Discretion Protects. Daily Devotional, June 7, 2010

Daily Bible Reading - Deuteronomy 11, Psalm 95-96, Isaiah 39, Revelation 9


What was so bad about Hezekiah (in Isaiah 39) showing all of the possessions in his house to the visitors from Babylon?

Let's think about that in modern day terms...

Imagine that I just recovered being terminally sick. Some people from Canada heard about my recovery and wanted to come visit me to deliver gifts (I am a famous ruler, so people bringing me gifts is not uncommon...I could get used to that!) When they arrived, I started showing them around and they were very impressed. I liked impressing my guests so I kept showing them more. My cars, my swimming pool, my office...pretty soon I showed them my safe, my combination, my bank account and all my investments. It felt pretty good to awe my visitors with my abundant wealth.

This is what Hezekiah did for the envoys from Babylon...we don't know where his heart was at but we can only assume the reason he gave the extensive tour was because he wanted to show off his affluence. After they left, the prophet told him that because of his actions his wealth would one day be carried off by the Babylonians...and even some of his sons. It seems a harsh punishment for boasting, but this is an example of the danger of a lack of discretion.

Proverbs 2:11 tells us that "Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."

Discretion is defined as:
1. The quality of being discreet, or careful about one says or does; prudence.
2. Ability or power to decide responsibly.

Hezekiah's actions may not have been a deliberate or intentional sin against God, but they severely lacked discretion. He did not know these people or whether or not he could trust them. He acted out of pride rather than prudence.

I was carrying a pot of boiling water from the stove to the sink yesterday and my son was standing in the kitchen. I am not usually prone to dropping pots of boiling water, but I made him move away from the kitchen anyway. Why? It's discretion, and it protects me from that one-in-a-million chance that my hands could slip and I could hurt my son.

I don't go to nightclubs. I trust myself and I trust that I wouldn't do anything that would compromise my walk with the Lord or my marriage. However, it is discretion that protects me from even the smallest possibility that I could do something regretful.

We must not become like Hezekiah and remove a healthy dose of discretion from our lives. Discretion is like a seat belt that protects us from those rare but dangerous crashes. We must never think that we are strong enough to handle tempting situations. Use discretion and you'll find yourself living life with no regrets.

Thanks for reading,
Mel Miller