O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!
Isaiah 38:16
It’s hard to be sure of the precise order of events in Hezekiah’s life, but here’s the most likely reconstruction:
- Hezekiah became sick to the point of death (38:1)
- Despite being a godly man, he struggled with bitterness (38:15)
- Isaiah said, “Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover” (38:1)
- The king turned his face to the wall. He prayed, and he wept bitterly (38:2-3)
- When Isaiah left, the Lord told him to go back (38:5)
- Isaiah spoke the Word of God: “I have heard your prayer… I will add fifteen years to your life” (38:5)
- Hezekiah prayed with new faith and confidence: “Oh restore me to health and make me live!” (38:16)
Notice the pattern: God speaks in verse 5. Hezekiah prays in verse 16. The King says, “He has spoken to me” (38:15), saying, “I will add fifteen years to your life” (38:5). So Hezekiah prays, “Oh restore me to health and make me live” (38:16).
Hezekiah had been struggling with great bitterness. How did he overcome it? When a crisis comes and you discover that your faith was not as strong as you thought, what will help you?
The answer is that faith is strengthened by the Word of God. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4).
Reflect on a time when God used a particular verse or passage to strengthen your faith.
