Introduction. Whenever we speak of the future, James warned “you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’" (Jas. 4:15). The devout take this warning seriously. While some speak them out loud, others utter them within their heart. If we are wise, these words are never far from our mind when thinking about or making plans for our future.
There are some important reasons behind this exhortation. It helps us remember this world is a very complex place where God is working out his purposes. Our own plans must always be conditional based on his plans. This is what prompted Jesus to say, “nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done” (Lk 22:42). For God to work out his plan, Jesus had to give up his own desires, we need to be prepared for the same thing.
There are some important reasons behind this exhortation. It helps us remember this world is a very complex place where God is working out his purposes. Our own plans must always be conditional based on his plans. This is what prompted Jesus to say, “nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done” (Lk 22:42). For God to work out his plan, Jesus had to give up his own desires, we need to be prepared for the same thing.
We never know when God is going to act, either to pluck up a nation, move us to repentance, or use us for the salvation of others. Whatever Noah, Daniel, Job or Paul had purposed for their lives was changed forever due to God’s plans. If we truly want to be “a vessel unto honor, meet for the master’s use,” (2Tim. 2:22) we must heed James’ warning. God’s needs are far more important than our plans! Not only in the garden, but also during his entire sojourn on earth, Jesus never forgot this. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." (Heb. 10:9; Jn. 5:30)
So what do we really mean when we say, “if the Lord wills?” Is it only a “vain repetition?” with four words spoken without thought or meaning, or do we truly hope God will overrule our decisions or plans? Do we hope God will intervene if he sees our plans will lead us to spiritual disaster? Is it a subtle prayer that God will assess our plans and do what is best for us?
Hezekiah's Example. After studying the example of King Hezekiah, we learn what can happen if our own needs and desires become too important to us. When we know God’s will and still seek our own, it may not end at all as we envision. So it was for Hezekiah.
King Hezekiah was among the greatest kings and certainly one of the most faithful men in the Old Testament Scriptures (2Kings 18-20; 2Chr. 29-32; Isa. 37-39). He began his reign at the age of twenty-five and quickly revealed his faith and fidelity to God.
He “did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.” “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments.” Because of his devotion and submission: “The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.” (2Kings 18:1-7).
This faith and devotion led Hezekiah to do many things that were unpopular and difficult. He cleansed the temple, removed idolatry and fought battles to restore the land from the Philistines. With evangelistic zeal, he sent men throughout Judah and even to the apostate ten tribes with an invitation to keep the Passover. Summing up his early life, God revealed: “he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” (2Chr. 31:20-21)
At the zenith of this faithful service, in the fourteenth year of his reign, at the age of 39 (1Kings 18:13), Assyria’s king surrounded Jerusalem with over 185,000 men. Having already conquered the ten tribes of Israel, he believed it would be a simple matter to take Judah.
But Hezekiah’s faithful service for his people had brought them into favor with the LORD. “Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.” (2Kings 19:20) The angel of the LORD destroyed the army of Assyria, killing 185,000 in one night. This brought great honor to Hezekiah, not only from the people of Judah, but from all the nations around them. “And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.” (2Chr. 32:23) Hezekiah’s faith and trust in the Lord had lifted him to the highest point in his life. His faithful service to God brought great success, wealth, honor, and peace.
An Unexpected Turn of Events. It was at this moment that he became sick and “was near death.” All his plans and expectations for the future were in jeopardy. He was crushed when God sent Isaiah to say: “Thus says the LORD, Set your house in order: for you shall die, and not live” (2Kings 20:1). Clearly, it was God’s will that Hezekiah’s life of service was over. He had done all that he needed to do and it was time for him to pass from the earth and enter his reward.
Hence, Hezekiah knew the will of God. If he had trusted in the Lord with all his heart and not leaned on his own understanding, he would have accepted God’s wisdom. Instead, “he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,” and “wept bitterly” (2Kings 20:2-3). We can all empathize with Hezekiah. At 39 he still had much to live for, to see and to experience. All his effort and toil had come to fruition and he wanted to enjoy the fruits of his success.
Then we witness the power of prayer and the mercy of God. “Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court... the word of the LORD came... I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you... And I will add to your days fifteen years” (2Kings 20:4-6). This prayer changed God’s mind! Before Hezekiah’s prayer, God had said, “set your house in order for you will die”. Yet after the prayer, God gave him fifteen years! Those fifteen years reveal the power of faith and devoted service to God. This is such a wonderful story of faith and the reward of serving God!
The Rest of the Story. Why did God tell him to set his house in order? Why was it God’s will that he should die? If Hezekiah had said “if the Lord will”, accepted God’s will, and set aside his own, his life would have ended and he could have gone to his reward having been faithful his entire life. Did this “gift” of 15 years bring greater devotion and service to God? The answer offers amazing insight into God’s providence and love. It also reveals the short-sighted view of life man often has and why it is better to accept God’s will.
“Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.” 2Chr. 32:25
If Hezekiah had died of that sickness as God had willed and revealed through Isaiah, then none of this would have happened. Those 15 years led him from being faithful and having God’s favor to becoming proud and bringing down the wrath of God upon himself and his people. Those 15 years were wasted years of pride, arrogance, and rebellion. Years he later felt shame and remorse. “Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart.” (2Chr. 32:26)
What initially seemed so unfair was actually an act of mercy and love. It was the way of escape (1Cor. 10:12-13). God’s will is always in our best interest and better than anything we could choose for ourselves. With God’s infinite love and infinite wisdom, we can trust him. What Hezekiah saw as an unfair denial and a bitter thing was actually a gift of love. When they were spent, he found no pleasure in them. He could only repent and wish they had never been squandered.
Conclusion. What can we learn from all this? The next time we are tempted to think God is being unfair, we need to remember Hezekiah. God knows what is best for us. He gives us “every good and perfect gift” and makes “all things work together for good.” We live a single dimensional existence. Though we can walk by faith and not by sight, we can only see what God has revealed in his word. We cannot see the future as God can. We cannot always see the spiritual consequences of an action, but God can.
This is the heart of “if the Lord wills” (Jas 4:15). God knows all things and loves us more than we love ourselves. We must not seek to force our will upon God. For as Hezekiah found, it can lead to disastrous consequences.
So what do we really mean when we say, “if the Lord wills?” Is it only a “vain repetition?” with four words spoken without thought or meaning, or do we truly hope God will overrule our decisions or plans? Do we hope God will intervene if he sees our plans will lead us to spiritual disaster? Is it a subtle prayer that God will assess our plans and do what is best for us?
Hezekiah's Example. After studying the example of King Hezekiah, we learn what can happen if our own needs and desires become too important to us. When we know God’s will and still seek our own, it may not end at all as we envision. So it was for Hezekiah.
King Hezekiah was among the greatest kings and certainly one of the most faithful men in the Old Testament Scriptures (2Kings 18-20; 2Chr. 29-32; Isa. 37-39). He began his reign at the age of twenty-five and quickly revealed his faith and fidelity to God.
He “did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.” “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments.” Because of his devotion and submission: “The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.” (2Kings 18:1-7).
This faith and devotion led Hezekiah to do many things that were unpopular and difficult. He cleansed the temple, removed idolatry and fought battles to restore the land from the Philistines. With evangelistic zeal, he sent men throughout Judah and even to the apostate ten tribes with an invitation to keep the Passover. Summing up his early life, God revealed: “he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” (2Chr. 31:20-21)
At the zenith of this faithful service, in the fourteenth year of his reign, at the age of 39 (1Kings 18:13), Assyria’s king surrounded Jerusalem with over 185,000 men. Having already conquered the ten tribes of Israel, he believed it would be a simple matter to take Judah.
But Hezekiah’s faithful service for his people had brought them into favor with the LORD. “Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.” (2Kings 19:20) The angel of the LORD destroyed the army of Assyria, killing 185,000 in one night. This brought great honor to Hezekiah, not only from the people of Judah, but from all the nations around them. “And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.” (2Chr. 32:23) Hezekiah’s faith and trust in the Lord had lifted him to the highest point in his life. His faithful service to God brought great success, wealth, honor, and peace.
An Unexpected Turn of Events. It was at this moment that he became sick and “was near death.” All his plans and expectations for the future were in jeopardy. He was crushed when God sent Isaiah to say: “Thus says the LORD, Set your house in order: for you shall die, and not live” (2Kings 20:1). Clearly, it was God’s will that Hezekiah’s life of service was over. He had done all that he needed to do and it was time for him to pass from the earth and enter his reward.
Hence, Hezekiah knew the will of God. If he had trusted in the Lord with all his heart and not leaned on his own understanding, he would have accepted God’s wisdom. Instead, “he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,” and “wept bitterly” (2Kings 20:2-3). We can all empathize with Hezekiah. At 39 he still had much to live for, to see and to experience. All his effort and toil had come to fruition and he wanted to enjoy the fruits of his success.
Then we witness the power of prayer and the mercy of God. “Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court... the word of the LORD came... I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you... And I will add to your days fifteen years” (2Kings 20:4-6). This prayer changed God’s mind! Before Hezekiah’s prayer, God had said, “set your house in order for you will die”. Yet after the prayer, God gave him fifteen years! Those fifteen years reveal the power of faith and devoted service to God. This is such a wonderful story of faith and the reward of serving God!
The Rest of the Story. Why did God tell him to set his house in order? Why was it God’s will that he should die? If Hezekiah had said “if the Lord will”, accepted God’s will, and set aside his own, his life would have ended and he could have gone to his reward having been faithful his entire life. Did this “gift” of 15 years bring greater devotion and service to God? The answer offers amazing insight into God’s providence and love. It also reveals the short-sighted view of life man often has and why it is better to accept God’s will.
“Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.” 2Chr. 32:25
If Hezekiah had died of that sickness as God had willed and revealed through Isaiah, then none of this would have happened. Those 15 years led him from being faithful and having God’s favor to becoming proud and bringing down the wrath of God upon himself and his people. Those 15 years were wasted years of pride, arrogance, and rebellion. Years he later felt shame and remorse. “Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart.” (2Chr. 32:26)
What initially seemed so unfair was actually an act of mercy and love. It was the way of escape (1Cor. 10:12-13). God’s will is always in our best interest and better than anything we could choose for ourselves. With God’s infinite love and infinite wisdom, we can trust him. What Hezekiah saw as an unfair denial and a bitter thing was actually a gift of love. When they were spent, he found no pleasure in them. He could only repent and wish they had never been squandered.
Conclusion. What can we learn from all this? The next time we are tempted to think God is being unfair, we need to remember Hezekiah. God knows what is best for us. He gives us “every good and perfect gift” and makes “all things work together for good.” We live a single dimensional existence. Though we can walk by faith and not by sight, we can only see what God has revealed in his word. We cannot see the future as God can. We cannot always see the spiritual consequences of an action, but God can.
This is the heart of “if the Lord wills” (Jas 4:15). God knows all things and loves us more than we love ourselves. We must not seek to force our will upon God. For as Hezekiah found, it can lead to disastrous consequences.