It's quite easy to get sidetracked when it comes to our faithfulness and trust in God. When we have the wind at our backs and it's smooth sailing we never give it a second thought. But the minute our lives take a sudden turn it's, "Woe is me. Where's God when you need Him!" I think most can relate to this because that's simply our nature.
He knows the chances of our bailing out at the first sign of trouble is pretty good. Thankfully, God is very patient with us. And, unlike ourselves, God is always faithful and keeps His promises. I may be stepping out of line, but I say that a huge problem, when it comes to our relationship with God, is that we don't put Him first. This causes a lot of our misfortune.
The Bible is full of people who also thought they could do it all without any help from God. The list is a long one, for sure. On the other hand, the list of those who put God first in their lives is much shorter, which makes my job a little easier this week. One such biblical character is King Hezekiah of Judah. His is an example of a life lived with God as number one.
We can find his story in 2 Kings 16:20-21; 2 Chronicles 28:27-32:33; and Isaiah 36:1-39:8. Additional mention of him can be found in Proverbs 25:1; Isaiah 1:1; Jeremiah 15:4; 26:18-19; Hosea 1:1; and Micah 1:1, as well.
Interestingly, his father, King Ahaz, didn't set a very good example. He was the complete opposite of Hezekiah. Whereas, Hezekiah maintained a close relationship with God, his father Ahaz was an evil, self-serving person. In fact, Hezekiah was more passionate for God than any of his ancestors.
The end result of this is that because King Hezekiah put God first in his life, ahead of everything else, God helped him to flourish and thrive (2 Kings 18:6-7). On many occasions Hezekiah and all of Judah were threatened by invaders (2 Kings 18:13; 28-35; 19:10-12), and God protected them every time (2 Kings 19:35; 2 Chronicles 32:33).
King Hezekiah's is, for the most part, an ideal life of faithfulness and trust in the Lord. His faith was deeply rooted and strong. The reward for his trust in God was answered prayer, success in whatever he did, and astounding victories over his would-be conquerors.
In similar fashion, we should all follow King Hezekiah's blueprint for placing God first in our lives. Many of you have tried living your life without Him at the forefront. He may even allow you to have a go at it for a while. But at some point the wheels will fall off, the tank will run dry, and then you'll cry out, "Woe is me. Where's God when you need Him!"
It doesn't have to be that way, though. Read through King Hezekiah's story and see how much different a life lived with faithfulness and trust in God can be. But, this only works if we place Him first overall in our lives. I think Hezekiah would be very proud of you!
Scripture: John 10:10; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Galatians 6:9; Nahum 1:7; Deuteronomy 28:47-48
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your patience and presence in my life. may You will always be first, above all else, in my life. I need your love and mercy for without them, I am surely lost. Amen
Have a blessed and safe weekend!
Kaye
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