Feelings or Faith

7.22.2011

Isaiah 37:14 14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. NIV

What happens when we get bad news? Many are prone to panic. Many slip off somewhere to scheme. Many viciously vent. Some pathetically pout. Some are ardently angry. Others willfully worship. It’s one thing when a peasant or a pawn does this – it’s altogether different when a leader does one of the above.

One thing Hezekiah did throughout his reign was to keep his eyes (mostly) on the Lord. Oh he had his moments, but overall he was one of the greatest kings of Judah. And when bad news came to him? He read it and spread it.

How would it make us feel if today in Washington D.C. our national leaders decided to get together and fall on their faces in repentance and humility seeking the Lord with all their hearts, waiting upon Him for a solution to our current crisis (whatever that is, because in government, there always is a current crisis). I wonder what the people of Judah thought when their king went up to the Temple to seek God after he received the threatening letter from the Assyrians; I wonder how they felt.

We don’t live by feelings but feelings tell us a lot about how we view things. If I feel good about something, I usually see it as something of benefit or goodness. But what happens when a leader does something? That goes a long way to either lift peoples emotions, or dash them. Hezekiah read the news and then spread it out before the Lord. I’d feel pretty good about that. But you know, if he wadded it up and threw it over the city wall, I’d probably feel good about that too; the second scenario would be faulty feelings based on self, attitude, and bravado. Attitude and bravado might win some battles, but God wins every battle – the ones around me, and more importantly, the ones within me. It all depends on how I approach them.

Sometimes I’m right and I know it. Sometimes I’m right but I need to let God be God. I think that’s what Hezekiah did; and I think that’s what I am supposed to do. The more often I depend upon me the more I betray a heart that says to God, “Relax, I can handle this!” Arrogant bravado or humble faith – it’s up to me to see the difference and then act appropriately.