If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17.

To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Jude 24-25.

I don’t know why I am so very tired. I have never been this age before so is it normal to feel yourself fading as you age? Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit, reminded me He will uproot what needs uprooting and will plant what needs to be planted in me to His glory. And I rejoice in Him because along with aging has come to me with Him this journey we have shared. He is my closest friend. He is my Lord and Savior, my Abba and my Comforter. And I am blessed beyond measure to be His.

And this chapter, Isaiah 39, is a glimpse into events that we can read quickly and wonder at; and it helps to read the notes below for context. “Marduk-Baladan, a Babylonian prince, was planning a revolt against Assyria and was forming an alliance…Hezekiah failed to see that the Babylonians would become his next threat, and that they, not the Assyrians, would conquer his city. When Isaiah told him that Babylon would someday carry it all away, this was an amazing prophecy because Babylon was struggling for independence under Assyria.” At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses – the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil – his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. v. 1-2. Another country had heard about Hezekiah’s illness and recovery; how many neighboring lands heard of what God had done for Hezekiah? And now Isaiah is sent to speak to Hezekiah. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” v. 6-7. I couldn’t help but think about how awful it must have been in ancient times to be conquered by a powerful nation. One nation after another rising up and falling victim themselves throughout all the ages of men. And Hezekiah’s response? “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.” v. 8. Again in the notes below for understanding…”Hezekiah, one of Judah’s most faithful kings, worked hard throughout his reign to stamp out idol worship and to purify the worship of the true God at the Jerusalem temple. Nevertheless, he knew his kingdom was not pure. Powerful undercurrents of evil invited destruction, and only God’s miraculous interventions preserved Judah from its enemies. Here Hezekiah was grateful that God would preserve peace during his reign. As soon as Hezekiah died, the nation rushed back to its sinful ways under the leadership of Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son. He actually rebuilt the centers of idolatry his father had destroyed.” No wonder Judah was taken away by Babylon.

History prophesied and fulfilled. And yet woven throughout the history written in Scripture is the prophecy of good news. One day the Lord Almighty will return. He will uproot what needs to be uprooted in all of us and plant what needs to be planted. And He will do all for our good in Him. And He is worthy and trustworthy and faithful. Unlike the coming of kings of old from foreign lands bent on destruction, we have nothing to fear when Jesus returns…old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…now and forevermore!