2 Kings 20:1 …“This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die….”
It is easy for me to cling to God when life is falling apart. When He is the only thing helping me take my next breath, my next step, my need for Him, my praise for Him, my gratitude for His mercies are front and center in my mind. I definitely see this with King Hezekiah in this chapter.
2 Kings 20:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD….
But when Hezekiah is given 15 more years to live, when the Babylonian envoys come with well wishes, thoughts of God are far from him. Hezekiah delights in showing *his* storehouses, *his* armory, and *his* kingdom. God, who granted him 15 more years, doesn’t even seem to enter his mind and certainly isn’t part of his conversation. I want to stand in judgement of Hezekiah, but I know the human temptation to relegate God to seasons of need. Jesus, Help me.
2 Kings 20:12-13 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that being mindful of You every hour of every day is a gift and a practice that must be cultivated. I know that every good thing comes from You. I know that even the bad things draw me closer to You. Help me keep You first always. Help Your praises always be on my lips. Draw me closer. Help me to shine Your light every second of every day. Amen.
2 Kings 20:15 …Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.