Activities

Study Material: II Kings 20: 4-6 NIV5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.
6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Today’s Teaching:
After Isaiah had pronounced God’s judgment on Hezekiah and informed him that he would die, he left the palace and king Hezekiah immediately began to pray. Before Isaiah had a chance to leave the royal grounds, God heard and answered King Hezekiah’s prayer. He told Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that He would heal him (v5) and add 15 years to his life (v6a). He would also defend him in battle against the king of Assyria (v6b).

God is a giver of rapid turn-arounds. He gives us opportunities to turn our lives around. What we do with it is left to us. Because we are alive to see 2014, many of us believe that it is our right or entitlement. But actually, the Bible tells us that in exchange for our sinful ways, our pay is death. It says in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; and in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In essence, all of us deserve death. But God is merciful and continues to give us life instead; even unto the gift of eternal life if we remain faithful.

King Hezekiah had a rapid turn-around. From being told to prepare for death in II Kings 20:1. Isaiah was made to rapidly turn around and come back to the King and tell him that his prayer had been heard. He received a rapid turn around from facing death to getting an extra 15 years of life. May God give you your own bonus in this New Year. We are no better than those who did not make it into 2014. We are not holier or more sanctified because at the end of the day, the Bible records that we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Is 64:6a). King Hezekiah was not given a new beginning because he was good, but rather because our God is good.

Take Home Lesson: Our God is a God who can rapidly turn things around for you. He can turn things around for you in this New Year and can make all dead things come to life.

Homework: Ask God to breathe life into every dead area of your life such as your marriage, finances, reproductive system and others.