It is a serious thing to approach the Lord for favors. We should remember that we are seeking an audience with the King of Kings; his majesty is awesome; he can kill with a glance and resurrect with a smile. He has all the power there is to have and his decision is law-in-action.
So when Israel, the nation of God, was about to be invaded by a powerful enemy that had vowed to utterly destroy it, King Hezekiah was in a desperate situation. Israel must be preserved for the coming of the Saviour.
Previously Israel had turned to other nations for help but the results had usually been a watering down of Israel’s spiritual and national power. Hezekiah knew it would be destructive to approach anyone but his God for help.
He ripped his clothes and put on sackcloth and then he sought the Lord.
Here, in a large area of Australia today we have the most severe drought and the most frightening bushfires our generation has ever seen. These are terrifying enemies in any language. Asia cannot invent rain for us, Europe cannot prevent our forests from burning, the western world and the eastern world are powerless to help.
The gods and cultures of other nations cannot bring rain or stop firestorms.
Only the one all-powerful King can alter our situation. Only he can send the rain that will cure the drought and put out the fires. But how do we reach out to God for the help we need? How should we act in his presence?
King Hezekiah has demonstrated what we should do in our crisis. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, that is, he acknowledged his un-spiritual self-sufficiency, and his mortal nature. He acknowledged that he was a sinner, unworthy and powerless in his natural being. Only the grace of God could prevent destruction and only God could dress him respectably and array him ‘in garments of righteousness,’ Isaiah 61:10.
If we, as a nation, would be like Hezekiah, then it may be that the God of Grace would say to us ‘You heavens above, rain down righteous; let the clouds shower it down, let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow up with it; I, the Lord, have created it.’ Isaiah 25:8.
The God who delights ‘to show mercy’, is waiting at the door. Are we ready for Him?
By Just a Minute team writer
Elizabeth Price.
You can contact Elizabeth direct at mailto:reprice@dragnet.com.au