“Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.” (Isaiah 38:17-19 NIV)
My life as I know it could come to an end on any day. At any moment, perhaps even today, I could breathe my last and my physical existence would come to an end.
King Hezekiah wept bitterly when he received the news that he was going to die. This was a man who had an enormous love for God and a great reputation before Him. In 2 Kings 18:5, God’s Word says concerning Hezekiah: “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.”
God had spared Hezekiah’s life and added fifteen additional years to his life, to which Hezekiah responded with praise. He was granted the beautiful and gracious gift of investing his life into the the things of God for an additional fifteen years and his heart was singing praise to Him for he was alive!
King Hezekiah left behind a legacy. History will remember this man as a man that loved, praised and worshiped God. Hezekiah understood that the days of his life were precious and he understood the importance of living his life in such a way that brought honor and glory to God. He invested his life into the things that outlasted his life and has left behind stories recorded in the Bible of his blessings and his victories that were given to him by God, and his beautiful prayer of gratitude and praise recorded in Isaiah 38.
From these words, I am reminded of how delicate life is. They help me to remember just how extremely important each day is that I am allowed to live. I think often about the day when I will be ushered into the presence of Jesus and I stand before Him, face to face. It is the biggest yearning and desire of my heart and thoughts of this beautiful experience overwhelms my thinking at many times. Being with Jesus in His Kingdom is definitely where my heart longs to be. But through Hezekiah’s words, I am reminded of the importance of investing the days that God gives to me now. Today!
I am faced with many questions I must ask myself regarding how I am spending the days that God is blessing me with. How will I be remembered when I am no longer here? What will my family and friends say about me at my funeral or in the days and years that follow my death? Will God be the very first thought that comes into people’s minds when they remember me? Will God still continue to use me to bring praise and glory to Himself when I am no longer physically around to make a difference? Will I, like Hezekiah, be remembered as a man who was so in love with the Lord?
Moses instructs me how to gain favorable answers to my questions in the book of Deuteronomy:
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 10:12) (With emphasis on the word, “now”.)
O sovereign Lord, every single day, every second of life is a precious gift from you. I am alive today! My heart is beating and my lungs are breathing. But God, I understand that the only reason I am alive today is because of your merciful love and your unfailing grace! Apart from you I cease to exist!
Lord, it is my prayer that you help me to not waste one more second of the time that you give me. Forgive me for complacency and pride in my life. I want each moment of the time you give me to be loving praise ascribed only to you. However you choose to take this existence and use it, it is my prayer that you have your will in me.
Create in me a clean heart, pure and devoted completely to you. Eliminate distractions that keep me from being used by you. Take my heart, my body, my energy, my entire existence and use me! Create a legacy in my life that splashes out your love to everyone I come in contact with. Give me a heart that is so crazy in love with you, that when I am no longer here, people will remember me by remembering and loving YOU!
I love you so much!
John (Johnd7264)
Sixty-six books in a year 