"Lord please let me not die"

We can be encouraged by Hezekiah's experience, We can see that, though a variety of motives underlies our prayers, God can and does answer them, even when they are selfish. However, it might be well to take
care in our prayers, lest we get what we ask for. Hezekiah asked to live to bear a son who became the most evil ruler in Judah's history.

Miracle of the Poultice
Hezekiah based his plea on his past goodness; God based his answer on Hezekiah's prayer and tears, How quickly the answer came! No sooner had Isaiah lefi the room than God spoke to him (the Prophet) and said, "Go back and tell Hezekiah he will live another fifteen years," The healing was not instantaneous, but the assurance of an affirmative answer came immediately, The miracle was the work of God, God told Isaiah to puta lump of figs on the boii and the poultice healed the sore. And with the healing came the assurance that. even as God had been with Moses, so was he with Hezekiah.

God who was Elohim (the God of might and majesty), Yaweh (the One who was, is, and will be), and the God of David was the same yesterday, is today, and will be forever. God sees, God hears, God acts; and with him all things are possible. is anything too hard forthe Lord? God had asked that question of Abraham and Sarah. Jesus had the answer:

"With God all things are possible. "

Do we believe that God can do all things? Intellectually we understand that nothing is too hard for God. But emotionally we doubt his ability to change iives and circumstances. We don't bother to ask.
God does not work alone. He always uses human agents. That is why he required the prayer and the poultice. He asked for faith and figs in orderto deliver the miracle God often uses human instruments for heavenly needs.
Are we available when help is needed?

Meaning ofthe postponement
Men confronted by death often have a. greater understanding of life. So it was with Hezekiah. According to Isaiah, he celebrated his recovery by composing a psalm. In it he spoke about the things bywhich men live.
When a man faces death, whether real, imagined, or vicarious, he learns what is really important to him. He discovers what his priorities are.

It is said that, as P. T. Barnum of Bailey Circus lay on his deathbed, his last words were, "What were the day's receipts? All of us live by something convictions, theories, or ideas that govern our lives. It is these things that comfort and inspire.

Some of us seek comfort in the material, finding satisfaction ir. things. Some of us seek emotional. thrills, momentary pleasures that have a way of slipping away. Some of us seek intellectual fulfillment, as though filled heads would mean filled hearts. Some of us find satisfaction in worship and service to others. Our comforts are spiritual.

What are your comforts? What principles do you live by? Are you ready to face death now? Only when you're ready to die will you be really ready to live. Only the spiritual values will pass the test of death.

A young woman praying for her uncle's conversion finally persuaded him to go with her to church. To her dismay, the minister preached from Genesis 5, a chapter on genealogy. As they left the church, she felt terribly disappointed that the sermon had not been on salvation. She wept, thinking that all her prayers had been for naught. But later that evening, her uncle accepted Christ. He had heard the phrase "and he died" repeated eight times in the scripture passage, and the words haunted him. As he came face to face with the reality of death, he turned to Christ for salvation. As he prepared for death, he began tei live.

Do you have some preparations to make?