“But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him…Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride…”
“However, when ambassadors arrived from Babylon to ask about the remarkable events that had taken place…God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart.”
2 Chronicles 32:25-27, 31 NLT
King Hezekiah trusted God’s power when a huge army threatened to take his city, and God gave him victory. Hezekiah trusted God’s power when sickness threatened to take his life, and God gave him fifteen more years. However, it appears that Hezekiah forgot to trust God’s power when pride threatened to take over his heart.
Initially, the king repented of his pride, but then how did Hezekiah live during those extra fifteen years God graciously gave him? Hezekiah had great wealth and honor because GOD had blessed him. And yet, after the Babylonians came to hear about all God had done, Hezekiah bragged, “I showed them everything I own—all MY royal treasuries.” (2 Kings 20:15)
When King Hezekiah faced the test of what was REALLY in his heart, PRIDE came to the surface. And that PRIDE must have been what mentored the little boy who was born during Hezekiah’s extra years, because at age twelve Manasseh became the most evil king in Judah’s history.
So, if you ever feel like you’re being tested, it’s because God loves you. He doesn’t want you to be destroyed or to destroy others. Since pride goes before destruction, wouldn’t He want you to know if it’s lurking in your heart?
God’s tests are love tests—they show what’s REALLY in your heart!
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