SPIRITIUAL DIARY FOR 10/3/2013
8:21 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Illness Crisis PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Isaiah 38:1-3
Message of the
verses: In an earlier SD we spoke of
how most scholars have said that the events that we are now going to look at
happened before the events in chapters 36-37.
Dr. Wiersbe wrote “Bible students generally agree that Hezekiah’s
sickness (Isa. 38) and foolish reception of the envoys (Isa. 39) took place
before the Assyrian invasion, possibly between the time Hezekiah sent the
tribute and Sennacherib broke the treaty.
Then why are these chapters not arranged chronologically?
“The prophet arranged the account as a ‘bridge’ between
the two parts of his book. Chapters 38
and 39 teach us some valuable lessons about faith, prayer, and the dangers of
pride. Though the setting today may be
different, the problems and temptations are still the same; for Hezekiah’s
history is our history, and Hezekiah’s God is our God.”
Peril (Isaiah 38:1):
“1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet
the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, ’Set
your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” This is not the kind of message one wants to
hear, but none the less Hezekiah got it anyway.
I suppose that people today get the same type of message from doctors
when they are sick with a disease like cancer, however in some ways this is a
different kind of message.
Just a little note on why Bible Students believe this
took place before the Assyrian invasion let’s look at verse six: “6 “I will deliver you and this city from the
hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.’”
The nation of Judah did not want to hear that their godly
king was going to die in a time like they were going through with the Assyrian’s
knocking at the door of Jerusalem. Dr.
Wiersbe also writes that “apparently” Hezekiah did not have a son and therefore
this would stop the promise that God gave to David in 2 Samuel 7:16. Now it seems to me that a few years back when
I was studying “Kings and also Chronicles” that I learned that Hezekiah did
have a son before this illness. The
point is that his son Manasseh was the worst of the kings that Judah had ever
hand and since Hezekiah prayed to be healed from this illness and was healed
from it that if he would have died then Manasseh would not have been born.
Prayer (Isaiah 38:2-3):
“2 Then Hezekiah turned his face
to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3
and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked
before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your
sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”
I suppose that if any of us would have been in the position
that Hezekiah was in we too, would have prayed to God to spare our lives. Hezekiah cared about the nation that he was
leading and wanted to continue to lead it.
Some have criticized Hezekiah for this prayer and the tears he shed, but
I believe this is not something that should be criticized for Hezekiah was a
good an godly king, a king like few others in Judah.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I too am going
through a sort of a crisis, one that I will not go into any detail about, but
one none the less is so very important to me.
I believe that Satan is trying to get his way in the life of a person
that I love very much, and my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will not allow
Satan to succeed in this person’s life.
My Steps of Faith for Today: God will give the victory in this person’s
life, and that this person will accept the saving grace that the Lord Jesus
offers and will be saved.
Memory verses for the week: 2 Peter 1:1-6
1 Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus
Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as our, by the
righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 Grace and peace by multiplied to you in the
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining
to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His
glory and excellence. 4 For by these He
has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you
may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this
very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge,
self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance,
godliness,
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “The Disciples” (Matthew
24:3).
Today’s Bible
Question: “Where did Paul drive an evil
spirit out of a girl?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/3/2013 9:00 AM
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