God Sees You and He Hears You
A devotional by Essie Faye Taylor
“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.”
—2 Kings 20:5 (NIV)
He did, however, promise that He would be with us as we walk our life path. This looks like God walking with us through our personal trauma, such as a toxic relationship, abuse, divorce, a fractured relationship with our parents or addiction. God is there with us in the darkness, in the shadows, in the face of the pain and sorrow—He’s with us through it all! His presence is constant and calming. His promise to us found in Psalm 23:4 (NKJV) is, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
2 Kings chapter 20 opens by saying King Hezekiah was “sick and near death” (2 Kings 20:1 NKJV). Hezekiah was known as a good king who walked uprightly before God. Yet this righteous man is stricken with a terminal illness. Anyone reading this story in our current time era may question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
Trials and triumphs are part of the human experience. As believers in God, we are not exempt from the storms of life. However, we have hope in this life because God is always with us, and we have hope of eternal life because of Jesus Christ (John 3:16). But let’s get back to the Bible story. The prophet Isaiah was sent by God to King Hezekiah to tell him to set his house in order because he would die. After receiving such grave news, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to God. He begged God to remember how He walked in truth and stayed loyal to God all his life. He wept before the Lord.
God was moved by Hezekiah’s prayer and the righteous life he lived. This led God to change His mind. He healed Hezekiah and extended the years of his life. The healing encounter in this Scripture assures us of God’s care for us today too.
God sees our situation and lifestyle. Nothing is hidden from our Sovereign and Omnipotent God. Scripture declares, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV). God had the record of Hezekiah’s life choices and uprightness before Him. His simple prayer of remembrance spoke volumes because of the life that he practiced before God. Our life speaks for us. Our choices steeped in biblical principles testify of God’s grace and goodness to the world. God honors His children. He is eager to show Himself strong and move on behalf of those who are loyal to Him. We see God changing His mind about Hezekiah’s death date because of his commitment to Him.
Our prayers, our tears, and our emotions matter to God–so much so that He is eager to answer and deliver us. Although your heart seems to be shattered into a thousand pieces, God is ready to heal your heart. Although you’re afraid of that recent diagnosis, our God is a Healer and He can restore your health. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one and the grief seems unsurmountable or unbearable. Put it in the Master’s Hand because He is the God of all comfort. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed by anxiety or depression or struggling with suicidal ideation. Nothing is too hard for our God to heal. Sometimes He doesn’t heal us while we are living on this Earth, but He will heal us completely in Heaven.
Nearly ten years ago, my youngest brother had a stroke while at his job. He was rushed to the hospital. My large family of believers gathered at the hospital and prayed for healing. In the next few days, my brother improved. Then suddenly he had an aneurysm and passed away. This saddened our hearts because we had prayed for his healing. But we need to remember that our God is Sovereign and He knows best. We rest in knowing that we will see him again in Heaven.
Call to Action:
1. Embrace the Sovereignty of God as you heal.
2. Trust God with your next knowing that He sees your situation, He hears your cries, and He can heal you in His perfect time.
3. Accept that healing from God comes in many forms. Healing can be immediate or gradual. It may look different for everyone.
4. Rest in God’s Sovereignty and know that you are safe with Him.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, You are sovereign. You know everything that is said and done in the dark and when no one else is around. You know the hidden and secret things. Nothing is hidden from You. Father God, You hear our prayers. You tell us to call You and You will answer us. You said that your ears are open to the cry of the righteous. Whatever we ask in prayer, if we believe it, we shall have it. We are asking for healing, Lord. We rest in Your sovereignty and Your promise to be with us at all times—good and bad. Help us to have faith that You will hear and answer our prayers. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Sovereign (Live)” by Chris Tomlin. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Essie Faye Taylor is a woman of faith. She’s a bilingual author, educator, speaker, psalmist, and interpreter.
Essie is the author of the “Finding the Love You Deserve” series for women and teens. She is deeply committed to motivating minorities, women, and youth to heal themselves, love and accept themselves, and pursue God while chasing their dreams and carving out their life’s path.
Essie is a Chicago native where she lives with her husband Donald Taylor II.
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Connect with Essie:
Website: www.essiefayetaylor.com
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Essie%20Faye%20Taylor/author/B09XF3TC22
Listen to Essie’s music at https://on.soundcloud.com/X6DeoRXra7YoKcC2A.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_essie_faye/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esther.tate.39
Read Essie’s YouVersion Devotion Plan here: http://bible.us/r/Abn
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