Do we want God-centred glory or self-centred tragedy?

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

I love Hezekiah’s seeking and trusting God. Could he have been a glorious God-seeking hero? It almost looked like it until he was faced with death and overcome with anguish. For some reason, despite God graciously granting him healing, this seemed to tip his view of life towards being strangely self-centred.

"Me" and "my" figured an awful lot in his prayer, and I think we would be picking up some really bad theology if we took Hezekiah's words as gospel when he said, "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish…”

How do we know he became too self-centred? I think it's the best way to make sense of chapter 39. Some suggest he was preparing a deal to ally with the Babylonians, and that would have displeased God. But they approached him, interested by his illness and recovery. This could have been a time when Hezekiah gave glory to God for everything. Who knows how that could have changed the world?

But instead, he sounded more like a child showing off his stuff as if it’s an essential part of themselves. Having stuff isn't a problem, nor is showing it to others. But losing perspective on whose stuff it is can be our undoing. "They saw everything in my palace... my treasures...," said Hezekiah, and Isaiah spoke God's word that this stuff was not going to stay belonging to him or his family. Yet even when faced with terrible news about his descendants, Hezekiah only heard the bits about himself. It's an awful prophecy which he calls good news, because "there will be peace and security in my lifetime."

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

Psalm 24 says “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” Sometimes God speaks and acts so directly that we must acknowledge this. But he always gives us a choice. If we give God credit and glory, he can be seen by others. If we confuse his work and provision as our own, we have fallen into a self-centred trap.

But even as Hezekiah did that, God kept his promise to grant life. God keeps his promises.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I'm reminded that "my" stuff is really God's stuff, and I want to renew my commitment to make the most of it without taking any for granted. I also want to get better at remembering prayers God has answered and giving him credit for what he does.

Who am I going to share this with?

God has answered prayers for our school and people who work in it. I will look for appropriate times and ways to share this, although not everyone shares the same faith.