Daily Devotional – Friday, October 9, 2026
The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day. The father shall make known Your truth to the children.
Isaiah 38:19 (NKJV)
Yesterday, I received news that several people had died after a lorry lost its brakes and crashed into people going about their daily activities. Some were travelling home for the night; others were attending to their responsibilities. None of them woke up expecting that day to be their last. Hearing the news made me pause. I realised how easily I treat another day of life as guaranteed when every morning I receive is a gift I did nothing to earn.
While You Are Still Living
My reflection took me to King Hezekiah’s experience. He had fallen seriously ill and stood at the verge of death when the prophet Isaiah told him to prepare for the end. Hezekiah prayed, and God answered by giving him fifteen additional years of life. Later, he declared, “The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day.” Having come so close to death, Hezekiah understood life differently from before.
The words “the living, the living” carry unusual weight because Hezekiah had come close to death. He no longer viewed life casually. He saw it as an opportunity to praise God and make His truth known. The king’s later death reminds us that while we live, we have an opportunity to live for God. Our Heavenly Father grants us life, breath, relationships, responsibilities, and time, and He calls us to use and enjoy them responsibly.
When God Gives You More Time
We can thank God not only for dramatic deliverances but also for the quiet gift of waking up, breathing, working, travelling, talking, and returning home safely. We should not assume that tomorrow is ours. James reminds us that our lives are “a vapour” (James 4:14). That truth should not make us fearful. It should make us more grateful, intentional, loving, and willing to use today wisely.
So, before you rush through tomorrow, stop and thank God for today. Tell someone you love them. Make that call. Repair that relationship. Do the good you have been postponing. Pray while you still have the opportunity. If God has given you another day, do not waste it waiting for a better one. You are among the living, and that means you still have a voice to praise Him and a life through which you can make His goodness known.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of life. Because I am breathing, I will praise You from my heart.
