Isaiah 38:1-5 shows that Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3“Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.
How would you react when the prophet tells you are going to die.....call in the family? Hezekiah didn't call in the family. He didn't start losing IT and getting bent out of shape. He did not even respond to the word that the prophet had spoken over him. The Bible says that he turned to the wall and prayed to the Lord.
Why did he turn to the wall to pray? In the Bible days, walls represented not only boundaries and distinction, but safety and security. Walls separated the cities from the towns. I believe in that sense, Hezekiah knew that his situation was out of his control. He had reached his BOUNDARY......his limit......he had done what all he could do.
What do you do when you reach your limit? If you are smart, you turn to your protector, your load barer,your shelter........God.Walls are built as permanent structures. If you don't know anything else, know that God has been encamped about you since the very beginning and when you can't go any further, He is waiting STILL and SECURE for you to face Him. Face Him with your issue. Face Him with your pain. Face Him with your problem. Face Him in your marriage. Face Him in your loneliness. Face Him with your secret struggle. Face Him.
When Hezekiah turned and faced the wall, He turned away from that thing that had been sent to destroy Him. He simultaneously turned away from the negative word. His back was to his problem. All He could see was God. It was David who said, "Oh magnify the Lord with me". David knew that his God was bigger than his problem.
The walls are what made the cities fortified and impregnable. Ephesians teaches us to put on the full armor of God. However, you will notice that there are no weapons or armory for the back. Why? When you are facing the wall, you have no concern for what is behind you. The Bible constantly speaks of moving forward, walking through and pressing towards. He said to seek Him. He said to keep our eyes stayed on Him. In ancient battles, you will notice that when soldiers are going to battle, they lined up side by side in lines of 50, 100, or 200. Right behind that line, another line was formed in the same formation. This continued until they ran out of men. God did not expect us to turn around. Everybody had somebody's back. For those of you who are saying nobody has your back, He placed two soldiers behind us all for sure: Lt. Grace and General Mercy follows us everyday.
I think I have typed more than I intended to tonight. However, I am reminded of the scripture in Proverbs that say a man without self-control is like a city without walls. What happened when the cities didn't have walls. They were ambushed. They were destroyed. Are you crumbling because you have forgotten the wall?
I challenge you to face the wall tonight. Turn your back to your issue and see how your wall provides you shelter and security. There is safety at the wall. I am interested to know your outcome. Write me at livingstonesconference@ymail.com.
Blessings and good night.
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