Sometimes we can think that to be successful for God, we have to become a church leader and work for Him in that way. But that’s not true. We’re not all called into that work, and we can be successful in God’s eyes even when we’re in the secular world. Money, fame and power make us successful in the world, and achieving those things is not necessarily wrong. It all depends on our attitude and our motives. We need to make sure we’re working for God’s glory rather than our own. And that’s exactly what Hezekiah did. In the world’s eyes he would have been seen as successful; he’d become the king of Judah by the age of 25. The Bible says that: ‘In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered’ (2 Chronicles 31:21 NIV). There are three keys to his success here. First, he was obedient to the law. We can see how important that is when God spoke to Joshua about the same thing: ‘Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:7 NIV). But then we also have to seek God, especially to make sure we’re still doing His will. And then we must work wholeheartedly for Him. ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters’ (Colossians 3:23 NIV). These things will help us to be successful in God’s eyes, not the world’s.

What Now?

Read about Hezekiah’s rule in 2 Chronicles 29-32. Then read about his father Ahaz’s reign in chapter 28. What differences can you see in their attitude and success?