Isaiah Chapter 38 - Living with Your House In Order

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,  “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. (Isaiah 38:1-5)

As I write this, a good friend of mine is dying. A few months ago he went to the doctor complaining some pain in his throat, and it turned out to be esophageal cancer. We sat down a talked recently, and I was struck by his gentle faith. Facing death, he was very much at peace, trusting God. He’s ready to see Jesus. His house is in order.

It made me think - What would I do if I knew I was going to die soon? Would I do anything different? What would my focus be for the next week, the next month, or as in Hezekiah’s case, the next fifteen years?

The truth is we’re all facing death, some of us simply don’t yet know when. I could live another 40 years, or I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. But the question for me isn’t “when will I die,” rather it’s “Is my house in order today?” 

Paul wrote to the the church at Ephesus:

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:16-17)

In other words, do I understand the Lord’s will for my life today, and am I using the time that I have on this earth to accomplish that will? 

If I died tomorrow, would I have any regrets?
Were their things that God put on my heart that I put off until “later” that I could have already done?
Is my house in order today?

So Christian, why wait until we’re about to die? Why not have our house in order every day? Why not seek the will of God for our lives today?  Why not fulfill His will today?

Lord, help me live today in the center of your will. 

Pastor Clay