Tag Archives: Perseverance

Instant Messaging

Posted on by under Christian Living

Texting     Have you ever prayed for God to take care of some problem that you had, and then wondered what the answer to that prayer would be? It is especially difficult for us as Americans to be patient in waiting for a response. We are so accustomed to fast food, microwave ovens, and instant messaging that we expect immediate results. Additionally, it may be that the answer to our prayer is “not now,” and so we have to wait awhile for the result. This is a normal situation, but during the time of Hezekiah, he received an instant response to one of his prayers.

     As 2 Kings 20 opens Hezekiah is sick to the point of death. Isaiah the prophet comes to him to instruct him to put his house in order, for he will soon die. This leads to Hezekiah’s prayer, and the text tells us that he prayed with such fervor that he wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:2). His prayer was heard and his tears were seen by the Lord. Before Isaiah could even exit Hezekiah’s house, he was told to return to Hezekiah with an updated message (2 Kings 20:4-5). Hezekiah was not going to die yet. Instead the Lord granted him another 15 years on this earth. God was prepared for Hezekiah’s prayer, because God knows all things even before they occur.

     Likewise when we pray to the Lord, He already knows what it is that we will say and what it is that we need (Matthew 6:8). Still, He wants for us to come to Him in prayer. We are no different than Hezekiah in that respect. God knew that He would heal Hezekiah, but yet He waited for Hezekiah’s prayer. God has the power to answer all our prayers in an instant. Whether the answer comes instantly or over the course of time, our part is to pray with the earnest expectation that God will hear and answer our prayers (James 1:6-8).

Are You Thirsty?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events

Miyuki Sierra Nevada     Just this week rescue workers were able to locate and air lift a missing hiker from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.  Miyuki Harwood was separated from her hiking group, apparently fell and shattered one leg, and had been missing for nine days before being found.  Her story of survival is an amazing testament to her resilience and desire to survive.

     After she broke her leg, Miyuki was without food or water and alone.  In order to survive, she had to crawl for several miles in order to find a water source in the form of a stream.  She had a bottle with her and a water filter to make the water palatable.  It took two days for her to crawl through the wilderness in a remote and rocky locale to get to the water that saved her life.  However, she was willing to do what it took to get to that water to satisfy her thirst.

     Are we equally prepared to do what it takes to fill our thirst?  Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).  Do we thirst for righteousness?  Are we doing what we can to learn the right way and then to do that?  If we do not have God in our lives or we do not have His word in our hearts, do we feel empty and thirsty?

     The Bible says that we are to be like newborn babes desiring “the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).  Miyuki’s thirst for her physical life caused her to crawl through dangerous and difficult surroundings to find water.  Our thirst for our spiritual lives should led us to do what is necessary to find the truth and obey the word of God.  Jesus said that “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).  Are you thirsty for that water?  Are you desiring eternal life?  If so, come and see what God’s word has to say about that living water of life!