The times are difficult, but God is still alive

“Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.”
– 2 Kings 20:2

What a word I am getting from the Lord in the center of the Christmas season. It is not the message of the angel bringing the good news of the birth of the Christ child, but the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, being sent to no other person but the king, Hezekiah, to tell him that he must set his house in order, make his will, for he is going to die and not live. Wow!

Whereas the shepherds in the field that night of the angel’s message agreed to get up and go to Bethlehem to see this thing, which is come to pass, King Hezekiah does not query or argue with the messenger, does not panic and get up out his bed, but turns his face to the wall of the room and began to have a talk with the Lord.

Hear him as he prays in earnest – “O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.”

Before the prophet was off the premises, the word of the Lord came to him saying: “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. I will add 15 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.”

The journey of COVID-19 continues, and many are stories of sorrow, despair and ultimatums. Where does one go when there is no place of glad tidings to escape? Yes, where does one go when circumstances beyond your control hold you hostage to the situation, and the flesh is neither able nor willing?

Watching a recent local news story touched my heart. A businessman looked beyond the gloom of this Christmas season, rents, mortgages deep in arrears, hotels closed, jobs lost, market place is empty, no tourists in town, and the economy on the down low, food lines with no end, and told himself that in spite of all that is happening, he would increase his yearly ordering of Christmas trees. He said that his business is so brisk and perhaps by the time this column appeared, he may be sold out. Wow! What faith in times of doom and gloom. Blessings, brother.

Dear readers, I thank you for your years of faithful reading of Along Life’s Road, and just today, I met a lady who turned out to be my Long Island family, Ms. Butler, and she told me she never misses a week. It does not matter what your situation is, even to the point your life is at stake, there is a God who is willing and able to perform miracles without you moving from place to place. King Hezekiah in his illness was given some bad news, but he called on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the answer came immediately.

The times are indeed hard and difficult, but God is still alive. There has been no private burial, laden with governmental restrictions, advertised obituary for our God. We can call on him wherever we are and whatever our situation – mental, physical, spiritual, financial or morally may be. He can give length of days, stability to instability, and sanity to insanity.

In order to receive such divine blessings, one must be able to pray as Hezekiah prayed – “I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, I have done that which is good in thy sight”. How do you qualify for your miracle?

• E-mail haystreet241@gmail.com or rubyanndarling@yahoo.com. Write to P.O. Box 19725 SS Nassau, Bahamas, with your prayer requests, concerns and comments. God’s blessings.   

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