There is a rather human tendency: when we find ourselves in difficulty, we are quick to turn to God. When life feels heavy, when there seems to be no way out, and when our own abilities are no longer enough, prayer becomes our refuge. Yet when circumstances begin to improve, problems are resolved, and life feels secure once more, we gradually forget that the help we received came from God. This does not mean that we are deliberately turning away from God. Sometimes, the sense of security we possess gradually makes us feel capable of standing on our own. We begin to place greater trust in what we hold in our grasp: our achievements, strength, abilities, and the things we have managed to accumulate.

It is precisely this kind of struggle that is evident in Isaiah 39. Hezekiah was not someone who did not know God. Indeed, the preceding chapters show how he turned to God in the most desperate of circumstances. When Jerusalem was threatened by Assyria, Hezekiah took the threatening letter to the Temple and spread it out before the Lord. When he was ill and facing death, he once again prayed with tears. Hezekiah knew that his life depended on God.

However, after his recovery, envoys arrived from Babylon bearing gifts and greetings. On that occasion, Hezekiah showed them the entire contents of his palace: gold, silver, spices, weapons, and everything in his treasury. At first glance, this action might appear to be a gesture of hospitality or respect towards his guests. Yet the Prophet Isaiah saw something deeper. When he asked, “What did they see in your palace?”, Hezekiah replied that they had seen everything.

Herein lies an interesting contrast. In Isaiah 37, Hezekiah laid the threatening letter before the Lord because he realised his own powerlessness. Yet in Isaiah 39, Hezekiah instead laid out all his possessions before Babylon. He displayed what he had, as if unconsciously saying, “Behold the power I possess.” What was originally received as a blessing from God gradually shifted into a source of security of which he took pride.

Dear Bible Friends, the story of Hezekiah reminds us that tests of faith come not only through suffering, but also through blessings. When the Lord entrusts us with success, restoration and a sense of security, let us not allow our focus to shift from the Giver to what He has given. For ultimately, it is not what we possess that sustains our lives, but the Lord who faithfully accompanies us.