A successful family in God's sight

“He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.  …  And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him” (2 Kings 18:3, 7).

                Is your family a successful family in the sight of the people in this world?  Or is your family successful in the sight of God, even though it’s not in worldly perspective?

                What is the family that is successful in God's sight?  In 2 Kings 18:7, the Bible says that King Hezekiah was successful in whatever he undertook because the Lord was with him.  What does it mean?  It means that because God was with Hezekiah, he was successful.  Why was God with Hezekiah?  It was because he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done (v. 3).  So, those who are successful in God's sight are those who do what is right in the sight of God.  I would like to meditate on King Hezekiah, who did what was right in God’s sight, and thus he was successful in God’s sight, focusing on the words of 2 Kings 18:1-7.  I want to find three principles from King Hezekiah who was successful in God’s sight and then apply those three biblical principles to our family.  I hope and pray that this may be an opportunity and a challenge for us to build our family into the successful family in God's sight.

                First, a successful family in God’s sight removes all the sins of the family.

                Look 2 Kings 18:4 – “He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.).”  King Hezekiah removed, smashed and destroyed the high places, the sacred stones, the Asherah poles, and the bronze snake that Moses had made.  This was what King Hezekiah did right in the sight of God.

                In order for our family to be the successful family in God's sight, we must remove and destroy all the idols in our home.  We must eliminate idols in our hearts such as our love for our spouse, children, or parents more than God.  Also, we must repent for loving money more than God.  We must repent for loving everyone or everything more than God.  We must also get rid of all the sins in our family.  We must repent our sins that the husband doesn’t love his wife as Jesus has loved the church and that the wife doesn’t fear and respect her husband as the church supposes to the Lord.  Also, we must repent our sins that we don’t honor our parents and obey them, and we don’t bring our children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, instead we are provoking them.  We must repent all of our sins that we don’t live for the glory of God but live only for the glory of our own family.  We must remove all the idols and the iniquities of our family.  God will be with such family and the family will be successful in God’s sight.  The family that removes all the idols and sins is the successful family in God's sight.

                Second, a successful family in God's sight trusts in the Lord.

                Look at 2 Kings 18:5-6: “Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.  He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; …”  King Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and the Bible says “There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (v. 5).  What an amazing evaluation this is about King Hezekiah.  When the king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem (v. 17), King Hezekiah went up to the temple of the Lord (19:14) and prayed to the Lord (v. 15).  He prayed for God’s deliverance (v. 19).  He held fast to the Lord (18:6).  When he did so, God heard the supplication of Hezekiah, who relied on God and saved the city for His sake and for the sake of His servant David (19:34).  This was exactly what King Hezekiah did that was right in the sight of God.

                In order for our family to become the successful family in God's sight, we must trust God completely.  We must not depend on our own understanding but only our God.  Especially when we meet difficulties and hardships, we must rely on God.  We must cling on to God.  We must earnestly pray to God.  This is because our God is the God who listens to the prayers of the upright.  Our God will hear us and will save us.  The family which trust and depend on God of salvation is the successful family in God’s sight.

                Third and last, a successful family in God’s sight keeps the commands of the Lord.

                Look at 2 Kings 18:6b – “…  he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.”  King Hezekiah kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.  Indeed, this was the king’s duty.  The king supposed to write for himself a copy of the Moses’ law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests and he supposed to read it all the days of his life (Deut. 17:18-19a).  The purpose was that he might learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of the law and the statutes (v. 19b).  In doing so, the king’s heart might not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he might not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left (v. 20).  The king supposed to fear God, rely on Him fully and keep His commandments.  Hezekiah was such a king.  Therefore, the Bible says that he did right in the sight of God.

                We must keep the commandments of God in order for our family to be successful family in God's sight.  In order to do so, our family members should read the Bible for the rest of our lives and learn to fear God.  When we fear God, we will not turn to the right or the left.  The family that keeps the commandments of God is successful family in God's sight.

            Is our family the successful family in God's sight?  Are we and our family doing what is right in God’s sight?  We must get rid of all the idols and sins of our family.  Our family members should trust God completely and cling on to Him in prayer.  Our family is to keep the commandments of God.  In doing so, our family will become the successful family in God's sight.