Two Kings, Two Hearts

Turn your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 25. 2 Chronicles chapter 25. We're going to look at two kings today from our series on King Me. And uh both of these kings reigned for 29 years. Now 29 years is one of those kind of antilimatic numbers. You know, uh we're getting ready to celebrate our 40th anniversary. And there's certain ones when you got 25 years or you got 30 or 40 years or 50 years, everybody's all excited. You know, I remember back when we were celebrating our 29th anniversary, everybody's kind of like, "Oh, okay." Then when we celebrate a 30th, wow, you know, it was like one year made all the difference in the world.

But both these kings reigned for 29 years. is in 2 Chronicles 25:es 1 and 2 it says Amziah was 20 and 5 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 20 and 9 years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Jod Jodan uh of Jerusalem and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart and then go over to 2 Chronicles chap 29 and look at verses 1 and two Chronicles 29:es 1 and two it says Hezekiah Meia began to reign when he was five and 25 20 years old and he reigned 9 and 20 years in Jerusalem. His mother name was Abjah the daughter of Zechariah. Okay. So we have two different kings and they both reign for 29 years.

I want to kind of compare their lives and what we can learn from them. And and the first thing is is that I want to look at both the beginning and the end of their career as kings. uh in the beginning in verse number one it tells us that Amziah was 25 years old when he began to reign and the same thing for Hezekiah in verse chapter 29 verse number one and so at them how you start is important and in 2 Chronicles 25 and:es 3 and 4 it says now it came to pass when the kingdom was established to him that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father but he slew not their children but did as written in the law of book of Moses where the Lord commanded saying the father shall not die for the children neither shall the children die for the fathers but every man shall die for his own sin.

So he immediately began he took revenge against those his father had been killed by some of the people and and and so he took revenge against them and uh and and you know people need to be punished for what they do wrong but at the same time we got to be careful of bitterness or trying to have revenge of ourselves. put a marker in 2 Chronicles and turn over to to uh to Romans chapter 12. The book of Romans chap 12 and look at verses 17 through 21. Romans 12 beginning with verse number 17. The Bible says, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lith in you, live peacefully with all men."

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord. I will repay, sayeth the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirst, give him drink. For in doing so, this thou shalt both sap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. And and you know, sometimes uh we we have start out with with bitterness. We start out with trying to take revenge. That's not the way we should go. And and I think that was kind of a bad start for him. uh maybe it wasn't necessary and it needed to be done and these were people that had done something that was wicked and I understand that and I'm glad that he did not take out the children but he only took out the ones that were guilty.

Um in 2 Chronicles 25 and verse number four it talks about how that he only took the parents and not the children. In 2 Corinthians 3:6, it says, "Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit. For the letter killed, for the letter but the law of the spirit giveth life." And we need to realize that we need to we need to follow the letter of the law. We need to follow what the word of God says, but more importantly, we need to follow the spirit of the law also. And and now we need to seek to do what's right before the Lord and to do it for the right reasons as well.

And and so he began with taking revenge. He began maybe he was better against these people for killing his father. But Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles chapter 29, I want you to look at verses 5-6. And said unto them, "Hear me, Levites. Sanctify not yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord, God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. For our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and have forsaken him have turned um away from their faces from the habitats habitation of the Lord and turn their backs. Uh he immediately first thing he did after he became king he said listen we need to get back uh into the temple of God.

We need to get back into worshiping God. And and he begin with that and he started out with that personal conviction saying I need to I need to get back when our our nation needs to get back right with the Lord. Turn over to Jeremiah chapter 8 and verses 5-6. Jeremiah chapter 8 and verses 5-6. Jeremiah 8 and beginning with verse number five. The Bible says, "Why then is this people in Jerusalem slitten back by perpetual backsliding? They hold fast a seed. They refused return. I hearkened and heard had they had they but they spake not a right. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?"

Everyone turn to his course as a horse rushes into battle. So often what happens in our spiritual lives is we get we get sin and we get we get away from the Lord and and we get backsliden. And he said, "Listen, you need to get back right with the Lord. are we to get back into that place where we're right with God, to get back into church, to get back into reading our Bible, to get back to doing the things that are right. And so often what we do is is we get in that backsliding condition and it just seems like it becomes a downhill spiral and and it's like the horse rushing into battle and and we can't seem to stop doing those things.

And that's the first thing Hezekiah said is we need to get back right with the Lord. We need to get back in the temple of God. In 2 Chronicles 29 and verse number 10, it says, "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel that his fierce wrath may turn away from us." And and so he wanted to make a covenant. In 2 Kings 18:12, it says, "Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant and all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded and would not hear uh them nor do them." You know, I believe that every person in this room, there needs to be a time and a day when you trust Christ as your savior.

We'll talk about that more later on, but there also need to be a time and a day where you make him lord of your life. You see, there's some here today that Jesus is your savior, but he's not your lord. In Romans 12 and:es 1 and 2, it says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable on him, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." And and there needs to be a time in your life where you say, "God, I want you not just to be my savior, but I want you to be the Lord of my life.

I want to live my life according to your word. I want to live my life for you and to make that commitment." And and if you've never done that, I would challenge you to make today the day of that commitment to the Lord. But there are also some in this room that there was a time where you gave your life to God. There was a time when you committed yourself to the Lord, but you backslid. You've gotten away from God. and and now you need to renew that covenant and get back right with the Lord. And and then look at 2 Chronicles chap 29 and look at verses 15-18. It says, "And they gathered the brethren and sanctified themselves and came according to the commandment of the king by the words of the Lord to cleanse the house of the Lord.

And the priests went into that inner part of the house of the Lord and uh to cleanse it and brought uh brought out all the uncleanness that they had found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it and carried it out abroad into the book of Kidron. And then it goes on in verse 17. Now they began the first day of the first month to sanctify and on the eighth day of the month came they depre to the portion of the Lord. So they sanctified the house of the Lord in 8 days. And the 16th day of the first month they made an end. Then they went to Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the Lord and the altar of the burnt offerings with all the vessels thereof and the showbread table with all the vessels thereof."

So they did a cleansing and maybe for you and I, we also need to cleanse the temple of God. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 that what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God. You're not your own for you're bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are gods. And we need to maybe go back and cleanse that temple. You've gotten sin in your life and you've allowed things in your life that are wrong and and and you needed to take a moment. You need to take time just to go back and say, "God, I want to get right with you and to cleanse your temple, to get rid of those things and get them out of your life."

And that's what Hezekiah did. The first thing Amziah did was take revenge. I'm going to get those guys. And again, I'm not saying it's wrong. Uh maybe they needed to be punished. They need to be brought to to to the the judgment. And that's okay in that sense. But that was his first thing where as Hezekiah said, "First thing I want to do is get right with God. I I want to cleanse the temple. I want to get right with the Lord. And and maybe that's what you need to do today. So it's it's not how you start. It's not just how you start that's important, but what's even more important is how you end.

How you end. In 2 Timothy chapter 4 and:es 6-8, it says, "For I'm now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I've kept the faith. I as forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but also unto unto them also that love his appearing. See God says it's important not just how you start but it's important how you end your life as well. Amaziah uh in 2 Chronicles chapter 25 look at verses 14 and 15 it says so the armed um I'm sorry that's chapter 26.

So 14 and 15. Now it came to pass after that the Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the and he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of their out of thine hand? You know, he he conquered the Their god couldn't protect him. their god couldn't keep them from being conquered. And what does he do?

He takes their gods for his own god. It is crazy. But yet so often we turn away from the Lord for the things of the world. The world doesn't have the answers, folks. God has the answers. And you and I need to turn not back to those things of the world. Messiah, he was a good king overall, but there came a point towards the end of his life where he he turned from the right way and turned to the wrong way. He turned to other gods. You see what happens is is we don't listen to counsel. Look at verse number 15 of 2 Chronicles chapter 25. Wherefore the angel of the Lord was kindled against Amziah. He said unto a prophet which said unto him, why dust thou uh sought after the gods of the people which could not deliver thee out of out of thine own hand?

And um that king didn't want to listen to him. It goes on further and he he turns against the prophet and he doesn't want to listen. And and so often we need to realize that when somebody comes to us to point out something in our life, we need to listen, [clears throat] folks. So often when somebody comes to us, they they don't want to tell us we're wrong. I I don't know about you, but when I see somebody doing something wrong, I I don't want to go tell them because why? Because they're going to get mad at me. You ever seen somebody's kids are bad and you want to go tell the parents they're bad and parents instead of getting upset with their kids?

They get mad at you. You ever see somebody doing something wrong and you go tell them, "Hey, what you do is wrong." And they get mad at you. There's a saying that goes like this. I don't want to hear what you don't want to tell me. And in 1 Samuel chapter 3, God told uh uh Samuel that he was going to judge Elijah, Elijah, and all his people. and and and he was judging him for his wickedness and for what he was doing that was wrong. And and Samuel didn't want to tell Elijah because Elijah was his mentor. It was he was boss, so to speak. And he didn't want to tell him. And Elijah said, "Listen, you tell me what God told you."

And folks, you need to hear it when people tell you there's something wrong. Don't ignore it. Don't just fluff it off. Don't just say, "Well, that's their problem." If somebody's willing to come to you, tell you something wrong, you need to listen to that and and see if there's truth there and see what it is that you need to do to get right with the Lord and to get right with that person. See, his pride kept him in in chapter 25 and verse 17. This is Amziah, king of Judah, took advice and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoaz, Jehoaz, the son of Jahu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us see one another in the face."

And Joash, king of Israel, sent to Amziah, king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, give thy daughter to my son to wife, and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trove down the thistle." See what happened here in verse 19. It says, "Thou sayest, lo, thou has smitten the endites, and thine heart lifted up thee to both side abide now at home. Why shouldest thou meddle in those hurt in thine hurt that thou would just fail even though thou and Judah with thee? See, Amziah thought, well, I beat the And so, he got kind of prideful.

He said to the king of Israel, and he said he said, listen, let's have a let's have a alliance here. And Israel was much stronger at that time. And he thought he he got bigger, too big for his britches. In Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction and a hotty spirit for the fall." When you start thinking that that you're different and you can handle it, it won't happen to me. That's when you're in trouble. And that's where Amziah was. He thought he thought now I'm the big king. I'm the conqueror. And he he turned away from the Lord to other gods. And then he got prideful thinking he could do it all on his own.

And that's when we get into trouble. Now, Hezekiah in 2 Kings chapter 20. Uh, 2 Kings 20. If you'll turn over there with me, 2 Kings chapter 20 and beginning with verse number one. 2 Kings chapter 20 and beginning with verse number one. It says, "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amos, came to him, and said unto him, Thus sayeth the Lord, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, oh Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which was good in thy sight.

And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass after Isaiah was gone out in the middle court that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah, the captain of my people, thus sayeth the Lord, the God of David, thy father, I've heard thy prayers, and I've seen thy tears. Behold, I will heal thee. On the third day, thou shalt go up into the house of the Lord, and I will add unto thy days 15 years, and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. See, Hezekiah came to the end of his life, and he was going to die.

And he said, "God, give me 15 years more." In Psalms chapter 106, verse number 15, it says, "He gave them their requests, but send leanness onto their soul." Sometimes we ask for God's for something and it's not always the best thing and it wasn't the best thing for Hezekiah to have those extra 15 years. Now folks, all of us are going to die. In Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 27, it says appointed a men once to die but after this the judgment. Every one of us here is going to die. You know why they put fences around graveyards? Cuz people are dying to get in there. Uh you know and uh and we need to realize that.

Also, by the way, did you know there's a law here in Hawaii that you cannot bury somebody that lives within 10 year 10 miles of a graveyard? You cannot bury them in that graveyard. Did you know that's a law? You know why? Cuz you don't bury living people. But anyway, um, come on. That was good. But anyway, Hezekiah was going to die. He prayed for 15 more years, which isn't is okay, but yet those 15 years were not good for him. In Psalms chapter 90 and:es 10-12, it says, "The days of our years are three score years and 10. And if by reason of strength they be four four score years, that's 80 years.

Yet is there strength, labor, and sorrow, for is soon cut off and we fly away." So teach us to number. That word number means to count, to assign, to appoint. In other words, to take every day as a day, as this is the day which the Lord hath made. I'll rejoice and be glad to. Realize that I don't get extra days and I need to use every day wisely for the Lord. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. You ever wish for more time? You ever wish there was one more day in the week? You ever wish there was one more hour in the day? The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse number 16, it says, "Redeeming the time because the days are evil."

You see, you can't get another hour in your day. But you know what you can do is redeem the hour that you spent scrolling through social media or watching realels or playing video games or something else like that. You see folks, we can't get in that hour, but we can redeem the time that we have. We can use it wisely. In Proverbs 27 verse number one, it says, "Bost not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." I don't know if I'm going to have another day tomorrow, but I do know I have today. And today I can live for the Lord. Today I can do what God wants me to. In Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 15, it says, "Wall has said, today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as a provocation.

Today you need to hear God's voice. Today you need to hear what God is telling you to do. Don't wait for tomorrow because you're not promised tomorrow. But you do have today you have right now." In Psalms 118: 24, this is the day which the Lord made. We rejoice and be glad in it. Rejoice in the day that God has given you. We're always wanted. I want more time. I want more years. I want more of this and more of that. But we don't use what we have for the glory of the Lord. Philippians 1 21 says, "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." In Romans 14:8, for whether we live, we live unto the Lord.

And whether we die, we die in the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. You see, folks, if you're going to live, live for God. If you're going to die, go to heaven. You see, we have that choice. Somebody Abraham Lincoln said this, "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your ears." Folks, it'd be good to have an extra year or two of your life. It'd be good to live a long time, but I've known people that died young but lived a full life. And because they realize that every day the Lord has given me is my day to live for him. I need to redeem that time.

I need to use it wisely for the Lord. Hezekiah, he wanted more time. And God said, "Okay, I'll give it to you." But we're going to find out later on. The problem was is what he did with that time. See in 2 Chronicles chapter 29 and verse number two it says, "And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his father had done." In verse chapter 25 and verse two, talking about Amziah, it says that and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. You've heard me say this before and I'll say it again. You can do all the right things and not be the right person.

But you cannot do be the right person and not do the right things. You see, we have to understand that that it's it's good to do what's right. But Amziah was a king that did what was right, but without a perfect heart. You see, he wasn't right with God. And folks, you need to be right with the Lord. You need to have a heart that's right with God as well. in Psalms chapter 119 and I want you to look at verse number two. Psalms 119 and verse number two it says, "Blessed are they that keep the thy his testimonies and they shall seek him with the whole heart." Verse number 10, "With my whole heart have I sought thee, oh let me not wander from thy commandments."

Verse number 34, give me understanding, I shall keep thy law, yet I shall observe it with my whole heart. Verse number 58, I intreated thy favor with my whole heart. Be merciful unto me according to thy word. Verse number 69, he said, "Thy the proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart." And then verse number 145, "I cried with my whole heart unto the Lord unto hear me, oh Lord, I will keep thy statutes." Amen. You see, God wants us to seek him with our whole heart. There's some of you that that you you you're trying to do what's right, but you're doing it without a heart for God.

You're doing it in the flesh, in your own strength. And and we need to have a heart that is perfect towards God. Uh uh we need to have a whole heart towards the Lord. And 2 Chronicles chapter 31, this is content and verses 20- 21. 2 Chronicles chapter 31 and beginning with verse number 20. It says, "And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And every work that he began in the service of the house of God and the law and the commandments to seek God, he did it with all his heart and prospered." Colossians 3:23 says this, "And what should we do?

Do it heartily as the Lord and not unto men." You see, folks, we need to we need to give our whole heart to God. That word hardily means out of breath. It is is leaving everything on the field. I've given my all to the Lord. And that's what the Bible says about Hezekiah that he he did it with his whole heart, with all of his heart. Part of what we need to do is learn how to trust. In 2 Kings 18:es 5 and 6, it says, "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, not any that were before him, for he claved to the Lord and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments which the Lord commanded Moses."

You see, Hezekiah trusted God. There are 11 times the word trust is used in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles and everyone who refers to Hezekiah. He was a man that trusted in God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." I I don't know what you're going through right now, but trust in God. Hezekiah was the greatest king after David because he trusted in the Lord. And we need to learn to trust in God. First of all, to trust him for our salvation. Isaiah 12 and verse number two, it says, "Behold, God is my salvation.

I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also has become my salvation." Is God your salvation? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal savior? You see, we're all going to die. In Romans 3:23, it says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." In Romans 6:23, it says, "For the wages of sin is death." You and I, every one of us is going to die. You may be get a little bit more life than I do, but sooner or later is going to happen. I'm already at that uh three score in 10 years. I'm already 70 years old and uh I've maybe got 10 years left according to the Bible if if if I'm doing good, but you know I'm going to die and you're going to die and you don't know when.

And when you die, are you going to heaven or are you going to hell? You see, you and I need to realize that we cannot save ourselves. In Ephesians 2:8:9, it says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, then not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works as a man should boast. You cannot save yourself. You can't work your way to heaven. If you're trusting in your religion, you're going to go to hell. If you're trusting your baptism or your catechism or your church membership, you're going to go to hell. If you're trusting in your own works and your own righteousness, the Bible says in Titus 3:5, "Is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he has saved us."

If you're trusting the wrong thing, you're going to end up in hell. You need to trust in Jesus. You need to trust in what he did on the cross when he died for you to save you from your sins and give you eternal life. Have you trusted in God for your salvation? Do you know if you were to die right now, you go to heaven? 1 John chapter 5 and verses 12 and 13 says, "He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God. Listen, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the son of God.

God says you can know you're going to heaven when you die. You can know that you have eternal life. You can know that your sins are forgiven, but you've got to trust in him, not in yourself. You got to trust in him, not in your works or your religion. You've got to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes. You need to put your trust in the right place. in 2 Kings chapter 18 and verse number 22. 2 Kings chapter 18 and verse number 22 says, "Then said Elijah the people." I'm I'm sorry. First Kings, 2 Kings chapter 18 and verse number 22 says, "But if you say unto me, we trust in the Lord our God, is not that he uh is not that he whose high places whose altars Hezekiah had taken away and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, you shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem."

You see, you got to put your trust in the right place, not in the high places. You see, uh, you got to trust. Now, this was written by, this was a speech by king of Assyria. He was attacking Israel. He said to the people of Israel, he said, "Listen, if you're trusting your God, he's going to fail you." But God gave them victory. And you need to put your trust in the right place. You need to trust in God. In in 2 Kings chapter 19, and look at verse 15. 2 Kings 19:15 it says Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, "Oh Lord of Israel which dwelleth between the cher cherubim, thou art the God even thou alone all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth.

Lord bow down thine ear and hear open th Lord thine eyes and see and hear the words of uh Zechariah which hath sent him in reproach to the living God." of a truth. Lord, the kings of Israel had destroyed the the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire. For there were no gods that but with the work of men's hand, wood and stone. Therefore, they have destroyed them. Now, therefore, Lord God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand. See, he went to God in prayer. He said, I can't do this. And if you're here today, you need to realize you cannot win the battle in the flesh.

We talked about that last week. You need the armor of God. You need the strength of God. You need his power and his weapons to give you that victory. You can't do it in your own power and your own strength. You've got to put your trust in the right place. You got to put your trust in God and pray unto him. Lay it all out before the Lord. In 2 Kings 19 and verse 14, Hezekiah received the letter of the hands of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went up the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. Hezekiah got these messages that the the battle was looking not not very good. And he went up into his house and he laid it all out in the ground and then bowed before God and prayed about it.

I remember back when we first started Ohana Baptist Church back in 1986, we had raised support as missionaries, but we only had about $750 a month of support. And even back in the 80s, that wasn't a whole lot. And and and it was all we had. I I worked part-time, but we didn't have a lot of money coming in. I remember many times when we get the bills in the mail, I remember times where I would take those bills and lay them out in the table, and I just say, "Lord, I don't have the money. You're going to have to take care of this." And God did every time. He was faithful. Sometimes we had to wait and sometimes we had to really trust in him.

But God was faithful as we spread it out before him. And maybe there's somebody in this room today. What you need to do is spread out your problems and spread out whatever it is that you're dealing with and say, "Lord, I need to trust in you to take care of this." See, he's a great God. And that's what Hezekiah started with the prayer. He said, "God, you're a great God. You can give us the victory." Look at chapter 20 and verse number three. It says, "And I beseech thee, oh Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in the sight."

And Hezekiah wept sore. See, he looked to God, but he didn't trust in him at that point in the same way. In Luke 11:2, it says, "He said unto them, when you pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." Start out by remembering who God is and the power of God and pray. Call upon him. Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." In Jeremiah in James 4:es 2 and three, you lust and you have not. You kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war yet you have not because you ask not and receive it not because you ask a miss that you may consume it upon your own lust.

You see folks, we need to go to God in prayer, trusting in him, seeking the Lord in whatever our situation is. And don't settle for less than God's best. Pride is what got them into trouble. Amziah got proud and said, "I can do it without God." Hezekiah got proud and thought he deserved to live longer. But what we need to do is we need to will humble ourselves. In 2 Chronicles chapter 32, Hezekiah humbled himself before God. And that's what we need to do. Verses 25 and 26, the Bible tells us verses 25 and 26. But Hezekiah rendered not again according the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up.

Therefore, there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. So the wrath of the Lord came not unto him upon them in the days of Hezekiah. What happened? Hezekiah said, "God, give me 15 more years." You know what he did those 50 years? He turned away from the Lord and started trusting in himself. He got proud. And at the end of his life after that, he realized, man, I blew it and got right with God again. Maybe you're here today and you need to humble yourself. And maybe you need to come to God and and others in humility.

In 2 Kings chapter 20 is verses 17 to 18, he says, "Behold, the days come that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up his door unto this day shall be carried into Babylon. Nothing shall be left, sayeth the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shall begat, shall they take away, and they shall be Unix in the palace of the king of Babylon. Because of your sin, they're going to suffer. And that's what we don't want to happen. Because of what you're doing now, you're going to pay the price for that. Nad Kings 20:19, it says, "Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, good is the word of the Lord which thouast spoken."

He said, "It's not good of peace and truth be in my days." See, we need to realize that what Hezekiah prayed here is said, "Listen, as long as it's good while I'm alive, I'm okay with that." Sometimes we get very selfish and self-centered and not worry about the future. I praise God for 40 years of God's blessings to this church, but you know what? I want another 40 years for the next generations to come near. And we need to not be selfish, but realize that what we do now, others are going to pay the price for it. And we need to realize that we've got to be willing to take that stand to do what's right.

And we need to make a covenant. I want you to close with 2 Chronicles chapter 29 and verse number 10. 2 Chronicles chapter 29 and verse number 10. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. Amziah was a good king but didn't have a perfect heart towards God. Hezekiah was a good king and a heart for God but he messed up. But then he said, "Listen, I want to get right with the Lord." And maybe you're here today and you need to get right with God. Now, if you're here and you're not saved, you need to get saved. That's the first thing.

Trust the Lord for your salvation. But if you're a Christian, have you given your life to God as a living sacrifice? Have you made him Lord of your life? Maybe you have, but you backsliden. You you stopped trusting the Lord. Hezekiah was a great king, but he messed up. Happens to all of us, by the way. That's what's encouraging to me is that even though he messed up, God still forgave him. And God still called him a great king despite his pride and his failure. And there's hope for you and I. But you've got to renew that covenant with the Lord. You've got to get right with God. Maybe that's where God's called you today.