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Daily Devotion: Isaiah 38:6-8

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Isaiah 38:6-8      "And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.  (7)  And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;  (8)  Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down."

A drastic turn took place in the life of King Hezekiah.  Isaiah was sent to him with instructions to "set his house in order."  Hezekiah then humbled himself, turned toward the wall, and began to pray. Isaiah was sent back to the king to tell him the Lord had heard his prayer and was adding 15 years to his life. I will not delve into the debate as to whether or not the years were actually added or if the Lord always intended for him to live the additional years. But I will say this: prayer is always in order when we find ourselves in a situation of need. I'm not sure that we can actually change the mind of God, but I do know that prayer strengthens us and sets us in the correct frame of mind and heart.

God then told Hezekiah that the city would be delivered from the hand of the king of Assyria. "I will defend this city." Hezekiah did not ask for a sign, but God gave one to him. "Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down."  There was a time when the Lord caused the sun to stand still while Joshua led the children of Israel into battle. There have been many miracles performed by the Lord in the Old Testament. I imagine myself standing beside the sun dial as the shadow stopped and then began to move backwards. Never had such a thing been done. "This shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD." 

 

There was another miracle given by the Lord that is even greater than the sun going backwards. "This shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." That babe wrapped in swaddling clothes was the same One prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 9:6. That babe lying in that manger was none other than "God with us," the "Word made flesh."  The miracle of redemption accomplished by God in flesh! How wonderful is this marvelous love given to us by our Heavenly Father.

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