And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see!
(2 Kings 19:15-16a)

Read: 2 Kings 18:13 – 19:37, Acts 21:1-17, Psalm 149:1-9, Proverbs 18:8

Relate: “The problem with heroes is that they have good intentions but poor availability.” This is the complaint of one of the female heroines in a book series that I love. I’m not quoting directly but the sentiment is there. She goes on, “They will always say, ‘if you ever need me just call and I will come.’ The problem is if we need them, we need them now, not the weeks it will take for our message to get to them and their return.” Obviously, the books take place long before the advent of cell phones, internet, and social media.

But do cell phones, internet, and social media truly bring us closer together? If I were to list the five greatest, most influential people in my life, none of them are living close to me. I have connected with some of them occasionally through Messenger, etc lately but nothing comes close to replacing face to face time. Having a phone call (which I often can’t do since Americans don’t believe in Whatsapp and Messenger is no good) doesn’t begin to compare to sharing a meal. If one of them desperately needed me, yes, I could hop on a plane but it would still take me much more than a day to arrive.

React: That first statement was what I immediately thought of when I read Hezekiah’s prayer. “Yes, You are a great and powerful God. I have heard of many of Your wonders and know of Your deeds. But now I don’t need to hear and know. I need You to bend down and act.”

How many of us view God as a famous, powerful, influential Father… who is distant. Yes, we will be quick to jump in and say that we know He sees and cares and acts on our behalf, but do we truly believe it? God, You are great. This we know very well. But God… bend down. Come close. We desperately need You right here. Right now.

Respond: 

God, bend down. I know how great You are. I know how powerful and mighty You are. You created the universe with a word. You stopped suns in motion and raised sons back to life. You parted waters and gathered peoples. There is nothing too difficult for You. But I need You here. Now. Bend down and intervene in my life. See my desperate need and hear my longing cry. Come close and lift me up. Hold me in Your powerful, tender arms.