July 22
2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38:1-8; 2 Chronicles 32:24-31; Isaiah 38:9-22; 2 Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39:1-8
My heart seems to vacillate between a cry of, “O God, how I need you. Every hour I need you” to “I can handle this on my own.” This is ultimately a movement between humility and pride─the very same attitudes we see in Hezekiah's life. We saw humility in his prayer for salvation yesterday and his prayer regarding his health today. He understands God is the one on whom he needs to rely. He seemed to reflect the heart we need, but then 2 Chronicles 32 tells us “Hezekiah's heart was proud, and he did not respond to the kindness shown him [by God].”
2 Chronicles does not tell us how this pride was exhibited, but most likely it was in either his presentation of his wealth to the Babylonian emissaries, or his lack of concern regarding God's future judgment. There were moments where Hezekiah insulated himself from God and trusted in his own abilities, with disastrous consequences. Thankfully the end of Hezekiah's story is not his pride but his subsequent repentance. He may have wavered between pride and humility, like us, but he confessed, repented, and fought against pride. We need to fight this same fight against pride and instead embrace walking in humility. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, so let us be quick to walk in humility.
Father God, I need you. I confess my pride and ask for your help to walk in humility before you and others. Amen.
What are signs that you have become complacent against pride?
My heart seems to vacillate between a cry of, “O God, how I need you. Every hour I need you” to “I can handle this on my own.” This is ultimately a movement between humility and pride─the very same attitudes we see in Hezekiah's life. We saw humility in his prayer for salvation yesterday and his prayer regarding his health today. He understands God is the one on whom he needs to rely. He seemed to reflect the heart we need, but then 2 Chronicles 32 tells us “Hezekiah's heart was proud, and he did not respond to the kindness shown him [by God].”
2 Chronicles does not tell us how this pride was exhibited, but most likely it was in either his presentation of his wealth to the Babylonian emissaries, or his lack of concern regarding God's future judgment. There were moments where Hezekiah insulated himself from God and trusted in his own abilities, with disastrous consequences. Thankfully the end of Hezekiah's story is not his pride but his subsequent repentance. He may have wavered between pride and humility, like us, but he confessed, repented, and fought against pride. We need to fight this same fight against pride and instead embrace walking in humility. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, so let us be quick to walk in humility.
Father God, I need you. I confess my pride and ask for your help to walk in humility before you and others. Amen.
What are signs that you have become complacent against pride?
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