Word for the Day
November 8
By: Evang. Cascille Hammack
"I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps
it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz." So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down." Isaiah 38:8
God had spoken to King Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah
that the illness he was experiencing would result in his death. Hezekiah tore his clothes and wept before the Lord,
reminding God how he had served Him in full devotion. After his prayer, the Lord sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah to tell
him He had heard his prayer and seen his tears and He would heal him and give him 15 more years to live. As a sign to
him that He would do what He said, He would turn back time and cause the sunlight to go back ten steps. Some believe
that to have been about 10 minutes. What is important is that God stopped the whole universe and reversed time to show
one child of His that He heard His prayer and would do what He said.
God can turn back time in our lives. Ezekiel 33:36 says, "This is what the Sovereign LORD
says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt."
Isaiah 58:12 says, "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will
be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings, Repairer of the Breach. All of the places that
are broken in our lives are made whole when we live for Him and not ourselves. When we hold onto His promises and not
to all of the brokenness in our lives, He makes us whole. Whether it was caused from our own negligence, an illness
or circumstance beyond our control, or the consequences of our own bad choices, if we give our lives to Him and hold firmly
onto His hand and His promises He will restore everything to us. He will turn back time and give back our joy, hope
and life to us. God promises in Joel 2:25, "Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has
eaten..." He promises in Isaiah 61:3,4 to "provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a
crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a
spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor. They
will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities that
have been devastated for generations."
God
will turn back time in your circumstances. If you turn from sin and turn to God as Hezekiah did, He will see your repentant
heart and have mercy and compassion on you. Do not look to the past, but look forward moving onward and upward in Christ
Jesus. Keep His promises in the forefront of your mind and heart and He will restore all that was stolen from you and
give you joy and life. Joel 2:13 says, "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for
He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love..." Take hold of Jesus' hand and take
courage for in Rev. 21:5 we are promised, "He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything
new!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."