A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness.
Isaiah 38:9
The beginning of Hezekiah’s crisis was shock, the end was hope, but the middle was anguish.
Perhaps this is where you are today. You have moved through the shock of being disrupted by a crisis. You have affirmed your hope in God. But now you are feeling the anguish, and it looks like it will only get worse.
Looking back, Hezekiah gives us the inside story of what he experienced.
He felt fragile
“My dwelling is plucked up… from me like a shepherd’s tent” (38:12). This crisis confronts Hezekiah with the reality that his life is fragile. He lives in a palace, but his body is like a tent. Are you feeling fragile? Feeling fragile is part of the anguish of an unexpected crisis.
He felt anxious
“I calmed myself until morning” (38:13). Anxiety is always worse at night. The hours creep past, and the mind won’t rest. This man walked with God. And he was anxious. Are you feeling anxious? Anxiety is part of the anguish of an unexpected crisis.
He felt weary
“My eyes are weary with looking upward” (38:14). Notice why he is weary: from “looking upward.” He had been calling on God, and he was tired of waiting for an answer. How long, O Lord? Are you feeling weary? Growing weary is part of the anguish of an unexpected crisis.
Maybe you have thought, I am a Christian. I shouldn’t be feeling fragile or anxious or weary. But this was the experience of a godly king. Don’t be surprised if it is the same for you. This is not a failure of faith. It is part of our humanity.
Which of these feelings—fragile, anxious, or weary—are you facing today?
