"and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah," - Matthew 1:9c

During this Advent season, we can see how God is working everything for the good of those that love Him. However, we also see the contrast of those that do not seek Him and the devastation and negative impacts of those that are out of the will of God as we continue to pursue the lineage and line that leads to Christ. Today’s devotional will focus on Hezekiah, a Godly king, who pursued God and did what was faithful before the Lord (2 Chronicles 31:20). An amazing aspect of Hezekiah is that he followed his father Ahaz who was a wicked king who dishonored God, the very opposite of Hezekiah. He was able to break generational bondage that his father, Ahaz, had created through his wickedness. (2 Kings 18:2-7) He sought his Heavenly Father to reverse the wickedness of his earthly father. King Hezekiah took the opportunity that God had allowed him to have in time to point people that he led to the true King.

Hezekiah displays the importance of putting Christ first in everything that we do as His followers. This led to Hezekiah's success in his undertakings as a King, but more importantly as a child of God (2 Kings 18:6-7). When faced with hardship, much like we all face, he focused on God. This is true for us today, because it is not if, but when, due to the fallen world we live in. When dealing with adversity Hezekiah faced from the Assyrians, he sought the Lord in prayer and Jerusalem was spared (2 Kings 19:19). We see God move continuously in Hezekiah’s life even when he falls ill and God extends his life fifteen years (2 Kings 20:1-7). This continues to display the importance of the power of prayer. Through Hezekiah’s life we can see that he was not perfect; just as no one among us is perfect, but it does point to the perfect God. Let us remember that nothing is
impossible with God, and that Hezekiah prayed, and God answered.