Seize the Moment – Day 881
With Every Breath!
Why do you want God to extend your days and give you long life? What do you plan to do with each breath He gives you? Hezekiah, the great king of Judah, became mortally ill during the assault of the Assyrians and cried out to God for mercy. He wanted to be healed and God spoke to him through the prophet Isaiah in 2 Kings 20:5-6:
I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.
God extended his life and promised protection from the king of Assyria. This miracle is recorded twice, here, and in Isaiah 38 where Isaiah included a hymn (9-20), which Hezekiah wrote after his healing. In Isaiah 38:18-20, Hezekiah concludes his hymn with his motivation for asking to be healed:
For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today; a father tells his sons about Your faithfulness. The Lord will surely save me; so we will play my songs on stringed instruments all the days of our life at the house of the Lord.
Seize the moment and use your every breath to praise the Lord. Do it right now, speak out loud, “Praise the Lord!” Singing along to your favorite worship music will help you do this throughout the day.