Today’s Scripture: 2 Kings 20:12-19; 2 Chronicles 32:24-33
God was merciful to Hezekiah by adding fifteen years to his life. But, it’s obvious that something had happened to the heart of this king. First, instead of taking God at his word (as he previously had done), Hezekiah wanted God to “prove” He would lengthen his life by showing him a specific sign. Second, after receiving his healing, Hezekiah experienced internal struggles with arrogance and complacency.
Some people lose their spiritual footing when life is dark and challenging. They focus on the storm instead of the Lord of the storm. Not so with Hezekiah. When life was difficult, his first response was usually to pray and trust. But, when his life was successful and prosperity flowed—and he got what he wanted—Hezekiah became more enamored with the blessings than he did the Blesser.
Complacency leads to carelessness. Hezekiah gave envoys from Babylon a tour of his palace, showing them every hidden treasure. Isaiah later rebuked him and cautioned that the day would come when everything in Hezekiah’s storehouse would be carried off by the Babylonians. Even his children would become slaves in the palace of the king of Babylon. Hezekiah was unfazed, relieved that at least he would enjoy peace and prosperity in his lifetime. What a change from the younger Hezekiah who sought God for everything.
Thankfully, the story of Hezekiah has a good ending. He finally repented of the pride in his heart and the Lord continued to bless him and the Israelites.
Perhaps the ultimate blessing God wanted to give Hezekiah was an early transfer to heaven. Hezekiah resisted and, well, the rest is history.
Don’t embrace your blessings. Embrace the Giver of the blessings. This will protect your heart from desiring something the Lord doesn’t intend for you to have. Let Him save you from yourself.
- How do you know when you’ve become complacent? What can you do to keep complacency at bay?
- How will your relationship with the Lord be different after this week’s quest?