Today’s scripture: Isaiah 39:1-8 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (John Seksay):
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”
It is a troubling time in the kingdom. Judah has been paying tribute and fealty to Egypt and Assyria, but the Babylonians recently defeated their armies in battle. Now Judah sits in a gray zone, with Babylonian power beginning to assert its sway over the region. The problem is, each new superpower wants tribute from its vassals, and the process has already been draining the resources of Judah for some time. The well is not very full right now, and the Babylonians are sniffing around for what’s available to support their expanding empire. Hezekiah opts for the truth and shows the new bosses just how poor the kingdom’s treasury actually is. I’m not sure how much of a prophet Ezekiel had to be to tell the king that his actions would not stall trouble for very long! The king’s sons and all the resources of Jerusalem, including the best of its people and the wealth of the temple, would soon be sucked in by Babylon. The tally of that devastation is recorded on 2 Kings 24.
In a pending crisis, do I tend to buy time or bite the bullet? Perhaps I would rob Peter to pay Paul. All these pithy sayings have entered our language to describe how we act when facing difficult decisions in which we have limited control over what is affecting our resources. What do we cling to most when we must juggle what resources we have to maintain a shaky, hazardous equilibrium? I’m sure these sentiments ring true for many people in so many situations around the world today.
Don Henley has a song called “New York Minute” that describes how life can overwhelm us quite quickly, causing us to lose sight of what really is important — being with those we love, wherever we are in life. What can I do when the wolves are always at the door? Don’t feed them our love, our hope, our faith. Material things may come and go, but losing our spiritual treasures destroys our sense of being and robs us of the will to continue. Pursuit of material wealth and power can create spiritual zombies! Now we know who the wolves at the door really are.
Thought for the day: Do I own my stuff, or does my stuff own me? Could I be happy with less and still feel contentment? God, show me how to hold my resources in my hand and not my heart.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.