7 minute read
Follow the Actions of a Young King
by Scarlette Taylor
Recently, I was reminded of the great story of the young man Hezekiah, who was king of Judah. If you have not read his story recently, as I had not, you can find it in the Old Testament book of 2 Kings. The story is about Hezekiah who became king in his early twenties. (Can you imagine?) He inherited a kingdom from his father, a ruler who did not honor God. However, Hezekiah loved God and set out to remove pagan worship from his nation: the high places, the pagan idols, their sacred pillars, and their wooden images. Another thing Hezekiah did was break alliances with unholy nations, even with powerful, brutal, deadly, ungodly Assyria. When the Assyrian king learned of the alliance with his country being broken, he sent word for Hezekiah to surrender, and if he didn’t his life would end tomorrow. The brutality and ruthlessness, as well as the great power of the Assyrian army were well known. So, young King Hezekiah faced a cross road. He had to determine what to do. Are you there, too? Are you at a point that you need to make a decision, one that is extremely important, one that determines so much? Young King Hezekiah first tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and ashes, the typical Jewish response to times of great grief, loss, or danger. But, then King Hezekiah went to the House of the Lord. He was a wise young man. Obviously, he was because he believed in God and wanted his country free of all the pagan influences of worship. This young king did several things that are model responses we can emulate, can profit from. Going to the House of the Lord was the first thing he did when dealing with the Assyrians. Hezekiah went there to talk to God. Isn’t that a great place to go to cry out to God when you have a problem? Then the second thing he did was spread out the letter he had received from the Assyrian king which basically said that his God couldn’t help him, that he was out-numbered, that he knew what the Assyrians had done to other nations. That he was doomed. He laid the literal letter out before God. (Can’t you just imagine that? I love it. I want to be that literal with God). He is taking the evidence to his God. Then Hezekiah said, “You are God of Israel, the one who dwells between the cherubim. You are God alone, maker of heaven and earth.” Oh, how great, how good, how benefiting to us is our acknowledgement of God. Hezekiah knew God, and so he was able to ask God to hear and see the words Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had said. Young King Hezekiah told God how the Assyrian king was speaking of Him, and how he was planning “to reproach God,” the living God. Hezekiah was telling God that this man was criticizing and disparaging God. Then Hezekiah redirected this challenge made upon himself. He changed the focus to opposing God. Hezekiah was making his problem God’s problem. Isn’t that a great thing to do? And isn’t it so true that our problems are God’s problems, if we belong to Him. Too often we are prone to take care of things, situations ourselves. We certainly need our God’s guidance, wisdom and power, from the least of problems to the greatest. Been there, as Young Hezekiah was …wanting and needing God’s help so desperately? Faith is a choice. The truth is He is always our present help in time of need. We can cry out to Him and He hears and will help us. So, young King Hezekiah was truthful with God. He told Him the whole situation. What about when we go to God for help? Yes, we must be truthful with Him. Amazingly, we sometimes try to diminish our errors, our self-focus, our part in the situation or our wrong, or our fear or doubt. We want God’s help, but we don’t want to sound undeserving or even needy. He knows anyway, right? So, how foolish to try to keep something from our God who loves us, and is full of compassion, full of grace, patient, and is ever ready to help us in our need. After that, Hezekiah’s help from the Lord God came. God did indeed help His young one. God sent one angel (though he could have sent thousands upon thousands) to rescue Hezekiah’s men. He sent just one angel who went out and killed in the camp of the Assyrians 85,000; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses,. One of God’s agents, an angel had defeated the vast Assyrian army. That morning, the Assyrian king Sennacherib left and returned home to Nineveh, not willing to fight against Hezekiah and his God. Can you imagine how Hezekiah felt? No doubt he believed God was going to help him, but to send an angel to destroy so many of the enemy…and for the enemy to leave, just like that! God’s work was amazing for this young, God-fearing man. May our hearts be tender toward our God. May we honor and stand up for Him, worship and adore Him. A closing note concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria: One day after he returned to Nineveh, he was worshiping in the temple of Nisrock his god, and his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. He just thought he was in control and that his god was the true God. Young Hezekiah’s looking to God to be his help, his rescuer, his dependable God made all the difference. If we will take our concerns, small or vast, to the Lord, we will have help beyond what we can imagine. Bless be the name of the great I AM, YAHWEH, our Jehovah God.
Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers
I I was in was in the six item the six item express express lane at the lane at the store store quietly fuming.quietly fuming.
Completely ignoringCompletely ignoring the sign, the sign, the the woman woman ahead of meahead of me had slipped had slipped into the check-out into the check-out line line pushing pushing a a cart piled high with cart piled high with groceries. Imag- groceries. Imagine my delightine my delight when the when the cashier beckoned cashier beckoned the the woman towoman to come come forward looked forward looked into the cart and into the cart and asked asked sweetly, sweetly, “So which “So which six six items would you items would you like like to to buy?” buy?”
Wouldn’t it be greatWouldn’t it be great if that happened if that happened more of- more often? ten? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All eyes were onAll eyes were on the the radiant bride radiant bride as as her father her father escorted escorted her down the her down the aisle. aisle. They reached the They reached the al altar and the waiting groom.tar and the waiting groom. The The bride kissed her bride kissed her father andfather and placed something placed something in in his hand. his hand.
The guestsThe guests in in the front the front pews pews responded with responded with ripples ripples of laughter. Even the of laughter. Even the priest smiled priest smiled broad broadly. ly.
As herAs her father gave her away in father gave her away in marriage, marriage, the the bride gave himbride gave him back back his credit his credit card. card.
Three friends from the local congregation were asked,”When you’re in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?”
Artie said,”I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man.”
Eugene commented,”I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people’s lives.” Al said,”I’d like them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’”
John was on his deathbed and gasped pitifully,”Give me one last request, dear,” he said.
“Of course, John,” his wife said softly.
“But I thought you hated Bob,” she said..
With his last breath John said,”I do!”
Over 5000 years of eating bread And in less than a decade , everyone is allergic to gluten.
