Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, became king of Judah at twenty-five. He was a good king and obeyed the Lord just as his ancestor David had done. He loved and protected his people.
Later in life, Hezekiah developed health issues, a boil to be precise. This was a life-threatening issue, and Isaiah visited him and told him he was about to die and to get his house in order. Hezekiah prayed fervently and was heard. The Lord granted 15 more years. He made good use of this time. He brought peace to his people, built a water system to Jerusalem and fathered his son and heir Manasseh.
King or commoner, these people are like us.
Years ago, I told my Confirmation students that two of the best prayers were, “Help me, God” used in a time of trouble and, “Thank you, God” expressing gratitude for blessings. They could relate to these prayers, and we then went on to learn how we could expand our prayer lives.
It’s Advent as I write this. I have issues and I have blessings, as I’m sure you do also. Let us pray…
God, help me to cope with my troubles, and to remember my blessings so that I may live in peace and joy. Amen. —