Hey, So I was asked to talk about God today and wasn't sure where to start. So I prayed and asked God for help and He gave me two stories from the Bible to talk about. I wasn't sure how they linked up at first but as I started speaking it made sense. The first story was about a King in the Bible called Hezekiah. Long story short, Israel at that time had a pretty long string of bad Kings full of corruption, greed and sin that brought nothing but death and problems to everyone in the land. This guy Hezekiah was pretty good guy. He wasnt perfect but he loved God and did his best to follow His ways and I'm sure it was a nice breath of fresh air for the people of his country. Hezekiah fell very ill and was facing death. A prophet called Isaiah was sent to tell Hezekiah that his time has come and he is going to die. The message was simple. "Get your house in order, you're going to die." As much as this wasn't exactly the most positive message to receive it was extremely merciful for God to tell him this as so many of us never know when our time is up.
The part that follows is quite amazing. Hezekiah humbles himself, gets on his knees in tears before God asking God to spare his life. He weeps bitterly before God asking God to keep using him as a King to lead God's people - and God hears. God answers and says "I will grant you another 15 years as King" and as a sign to prove it God made the shadow of the sundial go backwards. For this to happen is scientifically, logically and universally impossible - yet it happened. What God was saying was this "I rule time. I live outside of the confines and laws of time and I command them as I wish". Hezekiah lived 15 more years as God said in answer to his humble cries. The next story God brought to mind was the story of a young, desperately beautiful girl living in a dangerous foreign land. A land where people who had her origin were being hunted and killed. Her name was Esther. She was chosen among many of the most beautiful girls of the land to be in line to become the next queen. She would be the most powerful woman in one of the most powerful nations of that age - Persia.
The only problem was she was an orphan child born a Jew. The Jews were being targeted for assassination left, right and center and Esther had to be extremely careful who she trusted or she would be the next one with a target on her back. Here's the thing... this girl was special. The beauty she had went much deeper than just what you saw on the outside. Far, far deeper. She gained the highest level of favour from the foreign King but knew all along if she revealed her true origins it most likely would mean her death and the death of all those she knew. But the true beauty in her was her fearlessness in the face of certain death. She prayed to God asking Him to help and save her people from being cruelly wiped out - and God heard and answered. Esther revealed the truth that she was among those being hunted and killed and God did the impossible. He turned the Kings heart towards Esther's plight and answered the cries of all His people. Esther became a true heroine. Royalty embodied. Sacrificial love for the sake of others despite her own peril. The very heart of God.
God was so faithful and He protected her, blessed her and as a result - used her to be an instrument to save the lives of her race... the people of God. So I'll finish here with this. God hears. Don't ever think He doesn't hear you. He hears you just fine. Even those silent cries in the night. He hears the groans from your broken heart and knows your pain. He may not answer when and how you like but know that He hears and is forever faithful. His ways are far above our ways and He operates on very different terms to us. Know this, there are no limits for Him. Time, Death, Resources, People. He needs none of it to do what He does. He is all you need and more. Keep calling out to Him because He loves you and hears. He will make a way through the darkness. Hold on because you are loved and heard. You are valued and known. Your God will save you and reply to your cries with His strong arm of salvation and redemption. I'm praying you have an awesome day today. Don't give up.
[ Psalm 34:17 - When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. ]
The part that follows is quite amazing. Hezekiah humbles himself, gets on his knees in tears before God asking God to spare his life. He weeps bitterly before God asking God to keep using him as a King to lead God's people - and God hears. God answers and says "I will grant you another 15 years as King" and as a sign to prove it God made the shadow of the sundial go backwards. For this to happen is scientifically, logically and universally impossible - yet it happened. What God was saying was this "I rule time. I live outside of the confines and laws of time and I command them as I wish". Hezekiah lived 15 more years as God said in answer to his humble cries. The next story God brought to mind was the story of a young, desperately beautiful girl living in a dangerous foreign land. A land where people who had her origin were being hunted and killed. Her name was Esther. She was chosen among many of the most beautiful girls of the land to be in line to become the next queen. She would be the most powerful woman in one of the most powerful nations of that age - Persia.
The only problem was she was an orphan child born a Jew. The Jews were being targeted for assassination left, right and center and Esther had to be extremely careful who she trusted or she would be the next one with a target on her back. Here's the thing... this girl was special. The beauty she had went much deeper than just what you saw on the outside. Far, far deeper. She gained the highest level of favour from the foreign King but knew all along if she revealed her true origins it most likely would mean her death and the death of all those she knew. But the true beauty in her was her fearlessness in the face of certain death. She prayed to God asking Him to help and save her people from being cruelly wiped out - and God heard and answered. Esther revealed the truth that she was among those being hunted and killed and God did the impossible. He turned the Kings heart towards Esther's plight and answered the cries of all His people. Esther became a true heroine. Royalty embodied. Sacrificial love for the sake of others despite her own peril. The very heart of God.
God was so faithful and He protected her, blessed her and as a result - used her to be an instrument to save the lives of her race... the people of God. So I'll finish here with this. God hears. Don't ever think He doesn't hear you. He hears you just fine. Even those silent cries in the night. He hears the groans from your broken heart and knows your pain. He may not answer when and how you like but know that He hears and is forever faithful. His ways are far above our ways and He operates on very different terms to us. Know this, there are no limits for Him. Time, Death, Resources, People. He needs none of it to do what He does. He is all you need and more. Keep calling out to Him because He loves you and hears. He will make a way through the darkness. Hold on because you are loved and heard. You are valued and known. Your God will save you and reply to your cries with His strong arm of salvation and redemption. I'm praying you have an awesome day today. Don't give up.
[ Psalm 34:17 - When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. ]
