Isaiah 39:5-8, “Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your predecessors have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons who are born to you shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”
My first reaction to Hezekiah’s response in this verse was, ‘how selfish!’ But then we can all be very selfish can’t we?…It’s part of our sinful human nature. How tempting it is to base our decisions solely on ourselves and how they will impact and effect us as individuals, and how easy it is surrender to the convenience and instant gratification of unwisely attempting to fulfill our desires in the moment rather than waiting and allowing the Lord to bring about His best in His timing. Who wants to wait? Especially in this culture where everything is at our fingertips and waiting is almost a dirty word and a thing of the past, a cute relic of yesteryear.
When faced with a decision, a choice, we should ask ourselves the following questions: Will this contribute and add to my life and others in a positive way? Or will this detract and take away from me and others in a negative way? Is this an investment or a withdrawal? Can I do this and feel peace about it? Will it help me and others? Or do I feel a niggling tinge of uncertainty, tainted with guilt that I’m trying my best to suppress and override?
Let us not be like Hezekiah who, in his selfishness, did not worry about the plight of the people of tomorrow, but rather focused solely on the personal pleasure of the present.
Bethany's Monday Morning Ministry 