It is interesting to notice that King Hezekiah had amassed a long list of spiritual accomplishments: reopening the temple, tearing down false idols, reorganizing the priesthood, and restoring the altar of sacrifice in the temple. And yet, in spite of all these good things, in spite of all his faithfulness in doing God’s will, the enemy Sennacherib still came.<\/p>\n
Have you ever experienced this in your own life? You try to do your best, attend church regularly, raise your kids the best you can, and study your Bible. You even throw in a little “loving your fellow man,” and\u00a0yet for some reason God still allows problems to flood your life: sickness, financial problems, relationship struggles, and even the death of loved ones. God allows bad to come to believers. But why do bad things happen to God’s people? The obvious answer is that bad experiences are not just limited to bad people, because we are still surrounded by a sinful world. It is as Jesus said, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust\u201d (Matt. 5:45).<\/p>\n
On this side of eternity, we will not understand everything. Not so much because our Father enjoys keeping us in the dark, but because we do not currently have the capacity to absorb so much light. Someday we will be able to, once we are on the other side of the doorway. In the meantime, our life is a little like a golf ball. I read that the early manufacturers of golf balls originally made them with smooth outer covers, something like a ping-pong ball. However, it was discovered that after a ball had been roughed up, knocked around the course a few times, a golfer got more distance out of it and it tracked straighter. So the manufacturers started putting dimples on the outer covers, as we see them today. It is the same way in your life, believer. It often takes the rough spots of life to enable you to travel farther and straighter.<\/p>\n
“LORD, we choose to follow hard after You this day, in Jesus’ name.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Chronicles 32 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.\u00a0\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,\u00a0\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>without the city: and they did help him.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?\u00a0\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.\u00a0\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,\u00a0\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>with him: for\u00a0there be\u00a0<\/em>more with us than with him:\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0With him\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>an arm of flesh; but with us\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0LORD\u00a0our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he\u00a0himself laid siege\u00a0<\/em>against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>at Jerusalem, saying,\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?\u00a0\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The\u00a0LORD\u00a0our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of\u00a0other\u00a0<\/em>lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?\u00a014<\/sup>Who\u00a0was there\u00a0<\/em>among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And his servants spake yet\u00a0more\u00a0<\/em>against the\u00a0LORD\u00a0God, and against his servant Hezekiah.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0He wrote also letters to rail on the\u00a0LORD\u00a0God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of\u00a0other<\/em>lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews\u2019 speech unto the people of Jerusalem that\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth,\u00a0which were\u00a0<\/em>the work of the hands of man.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0And for this\u00a0cause\u00a0<\/em>Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. 21<\/sup>\u00a0And the\u00a0LORD\u00a0sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.\u00a0\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0Thus the\u00a0LORD\u00a0saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all\u00a0other\u00a0<\/em>, and guided them on every side.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0And many brought gifts unto the\u00a0LORD\u00a0to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.\u00a0 24<\/sup>\u00a0 In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the\u00a0LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.\u00a0\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit\u00a0done\u00a0<\/em>unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart,\u00a0both\u00a0<\/em>he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;\u00a0\u00a028<\/sup>\u00a0Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.\u00a030<\/sup>This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31<\/sup> Howbeit in\u00a0the business of\u00a0<\/em>the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was\u00a0done\u00a0<\/em>in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all\u00a0that was\u00a0<\/em>in his heart.\u00a0 32<\/sup>\u00a0Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.\u00a0\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is interesting to notice that King Hezekiah had amassed a long list of spiritual accomplishments: reopening the temple, tearing down false idols, reorganizing the priesthood, and restoring the altar of sacrifice in the temple. 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