Christian Devotional – December 16, 2025

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 39

Only focused on me. Read Isaiah chapter 39.

How does king Hezekiah use his remaining 15 years of life that God has given him? We saw that gift come in the lesson yesterday and today, we read that a special envoy from Babylon was received by the people of Jerusalem. King Hezekiah was a tremendous host. He showed them everything in his kingdom: all his riches, all his storehouses, everything. He had shown these people because they were from a far off land and he thought they posed no danger and no threat.

Isaiah comes to Hezekiah later, and tells him that these people are going to one day take over the country. Hezekiah’s descendants will end up being their slaves. Hezekiah is not nearly as upset as one would think he should be. Instead, he looks at the situation and thinks. “Well, at least everything in my lifetime will be peaceful.”

Do we focus on the long-term impact of the choices that we make, or are we only focusing on ourselves? Hezekiah decided it didn’t matter what the long-term results of his choices were. He didn’t care if his descendants suffered because of his choices. He was just concerned that things were in a good place during his lifetime.

We need to be making choices that will have a positive impact for generations to come, not just for ourselves. We have a responsibility to the people that are coming to help create a world that is as focused on God as we can make it. Are we fulfilling our responsibility to our future generations and making choices that will have a positive impact on them and their lives?