Thinking about Ourselves

“Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord . . . For he thought, ‘Is it not so, if there will be peace and truth in my days?’”
2 Kings 20:2, 19 NASB

Hezekiah had been a good king who “did right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 18:3). But when God told him that he was going to die, he prayed, wept, and begged God to spare his life. He felt that he had done many good deeds, and deserved His mercy.

God heard his prayers and granted his request, and gave him another fifteen years of life.

This should have been a cause of celebration. What a great opportunity to do even more things for God’s Kingdom! But the result, in reality, was the opposite.

First, he gave representatives from Babylon a tour of the treasures of the kingdom. Because of his poor discernment, God said that he had paved the way for judgment. But was Hezekiah concerned? No. All he really cared about was that there would be “peace and truth” during his lifetime.

Perhaps just as unfortunate, during these years, he had another son, Manasseh, who would be his successor and who would become one of the worst kings in their history (2 Kings 21:1-17). Those extra fifteen years revealed that Hezekiah was thinking more about himself than anyone else. Even God.

We need to remember that, when Jesus came to the earth, He said that if we want to be His disciples, we need to die to self, pick up our cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). We need to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Today, don’t make excuses or justify your actions. Surrender your time, talent, and treasure to God. Be ready to follow Him, wherever He wants you to go. And do whatever He wants you to do. And truly seek first His Kingdom.

Prayer: Father, I submit my life to You. I seek to do Your will. Forgive me for pride. Use me for Your Kingdom and glory. I trust in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.