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2 Kings 14:6 – 2 Kings 18:22

Hezekiah’s story is one of my most favorite stories in the entire Bible.

I have loved it for years.

It brings me comfort.  It testifies of prayer.  It speaks of hope.

To fully understand the magnitude of Hezekiah’s experience, we first have to come to know Hezekiah.  The scriptures teach us that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.  He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.  He clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him.  He kept his commandments.  And the Lord was with him. (2 Kings 18)

On one occasion it seemed that all was conspiring against Hezekiah.  I am intrigued by two of the questions that were asked of him by those who didn’t share his beliefs,   “What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?  Now on whom dost thou trust?”  (2 Kings 18:19-20)  Eventually those questions led Hezekiah to receive a letter fill with threats and deceit.

In this moment I love what King Hezekiah did…

He went up into the house of the Lord and spread the letter before the Lord.

And he prayed.

He asked the Lord for a blessing…that his people would be saved…  ”that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.”  (2 Kings 19:19)

The Lord’s prophet, Isaiah, sent to Hezekiah saying,  ”Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed…I have heard.”  (2 Kings 19:20)

I believe this experience and conversation with the Lord prepared Hezekiah’s heart for a future trial.

The scriptures tell us,  ”In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.”

The chapter explains that he had a wound, one that wouldn’t heal.  Isaiah came to Hezekiah and told him that he needed to set his house in order, for he was going to die.

And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall.  And he wept sore.  And he prayed.

“I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight…”

Before Isaiah had even left the middle court, the voice of the Lord came to him saying, “Turn again, and tell Hezekiah…Thus saith the Lord…I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee…”

“And I will add unto thy days…and I will deliver thee… and I will defend this city.”  (2 Kings 20:5-6)

My thoughts turn to healing, and to the power of prayer.

Because I have experienced the darkest moments of life.

The moments that cause you to turn your face to the wall.  The moments that invoke you to weep sore.  Sometimes those moments even come after we have walked in truth, with a perfect heart…even when we are doing that which is good.

And sometimes they don’t end happy.

Then we are left with a heart that is broken.

In those moments we, like Hezekiah, are in need of healing.

And because the wound is so deep, it is the kind of healing that can only come from the Lord.  Through prayer.

“O Lord, remember…”

Remember me.

The story of Hezekiah teaches that we are not forgotten of the Lord.  Even in the moments when the trials of life seem to destroy us…especially in the moments when others might ask,   “What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?  Now on whom dost thou trust?”

In those moments, weeping sore, we must turn to the Lord.

And pray.

“Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other.  The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them.  Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them.  Prayer…is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.”  (Bible Dictionary – prayer)

Life has taught me that healing comes in many ways.

Sometimes healing means saving a life, or healing an illness.  Sometimes.  That wasn’t the case in our home.  Sometimes the illness lingers.  Sometimes the life isn’t saved.  Even then, especially then, healing is required.

A healing of the heart.

Because a wounded heart can cause us to turn our face to the wall.  To weep sore.

Hopefully, it will lead us to call on the Lord.

Through prayer.

Because the healing of life’s deepest wounds can only come through Him.

It is that kind of healing that causes us to testify, I know “that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.”

In moments of deepest hurt we must cleave to the Lord and remember the words the Lord’s prophet, Isaiah, sent to Hezekiah saying,

Remember how several months ago we pushed pause just for a second?

I want to do that again now.  For a few moments I want to talk about three really important things…

1. Playing Catch Up

2. A Long Walk

3. Guacamole

First, let’s talk about playing catch up.  If you are behind, then this important thing is written just for you.  I want to invite you to reread the blog entitled A Word of Encouragement.  Several of you have mentioned that you are feeling a bit behind.  Here are some ideas…We are about to start Chronicles.  You might not know this, but Chronicles is filled with repetition from Samuel and Kings.  Remember, repetition is important…because sometimes it is helping to reinforce a message from the Lord.  But the other important thing about repetition is that it often makes it easier to read.  Another good thing is that the first ten chapters of Chronicles are filled with Genealogy.  It is a good place to skim through quickly.  It will be a great place to help you catch up.  One thing you might want to consider is downloading the MP3 off of the LDS.org webpage.  Listen while you drive, do the dishes, fold the laundry…  And if you haven’t yet, can you check and make sure your reading schedule matches the one listed in The Daily Journey above?  I had to make some changes at the end of February.

Second, I want to invite you to join us in a celebration.  On June 23 we will finish the Old Testament.  Can You Believe IT?!  To celebrate we are going to take a journey of our own.  This is The Walk that I referred to in the very first post…you might remember.  More details will be forthcoming in the next two weeks, but I wanted to give you advanced warning to put it on your calendar.  June 23, 2012.  (We talked about Memorial Day, but we are changing the date to coincide with the reading.)  What will our journey entail?  A seventeen mile walk centered around the lessons that were taught along the Jericho Road.  Why 17?  Because that is how long the road to Jericho is.  (Those of you who know me well, know that I have a passion for long walks.  Last year we walked from the Draper Temple to the Salt Lake Temple in honor of John Moyle.  It was one of my most favorite days.)  This year our walk will celebrate the culmination of the Old Testament and the start of reading the New Testament.  I can hardly wait!  Next week I will post a very simple training schedule.  This walk will be a little different than the ones that we have done in the past.  This time we will have mile markers where you can join us if you are not up for the full seventeen miles.  And if you are reading this blog in a different State, or even a different Country, I will post all the information you need so you can join the celebration in spirit from wherever you happen to be on that day.  No need to fear, if you are not a walker at all there will be other ways to participate in the celebration…even from your own home.  Oh, I can’t wait for that day!

Last, I want to talk for a minute about guacamole.

I know that it might seem like a weird subject, but stay with me for just a moment here…

My whole life I have hated guacamole.  And, for that matter, avocados.

It was something about the texture…and maybe the color…and for sure the consistency.  An avocado just has never really appealed to me.

 I have to say, I’ve honestly never tried to actually eat an avocado…

Until about a month ago.

Which is exactly when I discovered I love avocados.  I have eaten one every day since then.  Honestly.  Every day.  I even taught myself how to make guacamole.

And other delicious things.

You know, for part of my life we lived in California.  I had twelve avocado trees in my very own backyard.  I never ate one avocado off of those trees.  I feel bad about that now.  But don’t worry, I am totally making up for it.

Today as I was peeling an avocado and thinking how much I was about to enjoy it, I couldn’t help but think about the Old Testament…(because I think about the Old Testament a lot lately…)

And I thought about how much it is like my guacamole experience.  I don’t think I realized I was going to enjoy this journey as much as I have.  Before now I haven’t really tried to read the Old Testament consistently.  I knew it was there…but maybe it just didn’t appeal to me the way the other Standard Works have.

But I am discovering I love the Old Testament.  Oh, sure, there are some parts I don’t understand.  And parts that confuse me.  And sometimes the behavior breaks my heart.  But, I am finding nuggets that are changing me.  I am learning truths I haven’t fully understood before.  I am developing a great love for heroes that are new to me.

You know what?  I actually look forward to reading the Old Testament each day.  I might not have ever done that before, but I am totally making up for it now.

And one more thing…

I am so glad you are taking this journey with me.  It makes it sweeter.

So, thank you.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s reading will bring.

 2 Kings 9:19 – 2 Kings 14:5

I loved the line in the reading today that said, “Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?” (2 Kings 10:15)

I found myself thinking of what it might mean for a heart to be right.

I was reminded of one of my favorite stories we read several days ago.  The story is in 2 Kings 4.  It is about a woman whose name we are never told.  She is known simply as a great woman.

A woman whose heart was right.

Here is how the story goes.

Elisha was a prophet of the Lord.  Every time he visited the city Shunem, he would pass by the home of a great woman who would offer him bread.  One day this great woman said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.”  (2 Kings 4:9)

Right away we learn two things about this woman.  First, she knew that Elisha was a holy man, and second we learn that he came to her house continually.  From this great woman we learn the importance of two lessons ––we must learn to recognize the prophet today as a holy man and we must invite him into our house continually.  Now, most likely the prophet will not visit our home today.  But when we listen to General Conference (which we are about to do) or read his words in the Ensign or the New Era, he is visiting our home, just like Elisha visited the woman in this story.

One day the woman asked her husband if they could make a place for the prophet to stay ––a little chamber with a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick.

It is important to note that what this woman offered did not require a lot of money, time, or great talent.  She simply offered what she had.

And so the prophet, Elisha, came and stayed in this chamber. One day, out of gratitude, he called for the woman to come to him and he said, “Thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee?”(2 Kings 4:13)  He wondered if he should say good things about her to the king, or even the captain of the host.

But the woman answered, “I dwell among mine own people.”  Or in other words, I am happy just the way things are and I don’t expect anything in return for my service.  In our day Elisha might have asked, “What can I do to repay you?”  And the woman would have answered, “Nothing.”

This woman was happy to serve without a reward.

I find it fitting that her quiet act of kindness remains secret today. We know her story, but we are never told her name.

She is known simply as A Great Woman.

Think about the people within your circle of influence.  Those who walk past you every day.

Is there something you could offer them?  Can you think of a way you might serve them?  Has the Lord blessed you with something that would allow you to touch their lives for good?

Did you notice this great woman was not asked to serve?  She wasn’t given an assignment.  Her actions for good were not extended because of a calling she held.

She simply saw a need and she filled it.

That is the mark of a great woman.

 

 

 

 

2 Kings 5:2 – 2 Kings 9:18

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are doing your best, giving your all, trying to make a difference––and yet it seems like the world is conspiring against you?

In those moments, even when we are on the Lord’s errand, perhaps we feel twinges of doubt.

Enough doubt that even our hearts fail us.

In times like those, where is it that we look for hope?  For the courage to press forward?  For strength to go on?

I love the lesson taught in 2 Kings chapter six.

In this chapter we are told that the king of Syria warred against Israel.  My imagination contrives a constant battle.  Ongoing.  Tiring.  I have known moments like that.  When it seems someone has a constant agenda to fight against all that I am trying to accomplish.

In this case, the prophet is on Israel’s side.  True to his calling, he sends direction and warning.  His counsel is given as protection.  The king of Israel followed this prophet’s advice and his life was spared “not once nor twice.” (vs. 10) We are led to believe that his life was spared every time he followed the counsel of the prophet.

I see a lesson there.  An example from the Old Testament that speaks to me today.

It doesn’t take long before the King of Syria becomes frustrated.  He wonders if there is a spy in his camp.  One of his servants points out that Elisha is the one getting in the way of his plan to destroy Israel.  So he decides to capture Elisha.

When he finds out Elisha is in Doran, the king sends  ”horses and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.” (vs. 14)

I can imagine the servant of the prophet rising early that next morning.  I picture him preparing for the journey ahead, gathering supplies for the trek to Samaria.  I can understand the worry that must have filled his heart after seeing that the city was encompassed round about.  I can almost hear the fear in his voice as he approaches Elisha, “Alas, my master! how shall we do?” (vs.15)

It becomes real to me because I have felt that worry, that sense of imminent defeat, the fear that I am not enough to face the task in front of me.  There have been times in my life when my purpose seems to be threatened by what appears to be an enemy much stronger and more organized than I am.

I love what happens in this crucial moment.

Elisha replies with confidence, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” (vs. 16)

And then he prayed.

And he asked the Lord to fulfill the request we learned about yesterday, “open his eyes, that he might see.” (vs.17)

So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he beheld that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.

Heavens help.

Within this story we are taught a principle that we must never forget.  The unseen presence of God and of His help is real.  If our eyes could be opened to see, we would realize that we do not ever wage a battle for righteousness alone.  The Lord is with us, Heavenly help attends us.  This knowledge alone should give us all the encouragement we need to move forward.

With the help of the Lord, Elisha and his servant were able to make it safely to Samaria, leading the Syrian army captive behind them.  Safely protected by the Lord, they accomplished an unbelievable feat without weapons, without even the help of an army.  Simply with the assistance of the Lord.  Heaven’s help.

I love the condition of Elisha’s heart at the end of this remarkable journey.  The king of Israel asked Elisha when he saw him, “Shall I smite them?  Shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them…set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” (vs. 21-22)

I wonder if my heart is in the same place?  …Because it seems like perhaps my heart would not be so kind.  There have been those who have tried to frustrate my purpose, caused me to doubt, who have fought against what is in my heart.  My first inclination seems to lean toward revenge or retribution.  My first instinct is not always kindness or compassion.

Perhaps it is Heaven’s help that I must turn to in these moments also.  Maybe, once again, I need to pray to the Lord that He might open my eyes to see.

Today I want to take two lessons into my heart.

The first is to remember that Heaven’s help is real.  I must learn to trust the unseen.  To rely on the certain presence of God’s help even when my mortal eyes can’t comprehend it.  I am coming to believe that those who trust in the reality of Heaven’s help can accomplish great things.  They become Saints who press forward with faith in every footstep.  Faith built upon the reality of Heaven’s help.

I love the testimony of this principle that is captured in a painting by Annie Henrie.  It is my great privilege this year to use this painting in a presentation I will be doing for Time Out For Women.  It depicts a moment of great courage, of pressing forward, of relying on Heaven’s help.

I can’t help but think of Elisha’s words every time I see it, “”Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

They that be with us…

And I wonder if those pioneer women ever had an opportunity to witness for themselves the Heavenly help that surely attended them?

Is that where they found hope?  The courage to press forward?  The strength to go on?

Can I also access that hope, courage, and strength by looking heavenward?

I am coming to believe that it is through the unseen presence of those that be with us, through their unfailing strength, that we can overcome any obstacle in our path.

And as we move forward past those who might frustrate our purpose, perhaps we could learn from Elisha and treat them less as enemies, and more with generosity ––with the great hope that through us they, too, will come to know the unfailing help of the Lord.

Heaven’s Help.

…they that be with us.

1 Kings 22:51 – 2 Kings 5:2

In 1 Kings chapter nineteen several verses stand out to me…

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.

And, behold, the Lord passed by,

and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord;

but the Lord was not in the wind:

and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:

and after the fire a still small voice. (verses 11-12)

 

These simple verses remind me of one of my most favorite poems…the lesson is similar…the message clear…

 

The boy whispered,   “God, speak to me.”

And a bird sang.

The boy yelled,   “God, I can’t hear you.”

And thunder roared.

Still, the boy did not hear.

So, the boy said,   “God, let me see you.”

And a star shone.

But the boy did not see.

He cried out,   “God, perform a miracle.”

And a child was born.

But the boy did not know.

The boy became angry and screamed,   “God, let me know you are near!”

God bent down and touched the boy’s shoulder,

And the boy brushed the butterfly from his shoulder

And walked away

Unknowingly.

(Author Unknown)

 

The simple verses touch my heart, the poem reminds me of a lesson that speaks truth.  I have decided I must be more aware.  I need to set aside quiet moments so that I might hear the still small voice.  I must open my eyes to see the tiny details, to experience the hand of the Lord in my life, to recognize that the Lord is everywhere…if only I could just open my eyes to see.

Oh, that I might hear.

And that I might see.

Today, that is my quest.