“I beseech You, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.”
II Kings 20:3
Never forget the Heavenly Father is not forgetful and always remembers those things done in His Name and for His Glory (I Cor. 15:58; Heb. 6:10).
Hezekiah was a Godly king who initiated many much-needed religious reforms in Judah (II Kings 18:1-7; II Chron. 29:3-36; 31:1). Crowned as the 13th king, his quest for righteousness and God’s Glory are especially noteworthy in light of the fact that his father was Ahab, one of the wickedest kings in the nation’s history (I Kings 16:29-33). This simply attests to God’s Grace, which is able to break cycles of sin and tear down strongholds of sin.
In II Kings 20:1 we find where Hezekiah, whose name means “The Lord is Strength,” became sick and the prophet, Isaiah, told him “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order—for you shall die and not live’.” No doubt the ailing king saw this as a death sentence, especially when it came from such a devout prophet as Isaiah.
However, Hezekiah’s subsequent action are worthy of our careful consideration: “Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord” (v.2). And, the content of that prayer is found in today’s Manna.
In this prayer, was Hezekiah lauding his reforms in the land and asking for special favors because he’d done such things? Was he trying to get God to change His mind based upon his self-righteousness? Or, was he asking the Lord to give him more time so he could continue serving Him?
Although we cannot know his motive, one thing was clear in his prayer: He’d done his best to “walk before the Lord in truth and with a perfect (Heb. ‘shalem’—‘complete, full, friendly, quiet, etc.’) heart, doing those things that were good in His sight.”
Oh, dear Pilgrim, when we seek to serve the Lord with a “perfect heart”—i.e., that’s wholly consecrated to Him—we know we have a standing audience with Him (Heb. 4:16) and can speak honestly with Him. Although the only basis for that is our relationship with Him through Christ, He still takes note of our faithful service and assures us it’ll never be in vain (I Cor. 15:58; Heb. 6:10). Hallelujah!
When God told Isaiah to go to Hezekiah and give him the Good News of his healing and the city’s deliverance from the king of Assyria (v.6), He specifically mentioned “seeing his tears when He heard his prayer” (v.5). Could it be Hezekiah’s “weeping sore” so moved God’s Heart that He granted him the 15-year reprieve?
Possibly—for such fervent, heartfelt praying has a way of touching His Heart.
Regardless, one thing is clear: Hezekiah’s “walking before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart, doing that which was good in His sight” certainly provided proof of his fidelity of faith and faithfulness in service. Let us never underestimate the power of a “perfect heart” and brokenhearted weeping to move God’s Heart in a way that nothing else will.
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated October 5, 2009
