2 Kings 20:19  “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” (NIV)

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The first verse in this chapter tells us that Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The chapter goes on to tell how Isaiah the prophet went to him and said that God wanted him to put his house in order because he was going to die. He would not recover from his illness. 

What did Hezekiah do? Verses 2 and 3 tell us that ‘Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 

Isaiah had not left the building when God told him to go back. God had another message for Hezekiah. God said that he heard Hezekiah’s prayer, saw his tears, and was going to heal him. The healing would happen within three days, and then he would have fifteen extra years added to his life. God even provided a special sign to let him know this promise would come true. 

Verses 12 and following tell us how Hezekiah made a big mistake. He showed foreign visitors everything he had. When Isaiah asked who the people were, where they were from, and what Hezekiah had shown them, Hezekiah said, “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.” 

Isaiah’s response was hard to hear. You can find it in verses 16-18. The bottom line was that some of Hezekiah’s descendants would be taken away and become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. The man with an extra fifteen years of life then said to himself, “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” 

How would you like to have King Hezekiah for a grandfather? 

Prepare yourself: Here comes a hard question. 

How will your descendants feel about the life you’ve lived? Will they consider your choices wise, good, and beneficial for all those who came behind them? Or will they wonder why you were so short-sighted? 

I told you it was a hard question. And it’s one I ponder regularly. Am I living a life for this age only, or for the ages? Am I a fairly harmless nice guy whose life ultimately has no meaning beyond my years? 

Legacy is created a moment at a time, a decision at a time, a determination at a time. In this day, this time I have before me, what will I decide and do, and how will it impact not only the days in which we live but the days to come? 

The Moravians, who did so much to shape Christianity for hundreds of years, lived by a meaningful phrase. It said, “Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.” Our lives are not ultimately about us. How do we build a better world now and for those who come behind us? 

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I will live the kind of life that builds a better world, shaped by God’s grace and mercy. 

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Our Father, please don’t let me be short-sighted and self-centered like Hezekiah. Empower me to make the kinds of decisions that are beneficial not only for my family and me today, but for everyone everywhere, all the time. Use me in whatever manner you see fit to leave this world better than when I arrived. This is something only you can accomplish in me and through me. So here I am. How do you want to deploy me for maximum effectiveness now and forever? Amen.