Day 101, or April the 11th.
God really does know best.
Our thoughts today are from 2 Kings, chapter 20, verse 1.
In those days, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.
The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, This is what the Lord says.
Put your house in order, because you are going to die.
You will not recover.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse.
After the scattering of northern Israel, the Bible concentrate on what remains for the
rest of the book of 2 Kings.
Judah in the south continues to flourish despite the Assyrians, who have conquered the north
and now are trying their best to take the south too.
There is a faithful king on the throne in Jerusalem, and his name is Hezekiah.
His prophet is Isaiah.
The odds are all against Judah surviving, but with the help of God they do.
One of the most godly kings, Hezekiah, is replaced by one of the most wicked and godless,
his son, Manasseh.
And now today's action step.
The words that Isaiah gave to Hezekiah are the words that many of us dread for either
ourselves or those we love.
Our instant response is to argue and ask for an extension.
In medical jargon we would insist on a second opinion, but where God is concerned there
is no second authority.
He is the first and only opinion that matters, but he can change things if he so wishes.
In this case he made a slight change for Hezekiah.
I read recently that it would not be long before science would be able to offer immortality
to mankind, as it would be able to replace or regrow all parts of our body that wear
out.
The mind boggles.
God gives Hezekiah another fifteen years, but they are far from his best years, and
really prove that God's timing is always best.
Hezekiah makes a couple of major blunders during his extra years.
He shows weakness towards the Babylonians, who invade and conquer after his death, and
he fathers wicked Manasseh.
Enjoy life to the full and let God count the days, so you can enjoy all of them.