Recovery

 

    Recovery is a strong word.  It means to return to your normal state of health, mind, or strength.  It means the difference of living and existing in come cases.  Since Covid hit the world, I think we all appreciate what the word recovery means in a new way. 

    King Hezekiah got sick to the point of almost dying.  He had seen all the doctors and healers, but when they were not able to fix him he turned to Isaiah.  He was the leader of the nation.  He believed in God, but He did not know God.  He did not know how to pray without help.  He needed Isaiah to plea on his behalf to God.  If he had, he could had prayed for healing before seeking people for help.

    Isaiah did not give Hezekiah the news that he wanted to hear.  Isaiah told him to get his house in order because the illness would claim his life.  This broke the king, so he prayed bitterly to God about how he was faithful.  I guess in comparison to his predecessors he was, but that is not the standard.

    God took sympathy on the Hezekiah because He is faithful.  He give the king 15 more years and promised to protect Jerusalem while he was alive.  He also offered the king a sign as verification of His Word.

    The king recovered and wrote a poem about the experience.  He was in the prime of his life.  He was not ready to die.  All he wanted was to thank God for his second chance at life.  The experience humbled him.  He realized that he had benefitted from suffering because it made him realize that God always keeps His promises.  God had kept him from the pit.  He praised God with gratitude, but he still did not really understand, but at least he was headed in the right direction.

Isaiah 38