Daily Thought

Of all the prayers of the Old Testament, this prayer of Hezekiah is perhaps the most poignant. It is born out of desperation, the cry of one who has no hope but in God Himself. Rabshakeh, the servant of the king of Assyria, had openly challenged Hezekiah’s trust in God. He mocked at his godly rule, and his destruction of idols and idol worship in Israel. Samaria had been destroyed and so would Jerusalem. In the face of Assyrian might, the God of Israel and Judah, and all who served and trusted in Him would fall. Thus, the letter was received by Hezekiah.

It is good to notice the way in which the king approaches the challenge. First of all, he rends his clothes and goes humbly into the Lord’s house. The word is sent to Isaiah the prophet, asking for prayer to his God. But then as word of encouragement comes from the prophet, he quietly takes the letter and spreads it out before the Lord. So, he asks the Lord to draw near, to see and hear the plea of His servant.

It is not very often that we find ourselves in such a desperate situation as this. The very foundation of his trust was shaken, and his God was blasphemed. Overwhelming defeat seemed to be staring him in the face. He ‘spread [the letter] before the Lord’. What lessons can we learn from this event? ‘Before the Lord’ is the place where we can bring desperate need.

The writer to the Hebrews could say, ‘Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace’, Heb. 4. 16. Listening to Assyria brought fear-understandably so. But fears can be banished when problems are brought before the Lord. Jesus, the Son of God, our Great High Priest, has passed through the heavens. We can obtain mercy and find grace to help in every time of need. ‘Open, Lord, thine eyes’. The all-seeing eyes of the Lord can appraise the exact dimensions of each trouble. He doesn’t miss a thing. ‘Bow down thine ear, and hear’. Not a whisper of our need will fail to reach His ear. This is a vital lesson.

Thought: - ‘O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer’, J. SCRIVEN.