RTW 2023

“What did they see in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They saw everything,” Hezekiah replied. “I showed them everything I own—all my royal treasuries.”

2 Kings 20:15

“Many men who stand strong against the temptations of failure and weakness fail under the temptations of success and strength.” – David Guzik

“What is Christian success?
The measurement of success is simply the ratio of talents used to talents received. What you are doing with what you’ve got, plus who you are becoming. Are you a growing, maturing Christian? Whether you work in business, or in Christian work, or as a day laborer, professional, or academic, if you are a maturing Christian, using a large percentage of your talents, you are successful. Be glad. The person doing the most with what he’s got is truly successful. Not the one who becomes the richest or most famous, but the one who has the closest ratio of talents received to talents used.” – Fred Smith, Christianity Today

How to handle the temptation of success?

• Deflect any personal glory, as to reflect His glory.
  So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
  1 Corinthians 10:31
• Serve rather be served.
  “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.“
  Mark 10:45
• Replace I, Me, and Mine with He, Him, and His
  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
  Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
• Hold fast to His ways so you won’t be swayed.
  Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
  Hebrews 10:23
• Remember all you have, all you are, and every hope to have and be is all because of Jesus. He gave His life, so you could have life; eternal, free, and abundant.
  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
  2 Peter 1:3-4

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He didn’t look toward heaven, or hit the floor.

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
2 Kings 20:2

“Turning his face to the wall, thereby both dismissing Isaiah and entering into solitary confinement with God, Hezekiah poured out his heart to the Lord.” – Patterson and Austel

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Lord, give me only what I am capable of handling.