It must truly break the Lord’s heart when we so quickly forget his grace and blessings and willfully sin with so little thought. Hezekiah was arguably the greatest of the kings after David. He faithfully served the Lord. Judah was protected, and it prospered as well. When he was about to die, Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord and was blessed with 15 more years. But then, in a moment of pride, he revealed to the enemy all the wealth and treasures of the nation. When confronted by the Lord and told his actions would bring future destruction on Judah, and slavery for some of his descendants, he seemed unconcerned as long as it didn’t happen in his lifetime.
Our sinful actions often have consequences for lives other than our own. We know this, the Word warns about it, we have personally experienced it and have seen it happen to others. And yet, many times, when faced with a life-altering choice, we choose the one that seems best for us without considering the future effect on others. We “pass the buck” and let others deal with the fallout.
I am eternally grateful Jesus chose not to put himself first! He had the power to refuse suffering, pain and death. And, had he done so, there would have been no hope for us. But with joy, he put us before himself and chose to die on the cross in order that we might have life.
The commandments to love God wholeheartedly and love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30–31) eliminate any justification in doing whatever we want and letting someone else pay the price. Yes, it will require that we actually think before we speak or act, but we must strive to faithfully put the Lord first, others second and ourselves last.
Father, thank you for loving us beyond measure. Please fill us with that same love in order that our every thought, word and deed will be pleasing in your sight.
David Buchanan, Panama City, Fla.
