He Heard My Cry

Tuesday, May 19

2 Kings 20:4-6 (NKJV)

“And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,“Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.And I will add to your days fifteen years. 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 the sake of My servant David.”

Devotion

When Hezekiah heard the decision from the Lord that he was about to die, he wept bitterly. He pleaded with the Lord in prayer to remember the loyalty he demonstrated in days past. So, before the prophet Isaiah left the middle court, the Lord told him to turn back around and go tell King Hezekiah that He had heard his prayer.

From Hagar in the wilderness, to Hannah praying for a child, to the many times the children of Israel cried out to God for deliverance, God has proven that He is not deaf concerning the prayers of His people. He hears, and He cares. His very nature compels Him, in loving devotion and faithfulness, to respond like a Father and to draw near.

Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”

Psalm 34:15,17 tells us, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry... The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

In God’s mercy, for His name’s sake, and for the legacy of the house of Israel, God restored Hezekiah’s health and granted him an extended life of fifteen more years. God’s decision was not based on Hezekiah’s works, but on His own plan. If we would learn to walk with God in humility as Micah 6:8 says, and reverence His sovereignty, we may see His goodness at work in our lives and understand that His plans for us are good and not evil. We may recognize that, by His mercy, He has saved us from destruction more times than we realized, and that our faith in Him is because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). He cannot deny Himself, for He is love. This is where our faith begins and never ends.

Would we join our faith with Jeremiah, who prayed, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’” (Lamentations 3:21–24)

Today's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for all the times You have heard my cry and answered with Your love. Thank You for Your mercy that never ends. Help me to see Your hand in my circumstances and to trust You even when it gets hard. Your love never fails, and that I know well. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Apply It Today

Become familiar with who God is and His traits of love. Take 1 Corinthians 13:4–8, for instance, and substitute the word “love” with “God,” because God is love (1 John 4:16). For example, “God suffers long and is kind,” and so on.

Resources

•  If you feel like your prayers are going unheard, take a moment to watch this short video, “God Hears Your Cry.” No tear is wasted, no prayer is ignored—God sees you, hears you, and is closer than you think.

• Ask yourself, what “final words” have I accepted that God may want to revisit? Then speak God’s promises in exchange.