Posted on 07/17/2020 12:07:37 AM PDT by Salvation
-- Pope John Paul II
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
The sun came back the ten steps it had advanced. (Isaiah 38:8)
Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was desperate. Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, had declared war on all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Now he was heading toward Jerusalem, the capital and Hezekiahs home. And to make matters even worse, Hezekiah was facing a mortal illness. He turned to God in fervent prayer, and the Lord sent Isaiah with a message: Hezekiah would be healed, and the Lord would rescue the city.
Could this word be true? Hezekiah humbly asked for a sign. And what a sign he received: God actually changed the course of the sun!
It might be hard to believe, but God was not offended by Hezekiahs request. On the contrary, he was happy to oblige. He wanted to show Hezekiahand all the people of Jerusalemhis love and faithfulness.
Throughout Scripture, God has spoken through dramatic signs. Gideon saw the morning dew dampen only the ground and not a fleece blanket he had laid out (Judges 6:39-40). Balaam heard Gods message through a talking donkey (Numbers 22). And Noah saw a rainbow in the sky as proof of Gods covenant love (Genesis 9:11-17).
God is still sending us signs today. He can be very creative in these signs as he tries to get our attention. Maybe you feel a strong tugging in your heart urging you to call an old friend. You may have a dream that stays with you long after you have woken up. Perhaps you are in the middle of a project at work and suddenly feel prompted to pray for someone. Even rays of sunshine breaking through clouds can be his way of reminding you that he is with you.
So stay alert. God will be trying to get in touch with you as the day unfolds. Know that he will be sending you signs today. Some may be obvious, and others may be subtle. He may offer you guidance, or he may simply encourage you. All you need are open eyes, open ears, and an open heart. God will take care of the rest.
Holy Spirit, I dont want to miss your signs today. Help me to stay alert so that I can hear you and see your work in my life.
(Psalm) Isaiah 38:10-12, 16
Matthew 12:1-8
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.