The other day I was reading in Isaiah about how Hezekiah, the king of Judah at the time, suddenly became incredibly ill. The Lord sent Isaiah to give the king the message that he would not recover from the illness, so he should begin to get his affairs in order. Upon hearing this news, Hezekiah “turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.” (Isaiah 38:2).What happens next is fascinating:
Hezekiah prayed, “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. Then Lord sent Isaiah back let the king know He had “heard his prayer and seen his tears. I will add fifteen years to your life and I will rescue this city from the king in Assyria….and this is the sign that the Lord will give you to prove He will do as 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.” Isaiah 38:4-7
To be honest, I felt immediate jealousy when I read this passage. God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and immediately acted, but then also took steps to prove that He would extend the king’s life. WOW. That must have been amazing to see firsthand.
God proved His faithfulness!
Just like He proved to the Israelites that He would take care of them in the wilderness by sending manna every day.
Just like He proved to Daniel that he would be safe in the lion’s den.
Just like He proved to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that he would protect them in the fire.
I’m jealous of the people that got to see these things happen right in front of them. They got to see proof of God’s faithfulness, so any doubt or unbelief should have vanished. The facts were right in front of them. “They were so lucky”, I thought to myself, “there was no room for wondering if God would really do what He promised because it was happening all around them.”
And as soon as I let that thought enter my mind, I realized that God has been doing the same thing for me all throughout my life. I can think of countless examples of times God proved it to me–He took care of me, guided me, comforted me, answered prayers and opened doors that I wasn’t even knocking on. And He shut doors that weren’t good for me. God’s fingerprints are every where. He’s been proving it all along and He has done the same for you.
I want to make sure I never forget the things He’s done in my own life. He’s literally been there for me through every high and every low. Let’s openly share with those around us how God has proved His faithfulness to us. Let’s talk about how He’s shown up for us and rejoice in the fact that God knows each one of us by name!
Amen!! Yes I loved this devotional!!!
thank you for reading, Kathy!
This is such a good reminder! The part I struggle with is how did Hezekiah change God’s plan? I always thought prayer changes OUR heart, not the Lord’s. I’ve prayed over and over for a specific person’s circumstance, clinging to the knowledge that God will carry out His will in His time, but to hear that Hezekiah’s prayer changed his lifespan, makes me question why my prayers aren’t changing circumstances.
Thank you Sarah for sharing your devotionals on this platform. You truly have a gift of the best kind. Teaching others about God.
I look forward to your devotionals and can’t thank you enough for all the joy and love you share.
I always learn so much from your devotionals and to see things the way you do it’s incredible.
appreciate that so much, Carol. Thank you!
Oh. My. Word! This devotional speaks VOLUMES to me of the countless times, in the last 14 years in particular, God has PROVEN to me He’s here. He loves us so very much, we just need to be open in heart and mind.
Thank you so much Sarah, for the reminder. I’m reading this on my lunch break, I work in a VERY busy acute care/trauma hospital. It has been stressful today, but reading this has helped calm my heart.
Bless you, Heather, for doing such amazing work. So glad this could be a little bright spot in your day. Sending a big hug!
Thank you Sarah for sharing this devotional! I am blessed with God’s Love that I feel every day. What a true blessing to be able to ANYTIME go to him in prayer and turn things over. I may not understand all the time the things I am to do or say but I am willing to be open minded to hear his word. Blessing to you Sarah! 🙏🏻❤️
I very much enjoy your devotions.
Hi Sarah
I love reading this, thank you! God has certainly been there for me in my life.
So good!
Thank you for sharing- I too need to remember His faithfulness in times of prayer when I don’t see immediate answers. I also want to thank you for your account that is filled with your faith – so needed today !
Such a great reminder of the stories how God showed up in time of prayer and answered them .. Yes, He does that in our lives too, we sometimes forget to recognize. 💕🎶🙌 Thanks for sharing
Love this!! There are miracles all around us if we just take the time to look and see what God has done. 💛💛