Today's Scripture Reading (June 6, 2026): 2 Kings 20
I recently read an article
on the benefits of quitting smoking. Our bodies are made in such a way that we
actually start the healing process about twenty minutes after our last puff. So,
the idea is that it is never really too late to reap some of the benefits of
quitting. And the benefits are amazing. Among others, the article listed better
sex, a healthier digestive system, a lower risk of developing arthritis,
better, more restful sleep, a stronger heart, and even better-tasting food, all
as a result of quitting smoking. And beyond that, we get a chance to be one of
those annoying ex-smokers who are telling everyone else to quit smoking (Okay,
that might not be a benefit.) And yet, with all of the positives, many of us
still don't quit. And that speaks volumes about the addictive qualities of
cigarettes. We are hooked, and quitting is hard.
As a result, we often need
to ask for help. And there are many aids out there to help us on our new
journey. Some have a better track record than others, and yet some of us do not
even try these avenues. The excuse that I hear the most is that "right now
I am experiencing too much stress to even think about quitting." But that
excuse assumes that there are times when we are not experiencing stress, and I
just haven't noticed very many of those moments around recently. The bottom
line is that to quit smoking, first we have to do something. Stopping the
practice of buying cigarettes is one of the first recommended actions. But
beyond that step, often we need to change our lifestyle; we have to avoid
certain triggers if our new non-smoking behavior is going to take root. We need
to avoid the things and the places where we once enjoyed a cigarette. But
something has to happen. The change in behavior needs to be paired with a
specific action. We need it; it is the way that we are designed.
Hezekiah moves from an
illness that will end in death to one that can be cured with traditional
medicine very quickly (a poultice made of figs was the approved treatment for a
boil in the ancient world). But the reality was that Hezekiah needed to do
something if he was going to recover. Sitting back and letting God heal him
probably wasn't going to work. However, too often we seem to read instructions
like those in this passage and think we have discovered an ancient super cure.
I can see the book now instructing us that a poultice of figs will cure
everything from acne to cancer. But to make that suggestion misses the point. The
focus of this instruction is that God would cure Hezekiah, but God, who created
us, knows that, for lasting change to take root in our lives, we need to be
involved in the process. And so, a poultice was developed as part of Hezekiah's
buy-in into the process. Did God need the poultice to heal Hezekiah? Of course
not. However, God knew that Hezekiah needed the poultice to ease his mind, and
so he had Isaiah tell him to get one.
The
instructions for Hezekiah were to follow the standard medical process of the
day. He would use conventional medical wisdom to cure the illness, allowing God
the space to move through it. Healing often seems to work this way. We do what
we can, we act in support of healing, and allow God to do the rest. Cults that
believe that healing is an "only God" enterprise have missed some
important biblical instructions. Psychologically, we need to do what we can,
feeling like we are part of the process, so that God can move through the rest.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 18
See
also Isaiah 38:21
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