Look At What I Did

And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 2 Kings 20:13

I’m not an artist, until it comes to snow. Then, I’m a sculptor. Every winter, I use what snow we have to make snow piles and then, I shape those piles into something. This last week’s project was a T-Rex, or maybe it was Godzilla. I used to say it was for my kids, but they’ve grown up. Now, I say it’s for the neighbor kids, but my family knows the truth – I just like to play in the snow. My daughter did come out yesterday to help me paint it, and in doing so, I was reminded of how wonderful it is to have her in my life. And that is the most important thing about this picture.

Back in 2014, with my life a disaster in the consequences of my addiction, I nearly tore my family apart. For a while, it looked like I may not have my kids in my life. My wife (appropriately) was not going to raise her kids in a home with an active drug user. Fortunately, in following God, instead of me, I was able to put my life and my family back together. So, if I make today’s picture about anything, it isn’t about what I did, but what God has done in my life. God saved me, and my family, from myself.

Though it’s our job to point others to God, we often get it wrong, pointing at ourselves instead. This is illustrated in today’s passage. In the story, God miraculously healed King Hezekiah and so, the king of Babylon sent an envoy, congratulating him on his recovery. King Hezekiah took the opportunity, not to tell the envoy what God had done for him, but to show them all his wealth. Look at what I’ve done. For his pride, the prophet Isaiah informed Hezekiah that Babylon would one day carry off all that wealth.

As Christians, we are to follow Christ, allowing him to transform us. Then, we are to tell others what he’s done for us. This is a continual challenge for me, and it isn’t something that just happened 11 years ago. Today, I am to continue to follow Christ, continually being transformed. Then, I am to continue to point others to him, not to myself. I didn’t save me. God did. And so, I must daily point others to him. This blog isn’t about me. It’s about the God who continues to save me from myself.