May 13, 2022

Passage Read: Isaiah 35-38
Meditation Verse: 38:15

Thought

The Lord said that Hezekiah would die, and Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord to remember his faithfulness and dedication to Him. Hezekiah would have been safe if he had died at that point, but he may not have had an heir to sit in the throne. Yet the Lord chose instead to heal him and grant him fifteen more years of life. Hezekiah's response was to walk softly, humbly all his remaining years, because of the bitterness of his soul. He would be even more humble before the Lord because of His kindness to extend his life. But somehow he messed up and produced a son like Manasseh.

Application

A near death experience should drive us even more to trust the Lord and live for Him, and in the near-term, it can cause an increase in piety. But if it's not held close to heart, it can result in a callousness towards the Lord, even a contempt by means of a sense of indestructibility. I have not had such an experience, but in reality, I should treat every day as a near-death experience, because the Lord could take my life at any moment, and every day I live is a gift from the Lord to do His will.