a tight grip

Imagine if you will, being in the fight of your life for your country and fighting for it for 17 years. It would get pretty old. You'd be hard pressed to find an American that waits for 17 years for anything, It's the "i want it right now" culture we live in. I guess that's why I can sympathize with King Hezikiah when he becomes sicker than a dog, and his oomph has lost all it's oomph, and he's prolly thinking that God isn't' going to deliver on his promise of deliverance from that icky king.

But in walks Isaiah.  Yah, the prophet. The big cahoona. Thee Isaiah that wrote about Jesus hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. He walks in and tells Hezikiah that he needs to get his house in order because he's going to die. (2 kings 20:1) and then Isaiah walks out.

Hezikiah loses it. He turns in his bed towards the wall and cries out to God in prayer, and of course he's weeping bitterly.

And even before Isaiah gets outta the house, God is answering that prayer of Hezikiah's.

Isaiah goes back into Hezikiah's room and tells him what God wants him to hear.. and boy is it a doozey.

Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.”

In all of the whole entire Bible, Hezikiah is the only person to know exactly how many days he has left. You'd think it was a gift, and really I thought so too.. until i started to think about it. 

Every birthday you'd think to yourself,  i only have ___ left. It's a short time,15 years. I struggled in my heart pretty much all week weather this was a good thing or not for Hezikiah. Then, i realized that God wasn't done with him, and Hezikiah was about to learn his greatest heart issue, an issue that God would gladly put more years on anyones life just so that you could see it, and with His help, deal with it. 

what's so important to losen your grip on??

pride.

The last 15 years of Hezikiah's life are pretty important to not only him, but the nation of Israel. i can't wait to tell you about it..