At twenty-five years of age,
Hezekiah began his reign as king of Judah, and ruled for almost three decades.
With so many kings who did ‘evil in the sight of the LORD’, it is refreshing to
read the report of this king’s life. His zeal for God and desire for
righteousness, his severity in removing the places of idolatry and standing
strong against heathen practices, along with a notable trust in God, is praised
as ‘right in the sight of the LORD’. He is aligned with the manner, upright
walk and faithfulness for which, David his forefather, is set up as a standard
by the Lord. Along with Hezekiah, only two other kings of Judah, Asa and Josiah
are given such praise, and interestingly all three, were sons of wicked
fathers! The pattern of godly and wicked kings often succeeding each other,
shows us that we are each responsible as individuals before God, for our
actions and the quality of our walk with Him. Clearly even the ‘best’ men of
God have faults. Walking ‘perfectly’ in the sight of God doesn’t mean holding
absolute, flawless perfection, but rather that in obedience and righteousness
we strive towards the holy and high calling, because our Father is Holy! This
motivation of heart, and diligence of spirit, is what God notes and rewards.
The lack of this desire to ‘do right’, and the want of a heart given to
consistent purity and uprightness, marks us as having failed to ‘walk right in
the sight of God’. It should be our life’s greatest ambition to fulfil the will
and purpose for which God made us, saved us and empowered us! Though perhaps
flawed through our mortal, human imperfection, let us yet with all heart and
soul, strive to bring glory and honour to our King and Master, in a way that
will evoke a report that we walked ‘right in the sight of the LORD’!
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
No comments:
Post a Comment