But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:16-17.

We all have ideas of freedom that we hold dear. Do we consider the freedom that God brings? Freedom from fear and ignorance; freedom to discover life with Him? Freedom in His love for us. I looked up freedom and liked this definition: freedom is the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the path that has always been right. Psalm 139:23-24.

In this chapter, 2 Kings 20, we come to a beautiful example of what God can do in an individual life. Hezekiah was told by Isaiah that he would die and not recover from a boil. He turned away from Isaiah to God and asked Him to remember how he walked faithfully and wholeheartedly in His eyes. Did God forget? No. He added 15 years to his life and assured him he would return to the temple of the Lord. When Hezekiah asked for a sign the Lord gave him a choice: a shadow to move forward or back ten steps. Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. v. 1-11. (In the notes below: The stairway of Ahaz was a sundial. Egyptian sundials in this period were sometimes made in the form of miniature staircases so that the shadows moved up and down the steps).

Later, envoys from Babylon came to visit Hezekiah upon learning of his illness and Hezekiah showed them all of his treasures. Isaiah came to Hezekiah again and told him all would be taken off to Babylon. Israel had been taken off to Assyria so Hezekiah knew what that would mean and why it was being done. “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” v. 19.

Isn’t that what we all want? Peace and security in our lifetime. Freedom. Lead me on the path that has always been right. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

When we turn to the Lord, who is Spirit, the veil is taken away, shadows recede and we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18.

How? We take His hand and let Him lead us. Let Him guide you to His truth in His love for you. Hezekiah was given 15 more years to live on this earth. And…eternity with God who loves him and us. The path that has always been right is the path with God.