Thus Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of what God had prepared for the people, for it was done suddenly. – 2 Chronicles 29:36, Amplified Bible (AMP)

Sometimes we marry ourselves to the idea that when God changes our character or our circumstances, He always does so slowly. No doubt, there are plenty of biblical examples when God chose to work gradually in His people.  God took forty years, for example, to mold Moses into a humble leader. He used seventy years in Babylonian captivity to cure Israel of its idol worship. But, there are also many instances where God chose to swiftly work in the lives of His people, and 2 Chronicles 29 contains one such instance.

In 2 Chronicles 29 we find the rise of King Hezekiah, one of the most righteous kings Israel ever had. The chapter recounts Israel’s return to the worship of Jehovah, and the last verse of the chapter indicates that the revival occurred “suddenly.” Verse 36 also recounts something extremely interesting: what appeared sudden to man was well planned for in advance by God.

The number of sacrifices that occurred during the early stages of the revival was huge, yet God had supplied both the animals and the manpower necessary to perform them. Had He not, there is no way they would have accomplished what they accomplished, and Hezekiah recognized this. As a result, Hezekiah praised God for supplying the power behind the revival, knowing that without God’s involvement, their efforts would have been in vain.

God can change our character and our circumstances slowly, or He can do so swiftly. In either case, He knows well ahead of time what we need and when we need it, and He is preparing now for the next time of change that is sure to come. Whether the change to come is spiritual, emotional, physical, or financial in nature, we can take rest in the knowledge that God, even today, is preparing for that change we desperately need!