For Restoring Lost Time

For Restoring Lost Time

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I spent so much time feeling sick, I didn’t expect to live long. I told myself that I was biding my time, waiting to meet the Lord. Then, age fifteen turned into twenty—and twenty turned into twenty-five. That’s when I realized that God wasn’t done with me yet.

Maybe you feel like you’ve wasted too much time—in bad health, in a bad marriage, or simply while being bad. But the Lord has firmly declared, “I will restore to you the years” (Joel 2:25, ESV, emphasis added).

In 2 Kings 20, the prophet Isaiah delivered a death sentence to Hezekiah: “The LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die.” But Hezekiah “turned his face to the wall and prayed.” Then God added fifteen years to his life (see verses 1-6).

Our God is a years-adding, life-stretching, merciful Father. Like Hezekiah, you can turn your face to the wall and pray, “Lord, lengthen my years.”

STRENGTH IN THE WORD

GOD, your God, will restore everything.

TODAY I DECLARE

It’s not too late.

PRAYERFUL THOUGHTS

Dear Lord,

You held the sun and moon for Joshua, and you lengthened Hezekiah’s years. Could you please extend the same mercy and kindness toward me?

I believe that you can do the impossible. I’ve seen your track record for grace. You’ve moved the greatest mountains. You’ve opened the sea. You’ve healed brokenness, and you’ve cured disease. So I’m asking you, O Lord: “Please lengthen my years.”

In Jesus’ name, amen.

KEEPSAKE

“God added fifteen years to his life.”

PRAYER SHOULD BE THE KEY OF THE DAY AND THE LOCK OF THE NIGHT.