Finishing well!
Isaiah 38 (The Message)
1 At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die... Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God: "God, please, I beg you: Remember how I've lived my life. I've lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You've seen how I've lived, the good that I have done." And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears. 4-6 Then God told Isaiah, "Go and speak with Hezekiah. Give him this Message from me, God, the God of your ancestor David: 'I've heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here's what I'll do: I'll add fifteen years to your life... This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he'd been sick and then recovered from his sickness: In the very prime of life
I have to leave.
Whatever time I have left
is spent in death's waiting room.
No more glimpses of God
in the land of the living,
No more meetings with my neighbors,
no more rubbing shoulders with friends.
This body I inhabit is taken down
and packed away like a camper's tent.
Like a weaver, I've rolled up the carpet of my life
as God cuts me free of the loom
And at day's end sweeps up the scraps and pieces.
I cry for help until morning.
Like a lion, God pummels and pounds me,
relentlessly finishing me off.
I squawk like a doomed hen,
moan like a dove.
My eyes ache from looking up for help:
"Master, I'm in trouble! Get me out of this!"
But what's the use? God himself gave me the word.
He's done it to me.
I can't sleep—
I'm that upset, that troubled. 16-19 O Master, these are the conditions in which people live,
and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive—
fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life!
It seems it was good for me
to go through all those troubles.
Throughout them all you held tight to my lifeline.
You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing.
But my sins you let go of,
threw them over your shoulder—good riddance!
The dead don't thank you,
and choirs don't sing praises from the morgue.
Those buried six feet under
don't witness to your faithful ways.
It's the living—live men, live women—who thank you,
just as I'm doing right now.
Parents give their children
full reports on your faithful ways.
I have to leave.
Whatever time I have left
is spent in death's waiting room.
No more glimpses of God
in the land of the living,
No more meetings with my neighbors,
no more rubbing shoulders with friends.
This body I inhabit is taken down
and packed away like a camper's tent.
Like a weaver, I've rolled up the carpet of my life
as God cuts me free of the loom
And at day's end sweeps up the scraps and pieces.
I cry for help until morning.
Like a lion, God pummels and pounds me,
relentlessly finishing me off.
I squawk like a doomed hen,
moan like a dove.
My eyes ache from looking up for help:
"Master, I'm in trouble! Get me out of this!"
But what's the use? God himself gave me the word.
He's done it to me.
I can't sleep—
I'm that upset, that troubled. 16-19 O Master, these are the conditions in which people live,
and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive—
fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life!
It seems it was good for me
to go through all those troubles.
Throughout them all you held tight to my lifeline.
You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing.
But my sins you let go of,
threw them over your shoulder—good riddance!
The dead don't thank you,
and choirs don't sing praises from the morgue.
Those buried six feet under
don't witness to your faithful ways.
It's the living—live men, live women—who thank you,
just as I'm doing right now.
Parents give their children
full reports on your faithful ways.
20 God saves and will save me.
As fiddles and mandolins strike up the tunes,
We'll sing, oh we'll sing, sing,
for the rest of our lives in the Sanctuary of God...
I pray the verses above are encouraging to your situation. Hezekiah knew first hand what it was like to see his leadership position start slipping away. In this instance, it was due to Hezekiah's health - I am also certain Hezekiah's pride in the way he showcased his wealth and leadership expertise also begin to crush his ego when opportunity began to slip through his fingers.
Yet, God allowed Hezekiah to suffer - in order to make Hezekiah realize he is only human, like the rest of us, and to ultimately bring him back to a full trust and reliance upon His faith in God. Hezekiah sought it with tears... and God honored his request and gave Hezekiah additional life and years in serving his God.
If God can do this with Hezekiah, God can do this with us.
"Holding on while Being Pulled... Let it GO!"
Turbulent waters has caused us to be frightened of the current; and, we have found ourselves clinging onto branches sticking out of the water... or our feet caught and hung by debris in the water... and there we are... "Pinned" by some obstruction hoping to find some personal and/or ministry resolve to get us to the "safer" side of the shoreline... we see the bend ahead in the river; but, we are petrified by the unforeseen of what may be on the other side of the twist and turns in the current. We hear the roar of the water... and we assume the worst... "so we stay put"... hoping something will give. Perhaps... inching our way to the side of the shoreline... but why? If we do that... it's the end of the trip. We will never know what is downstream. We have come this far - so we can't give up now. Don't cut the trip short! So, we have to do something... if we stay put.. we sit there constantly reminded of the rushing current - it does not stop... we feel the physical toll our bodies are taking... we feel our aching muscles - the cuts and bruises of what we have endured thus far. This experience has caused us to become numb to our calling and uncertain of our purpose. But we can't stay put! We have to let go... go with the flow... embrace the current and SEE what is around the bend - it's all apart of the journey!
The best way to Pull ourselves together when everything is pulling us a part - is to just let go! It's letting go of the "tug-of-war" rope... and watch the opposition fall to the ground... sure the other side may have won the competiton (in their own minds)... but look who is still standing?
IT's not about us! Like I have shared... if we can't let it go... ministry has more of a hold on us than we do of it. Can we step away for a moment... lay the rope down... release ourselves from whatever obstruction there is in the water... to just "go with the flow?" and let's trust and believe the best is yet to come on the other side of the river bend?
Notice how it was initially Isaiah who spoke on Hezekiah's behalf. Noticed how Hezekiah FACED the WALL... reminding him about climb upward and what it is going to take to get to a better place. Notice how Hezekiah wrote a note of thanksgiving AFTER he was restored, AFTER he recovered, AFTER he had gotten to a better place on the other side of the river bend! I want to encourage you to not speak about positive change until YOU are certain it is ready to be shared! Just keep these moments to yourself for right now... and God will give you the right season to share openly about your growth and blessings you have learned once you get to the other side of this!
As fiddles and mandolins strike up the tunes,
We'll sing, oh we'll sing, sing,
for the rest of our lives in the Sanctuary of God...
I pray the verses above are encouraging to your situation. Hezekiah knew first hand what it was like to see his leadership position start slipping away. In this instance, it was due to Hezekiah's health - I am also certain Hezekiah's pride in the way he showcased his wealth and leadership expertise also begin to crush his ego when opportunity began to slip through his fingers.
Yet, God allowed Hezekiah to suffer - in order to make Hezekiah realize he is only human, like the rest of us, and to ultimately bring him back to a full trust and reliance upon His faith in God. Hezekiah sought it with tears... and God honored his request and gave Hezekiah additional life and years in serving his God.
If God can do this with Hezekiah, God can do this with us.
"Holding on while Being Pulled... Let it GO!"
Turbulent waters has caused us to be frightened of the current; and, we have found ourselves clinging onto branches sticking out of the water... or our feet caught and hung by debris in the water... and there we are... "Pinned" by some obstruction hoping to find some personal and/or ministry resolve to get us to the "safer" side of the shoreline... we see the bend ahead in the river; but, we are petrified by the unforeseen of what may be on the other side of the twist and turns in the current. We hear the roar of the water... and we assume the worst... "so we stay put"... hoping something will give. Perhaps... inching our way to the side of the shoreline... but why? If we do that... it's the end of the trip. We will never know what is downstream. We have come this far - so we can't give up now. Don't cut the trip short! So, we have to do something... if we stay put.. we sit there constantly reminded of the rushing current - it does not stop... we feel the physical toll our bodies are taking... we feel our aching muscles - the cuts and bruises of what we have endured thus far. This experience has caused us to become numb to our calling and uncertain of our purpose. But we can't stay put! We have to let go... go with the flow... embrace the current and SEE what is around the bend - it's all apart of the journey!
The best way to Pull ourselves together when everything is pulling us a part - is to just let go! It's letting go of the "tug-of-war" rope... and watch the opposition fall to the ground... sure the other side may have won the competiton (in their own minds)... but look who is still standing?
IT's not about us! Like I have shared... if we can't let it go... ministry has more of a hold on us than we do of it. Can we step away for a moment... lay the rope down... release ourselves from whatever obstruction there is in the water... to just "go with the flow?" and let's trust and believe the best is yet to come on the other side of the river bend?
Notice how it was initially Isaiah who spoke on Hezekiah's behalf. Noticed how Hezekiah FACED the WALL... reminding him about climb upward and what it is going to take to get to a better place. Notice how Hezekiah wrote a note of thanksgiving AFTER he was restored, AFTER he recovered, AFTER he had gotten to a better place on the other side of the river bend! I want to encourage you to not speak about positive change until YOU are certain it is ready to be shared! Just keep these moments to yourself for right now... and God will give you the right season to share openly about your growth and blessings you have learned once you get to the other side of this!
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