Josh Lookabaugh
In Isaiah 38, Hezekiah was really sick, on his deathbed, and the prophet Isaiah gave him a warning. He said, “Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die and not live.” What does it mean to set your house in order? By putting our house in order, the Lord wants us to get our hearts right with each other and the Lord. People who are on their deathbed often think about making things right or important decisions that need to be made. It is common to go through life without thinking of things that truly matter, especially if you do not have a relationship with Christ. I am sure we have all known someone or maybe it is even something in ourselves that makes us think, seriously how could they or I ________ fill in that blank with whatever sin, shame, or secret held for so long. Once things are in dire straits or you hit rock bottom, it often becomes clearer what is truly important and how we made them important or blew it. Many times people will accept the free gift of salvation during this time. When there is nothing right or nothing left, Jesus is still there. The sad thing is that He was there the entire time waiting for us to accept Him and turn our lives upside down for the better.
Having been in many different groups of people throughout our lives, my wife and I find it fascinating how people behave. No matter what the wealth, education, or status of the people, we usually can tell a lot by just spending a few minutes or hours with people and what they value. Think about what we and probably you do when you are having guests over. You clean up and are welcoming. It doesn’t take long though to realize that sometimes even if a home is spotless, there could be some dirty issues. Behavior and tones that people talk to their loved ones in front of people have been a good indicator for us of what it is like in the home. If the societal norm is to be on your best behavior in front of others and you cannot control yourself, then what are you like to the ones you are living with day in and day out? Don’t the ones the Lord blessed us with deserve our best?
We need to have our spiritual house in order, always ready for HIS return. First Thessalonians five tells us the Lord will come as a thief in the night. We have no clue when He comes. Man has tried to predict His coming several times over with no success. Remember Y2k? We need to practice our spiritual disciplines doing things such as praying, reading our Bible, evangelizing, and encouraging others to stay close to the Lord. We need to have a heart for lost souls. He’s coming soon. We have work to do.