2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31,
Psalms 48: Do you ever get to challenging times and say, “I wish I had been prepared for that.” I know that even in the situation we are in these days with our salary being taken away in May we have felt that way. Had the employer let us know ahead of time we could have made plans. And yet God knew all along what was going to happen, and because we were trusting in Him He did prepare us. No, it wasn’t financial, but our faith was already in place. We had already learned to rely on Him in the small things, so when the big thing happened, though we were grieved by the struggles, we have had something to fall back on. That something was Someone. Hezekiah made some wise choices too from the moment he became king. He restored the temple and tore down all of the places where the country worshiped false gods. He called the people to worship and observe the Passover. He restored and renewed the Priests making sure they were ceremonially clean. He gave his own offerings encouraged others to as well. These scriptures tell us that he served God will all of his heart.
As we prepare for our own lives for all that will come we too must serve the Lord with all of our hearts. We too must remove anything that takes the place of a whole heart devotion to God. We must worship Him and read His word daily as we prepare for the challenges ahead. We must learn to trust God in the every day so that when the big things come we are already steadfast and secure in running to the Father, listening to Him and obeying. It is a daily discipline that sets us up for success when the hard times come.