In 1984, I was at the hospital while my dad was in surgery. It was suppose to be a fairly simple, non-life-threatening operation. Several of my siblings, as well as my mother, were waiting with me. There was not much worry among us as we had been told it was going to be fine and the spot of cancer that had been detected was removable and common to many aged men. However, our world was about to be rocked by a devastating report. The doctor came to meet with us after the surgery and told us it was much worse than they initially thought. The cancer was in his lymph glands and spread throughout his body. The doctor told us that with treatment he might have six months. One moment everything seemed fine, and the next moment our hope was seemingly deflated.
In the 19th chapter of II Kings, we read the story of a king severely threatened by a disturbing report. The powerful king of Assyria sent a letter to King Hezekiah of Judah and told him to surrender his nation to him. To make matters worse, Hezekiah had first-hand knowledge of what had happened to the nations that had refused to surrender to this evil war lord. The threat was real, and Hezekiah had to respond. He could not ignore the demand, and there was no way his army was a formidable foe against the army of Assyria.
So what did Hezekiah do? He took the threatening letters into the temple and spread them out before the Lord. He inquired of God as to what to do. The Lord answered him through the prophet Isaiah and told him he would deliver him from the hand of his enemy. The king knew who to turn to in troubling times. He laid it before the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, and He delivered him out of the snare of the enemy!!!
That day in 1984, we took the doctors report and spread it out before our Father in heaven. Disturbing news sent us to our knees. We listened to the doctor’s report, but we sought God’s report-for He has the final say. My dad not only lived six months which the medical professional gave him, but an additional 11 1/2 years beyond that!!!! The prophet Isaiah in chapter 53 of his book said this, “whose report will you believe….we shall believe the report of the Lord.” Take your darkest day to the Light of the world and lay it before Him!!!