frontlines; that eventually gets him killed, leaving Bathsheba a widow. Later, David takes her as his wife.

It is only when the prophet Nathan visits that he realizes the error of his ways. In response, he pens Psalms 51. But, before we go further, I want to make this very clear. I'm not saying that every difficulty is a result of our sin or disobedience- some are just a matter of circumstance- an impact of "original sin" done by our ancestors Adam and Eve.

Still, let's take a look at what Psalm 51 has to say about restoring our faith. In writing this Psalm, David is not only asking for forgiveness but an overall cleansing; he isn't asking God to ignore his sin but make it so it no longer exists. By doing so, he relies not only on God's forgiving Grace but also on his transforming Grace.

 

Transforming Grace & The Holy Spirit

The difference is quite simple. Forgiving Grace believes that God has the power to forgive you, whereas transforming Grace believes that God can change one's heart from the inside out. In Psalms 51, David does not ask him to ignore his sin but rather cleanse him as if it never occurred. This spiritual renewal is part of God's new covenant with his people. He promised to send a "helper" when he ascended into heaven. God himself became the ultimate sacrifice, no longer requiring animal sacrifices for sin.

Spiritual renewal is available for everyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Holy Spirit not only equips the believer for their "calling" in this world but seals them for when they get to heaven (Ephesians 4).

Although most commentaries tend to focus on the "cleansing" role of the Holy Spirit, it does way more than that. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us; it sets us apart from everyone else and makes us different. David is not concerned with his reputation as Saul once was; instead, he wants to make sure his corrupt nature is changed for the better. It is evident when he prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God!" He sees how much he has changed and realizes Jesus is the only one who can transform him once again. According to the Matthew Henry commentary, "He created the world by the word of his power as the God of nature, and it is by the word of his power as the God of Grace that we are clean (John 15: 3), that we are sanctified (John 17:17)

David also prays for continuing blessings in his life. He knows what he's done and prays God will continue to do his good work in him that David might have continued favor and his protection wherever he went. He also asks that God continue to direct his path, giving him wisdom. Finally, he prays that his bad decision will not destroy the "communion" he has with God; after all, David is called "the man after God's own heart. Begging God, Matthew Henry notes that David is effectively saying: "Let me not be banished thy courts, but always have the liberty of access to thee by prayer." He does not downplay God's judgment because he knows what he deserves: "God's will be done; but, Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath. If the sword come into my house never to depart from it, yet let me have a God to go to in my distresses, and all shall be well.

Even so, David relies on God's Grace. He knew that he had grieved the Holy Spirit by sinning and provoked him to withdraw. Because of God's Holiness, he is justified in doing so (Genesis 6:3); this worries David more than anything else. It is hopeless if God takes his Holy Spirit from us. Saul was a sad instance of this. Matthew Henry remarked "How exceedingly sinful, how exceedingly miserable, was he, when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him! David knew it, and therefore begs thus earnestly: "Lord, whatever thou take from me, my children, my crown, my life, yet take not thy Holy Spirit from me" (see 2 Samuel 7:15), "but continue thy Holy Spirit with me, to perfect the work of my repentance, to prevent my relapse into sin, and to enable me to discharge my duty both as a prince and as a psalmist."

Despite his reconciliation with God, David still has to deal with the overall consequences of his sin. That's why he prays for complete restoration; he knows that "a child of God knows no true nor solid joy but the joy of God's salvation, joy in God his Saviour, and in the hope of eternal life." But unfortunately, he willfully deprived himself of joy in sinning and gave into his temptations; as a result, his foundation was shaken. In total repentance, David runs to God, knowing he is the only one capable of a full restoration "It had made him weak, and therefore he prays, "Uphold me with the free Spirit: I am ready to fall, either into sin or into despair; Lord, sustain me; my spirit" (though the spirit of a man will go far towards the sustaining of his infirmity) "is not sufficient; if I be left to myself, I shall certainly sink; therefore uphold me with thy Spirit, let him counterwork the evil spirit that would cast me down from my excellency.." (Matthew Henry commentary)

Though sin is a major cause of many circumstances, it is essential to remember that some circumstances are beyond our control. Our Heavenly Father wants nothing but the best for us. Don't believe me? Check out these verses if you need more proof:

•  Matthew 7:11- "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
•        James 1:17- "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
•        Luke 12:24- "Consider the ravens; they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"

Wisdom Wednesday The Wisdom of Reverence and Sincerity

                                         The Wisdom of Reverence and Sincerity                                

Submitted by Debbie’s Dad

“Observe the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” Deuteronomy 8:6

 

Early in the history of Israel, Moses reminded the people in Deuteronomy chapter 8 of God’s guidance and provision throughout the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. In the passage above and earlier in Deut. 6:24 Moses reminded the people to obey the commands or statutes of the Law. This provided a way of life that would keep their focus on revering and obeying Jehovah.   The passage, here, focuses on the means to observe the commandments – to sincerely live (walk) life in accordance with God’s way of living, and to maintain reverence for Jehovah.

When Moses died and Joshua led the people into the promised land, he reminded them of the admonition from Moses. Joshua summoned the tribes of Israel and in Joshua chapter 24, he recounts their history and Jehovah’s faithfulness. He emphasizes, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which your father served” (Joshua 24:14). The esteemed scholars Keil and Delitzsch note on this verse the emphasis on service “without hypocrisy, or the show of piety, in simplicity and truth of the heart.

So Moses and Joshua admonished the people to worship with two attributes:

·        Fear (reverence) which is the beginning of wisdom.

·        Truth or genuine sincerity of the heart (the application of wisdom).

But we know that the nation of Israel struggled to maintain its faithfulness to Jehovah. They adopted these practices as they came in contact with other nations that worshipped the idols of their own creation. The nation accepted these idols and throughout the divided kingdoms of Israel (to the North in Samaria) and Judah (around Jerusalem to the south) the people lost their reverence for Jehovah, and their sincerity of heart. It reached a point that for some of the people in Samaria it was recorded that, “They feared the Lord, and served their own gods.” (2 Kings 17:33). They became double minded as Jesus warned in “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [riches]^” (Matthew 6:24) and also as James warned in his epistle (James 1:8).

This core principle was reiterated to the woman of Sychar, Samaria that he met at the well. It is particularly interesting to note that this woman was a Samarian – perhaps a descendant of the people who feared the Lord and served their own idol-gods. The interchange between Jesus and the woman is well-known, but Jesus concluded by telling her, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24). There it is again! We worship God:

·        In reverence for God who is Spirit (See v. 4:24) we worship from our spirit

·        In truth or genuine sincerity of our heart

This is the core of worship of God, to acknowledge Him in fear and reverence, and to genuinely live in communion with Him – in prayer and reading the Bible. 

Today’s culture emphasizes how we look - our “image” or “brand” and the “optics” or context that others see about us. Instead, God is simply interested in our recognition of Him as our powerful Creator and loving Father and our sincerity in worship by walking in his ways.

-------

NOTE: Reference: Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1886-1891). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 168). Hendrickson Version (1996) 

Music Monday: "Hold On, Help Is on the Way" by Whitney Houston

 

Music Monday: "Hold On, Help Is on the Way" by Whitney Houston

 

As I sit here writing this post, it is snowing quite heavily outside my window. The meteorologist predicted snow, and boy did it come right on time.

A quick update on my chair, my dad took it and had the part replaced that they thought was the problem- and it still doesn't work.

 

Now we are forced to wait until Thursday when a wheelchair expert will come to our home and try to fix it. Forgive me if I sound a little underwhelmed; it's just that we have been waiting so long for this only to be disappointed many times over. I'm still wondering why this happened. What does God want me to learn from these three months of relying on others? To be quite honest, I'm still not quite sure, but I will say that as I wrote those words, the verse "Be still and know that I am God" came to mind.

 

That being said, I thought an upbeat song like the theme from The Preacher's Wife would be perfect for this week; now I know that this is an odd choice considering it is one of Whitney Houston's last performances on screen and that she had her share of difficulties in this life. This movie and its theme song constantly remind us of God's presence in our lives. He is always there to help us if only we'd ask him.

 

Also, I happen to believe the movie's premise is true that there are angels "waiting on this long line" to come and help us when we need them the most-they might not even have wings. After all, doesn't it say in Hebrews 13:2:

 

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (NIV)

 

Try to remember that this week.

You Are Not Alone!

God is with you… He is only a breath away

if you are having trouble grasping that today, might I suggest listening to Whitney Houston's "Hold on, Help Is on the Way" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqjc24xkaGw 

Wisdom Wednesday: The Wise Counsel of the Prophet Micah

                                          The Wise Counsel of the Prophet Micah

                                                    Submitted by Debbie’s Dad

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

The voice of the Lord will call to the city—

And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: “Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time?

Micah 6:8–9 (NASB95)

 

Micah was a prophet who spoke the “word of the Lord” during the reigns of three kings of the southern kingdom of Judah: Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. The wickedness of King Ahab must have deeply impressed Micah, and he gave three messages (prophecies proclaiming messages from the Lord.  He focused his first message on the judgment to come to Samaria and Jerusalem for their insincere worship and idol worship (chapter 1), their injustice and false prophets (chapter 2) and their leaders’ love of evil and abuse of people (chapter 3). 

His second message (chapters 4 and 5) extolled the “last days” when a new king will be born in Bethlehem to be victorious over the oppressing nations and to bring peace and prosperity as He rules over the people. Perhaps Micah’s most well-known passage is 5:2: “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Here, Micah foretold the Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

The Indictment of the Nation

The context of our verse today is Micah’s third message (chapters 6 and 7) providing a direct accusation or indictment of the nation of Judah for its sin, and the insincerity of its worship. The strong indictment of the nation in chapter 6, is followed by the promise of a future blessing in chapter 7.   The indictment is this:

·       The Lord brings a dispute, a legal case, against the nation and asks how He has wearied the people, reminding them of his rescue of them from slavery in Egypt (6:1–5)

·       Micah responds to the indictment – asking the nation, what shall they bring to the Lord to be restored to a relationship with their God. (6:6-9)

·        The Lord responds (6:9–12) with an enumeration of their sins: 1) dishonesty in their dealings with others. 2) violence, 3) lying, and 4) deceit

·       For this reason, the nation will be made desolate because of their sins (6:13-16)

Chapter 7 then laments the coming desolation of the nation, yet provides hope for the future restoration  to “pardon iniquity” in His “unchanging love”, and to “cast their sins into the depths of the sea”.

 

Micah Speaks for the nation

In Micah’s response to the indictment at the top of this devotional, he focuses on the core topic of being wise before God:

•        He asks the people what he should bring to the Lord as an offering for their sins – burnt offerings? Yearling (prize) calve offerings? Thousands of rams? Or 10,000 rivers of oil? Or, perhaps he might offer his first borne child??!! (6:6 and 7)
•       Of course Not!! God told them what is good and required of God – and they know it, too. It is to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. (6:8) This is authentic outward righteous living and inward worship of the Lord. 

Miicah’s Wise Counsel  

In verse 9 Micah transitions to listening to the voice of the Lord Who will enumerate their sins.  And Micah coundels - “… And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name” (NASB95). Before listening to God, Micah warned that listening in fear (reverence, obedience) was the wise response to God’ judgment.  The opening of the Proverbs, written 300 years before Micah concurred: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7 NASB95) 

We too, are soundly wise to listen to God’s voice in Scripture in reverence with an intent to obey.   

 

 

Wisdom Wednesday: The Wisdom of Hezekiah

                      The Wisdom of Hezekiah                                                

By: Debbie's Dad        

 

Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins behind your back.

 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today;
parents tell their children about your faithfulness.  (Isaiah 38:17-19)

Hezekiah was a faithful King of Judah about 700 years before Christ arrived. After David, he has been considered one of the greatest kings of the Jewish people. Accounts of his 29-year reign, beginning at age 25 and ending at his death at age 54, are recorded in II Kings 18-20 and II Chronicles 32:24-33. It is recorded that he was, “More zealous for the Lord than any other king of Judah” (2 Kings 18:5).

Hezekiah’s Faithfulness

Immediately upon becoming king, Hezekiah, reversed the leadership of his father, the wicked king Ahab, who established the worship of idols in Judah. Ahaz set an awful example for his son, worshiping idols, and demonstrating poor political leadership.  Yet Hezekiah “… held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” (2 Kings 18:6–7). Hezekiah reestablished the worship of the Lord and removed the idols and sacrificial traditions allowed by his father. He remained close to Isaiah the prophet and sought Isaiah when   

Hezekiah’s Trials

Though faithful to the Lord, Hezekiah faced two significant trials in his life that tested his faith. Both tests were anguishing “near-death experiences”:

•       Personal Anguish – He became very sick and was reaching the point of death but prayed with Isaiah and his life was extended by the Lord for fifteen years (2 Kings 20:5–7). This experience led him to write the praise of the Lord recorded by Isaiah in chapter 38. He Hezekiah said he cried, moaned, his eyes grew weak, and felt as if his bones were broken as he neared death. His prayer (recorded in II Kings 20:2-6) was to turn to the wall, tell the Lord of his faithfulness, and to weep.
  
•      Public Anguish - In 701 BC Hezekiah faced a public crisis. The Assyrian expeditionary forces, accompanied by their king Sennacherib, invaded Judea, first destroying small and fortified cities, then turning to viciously destroy the second largest walled city, Lachish, before heading to the largest and capital city, Jerusalem. This invasion severely tested Hezekiah’s faith in His Lord.  The Assyrian army threatened to destroy the city, and Hezekiah called on Isaiah (2 Kings 19) and prayed. He positioned himself in a contrite stance before God and called upon God personally “O Lord”, even as today we call our heavenly Father, “O Father” is appropriated when in distress. Then, he expressed and described his dire situation. (Of course, God knows our situation, but in a personal relationship with a personal God, He wants to hear us articulate our need for guidance and help when circumstances seem dire.)  He articulated his petition to the Lord; he petitioned the Lord to save the city and its people for the purpose to show the entire earth the power of Judea’s God. The Scripture records the results: Jerusalem was saved (and the Assyrians miraculously crushed), and Hezekiah was miraculously granted 15 additional years of life.

The Wisdom of Hezekiah’s Response to Anguish

In the passage at the top of this devotional, we see the core of what Hezekiah wrote after his recovery from his sickness, and it is the praise of wise man.  He humbly acknowledged God’s rescue (kept me from destruction) and redemption (put my sins behind your back). There was nothing he could do but   turn to God his rescuer and redeemer. Then, he joyfully praised God – recognizing that only living people have this privilege to tell others of God’s faithfulness.

We too, are wise to humbly acknowledge God’s faithfulness (to Him) and then tell others what we have experienced of his faithfulness.