Those who suffer pain and illness often try to bargain with God. Hezekiah was no exception as he pleaded with the Lord to spare his life. In the story God relents and adds fifteen years to his life but most of the time we are not so fortunate. We cannot manipulate God or make deals. Good people often die prematurely while evil people sometimes lead long and comfortable lives. But it is the quality of our life that matters not the length. If we have lived in love and justice then we have had a rich and productive life indeed. Let our prayer be that our life may always give glory to God.

God's laws are not meant to be burdensome or cause pain. They were given for our benefit and we always need to remember that the well-being of people always comes first. Some objected that the disciples of Jesus picked grain on the Sabbath because they were hungry. Jesus had to remind them - as he would remind all of us today - that mercy is what God desires rather than sacrifice. Rather than being hard on people or harsh in our application of rules let us always remember that mercy - and the well-being of people - is always number one. That is God's way and it should be ours.