Grace Beyond Tomorrow for Today

“Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” (Isa 38:4-5 AV)

Have you ever stopped to think when the LORD forgives or answers prayer, He also knows where, when, and how you will fail him again in the future?  He even knows if the favor He grants in the present will be appreciated or protected in the future.  Yet, He chooses to bless anyway.

Such was the case with Hezekiah.  Hezekiah was given a death sentence.  The LORD sent Isaiah to tell Hezekiah to set his house in order, for he would soon die of an illness.  Hezekiah had no heir to the throne.  That does not mean that in the short time he had left, the LORD might allow Hezekiah to father a male child.  Yes, he would have died before the child was born, but the throne would continue through his seed.  Hezekiah wanted an heir.  But he also wanted the blessing of a relationship with that heir.  So, the LORD was gracious and granted Hezekiah another 15 years of life.  Manasseh would be born two year later.  Upon his recovery, what Hezekiah did, caused more damage than his death would have caused.  The LORD granted Hezekiah his wish, but had he not, then Hezekiah would not have been the king responsible for God’s judgment.  God blessed Hezekiah and showed mercy to him, even though He knew Hezekiah would abuse this grace and squander the gift.

Which brings us to our point.  God’s grace not only considers our desperate need of the present, but also look beyond our failures of the future.  God knows that I will mess up in the future.  Perhaps even really badly.   However, He does not hold it against me in the present.  He knows, for certainty, if I will squander His grace.  Yet, He does not hold it back.  He knows whether I will appreciate His grace and gifts, or consume them with no regard to His glory.  He knows all this.  But His grace is greater than my failures.  Past, present, and specially, future!  Oh, what grace!