Carrying troubles to God.
The silence which Hezekiah kept, and commanded, represents only the negative side of his dealing with the Assyrian insults and threatenings. The earnest man can seldom be satisfied with the weak policy of "doing nothing." It may be one side of meeting difficulty, but it needs to be matched with another and a positive side. The earnest man wants to do something. Yet his circumstances may make personal action questionable and almost impossible; but this, at least, he can always do, and this he would be wise always to do first—he can carry his trouble to God; he can "cast his care on God." There is a positiveness and a definiteness of action about so doing, which meets the anxiety of the earnest man; there is a sense of propriety in so doing which satisfies the higher feeling of the pious man. From the conduct of Hezekiah on this occasion we learn four ways in which our troubles may be carried to God.
I. BY CHERISHED MOODS OF MIND. There is a thought of God; a dependence on God; a heart-appeal to God; a purposed meditating on the Divine relations with the troubled; a recalling of God's ways in past experience; and an assuring of the heart,—which are all voiceless cryings after God, which he knows and heeds. Tennyson gives this view exquisite expression when, describing Mary of Bethany, he says—
"Her eyes were homes of silent prayer."
There are times when we are "so troubled that we cannot speak," but at such times the trouble speaks, the afflicted soul lies open to God.
II. BY ATTITUDES AND BODILY STATES. The appearance of a man may be a prayer. This is more developed in Eastern than in Western lands. Rent clothes, neglected hair and beard, rough sackcloth, ashes cast on the person,—were signs of distress, and mute appeals for comfort and help. But we often say of persons, "His face was a prayer;" "The miserable neglected state was an appeal." The widow's crape is a casting of trouble on God. Attitudes of body naturally express moods of mind; and dress follows suit. Even thus we can pray.
III. BY SEEKING AUDIENCE OF GOD. Hezekiah made the effort to go to the place where God revealed himself. It is carrying our trouble to God simply to resolve that we will go to God's house. A psalmist, with a burdened heart, says, "I went into the sanctuary of God." The worshippers are really this—companies of men and women who are rolling their burdens off upon God.
IV. BY UNBURDENING THE SOUL. It is often thought strange, and called foolish, for men to tell God in prayer what he well knows. But the free unburdening is the best, and often the only, relief a soul can find. Child to mother, friend to friend, creature to God,—nothing helps us so much as being permitted to tell out all that is in our souls, bad and good, worthy and unworthy.—R.T.