Spread It Before the Lord

When news comes ― and it's bad news — what do you do? How you answer this question could be a test of your faith.

King Hezekiah received a letter from an enemy threatening total destruction of his kingdom. His response was a testimony to his faith. Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and “spread it” before the Lord. You can almost see his hands spreading open the scroll. And then he prayed.

A phone call came. My mother had experienced a stroke. The doctor reported that there was no hope of recovery. What did I want to do?

You don’t prepare for moments like that. You do what has become habit. I said I would call him back, and then, in a very real and personal way, like Hezekiah, I spread it before the Lord and asked Him to guide me.

I wish I could say that I’ve always responded that way. I haven’t. But when this call came, I did, and He indeed provided the guidance I sought. It was a remarkable moment.

I’ve tried to make it a principle, a habit to live by. When faced with a great need there may be many things to be done, but none is more important than seeking the mind of God.

As we grow in Christ, seeking His purpose becomes a greater priority. We seek His wisdom, counsel, and comfort. We take our questions, challenges, and crises and spread them out before Him.

Dear Lord, I want my instinctive response to be that I turn to you. Teach me and lead me today and every day to spread it all out before you and seek your guidance. Amen.

Go Deeper — Is there something that you need to spread before the Lord today? Don’t wait any longer. Unroll it now and seek Him.