Holding On Tight

Read

2 Kings 18:3, 5-6 “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done... 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 stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.”

Think

Have you ever tried to cross the monkey bars at recess?

The first bar is easy. Grab on, swing your feet, and reach for the next one. But somewhere around the middle, your hands start to burn. Your arms feel like wet noodles. Your friends are cheering, “Don't let go! Keep going!”

The secret to the monkey bars is simple. Hold on tight, and keep reaching for the next bar.

This week we're meeting a king who was really good at holding on. Not to monkey bars, though. He held on to God.

His name was Hezekiah. Say it with me: “HEZ-uh-KY-uh.” He was the king of Judah, which was part of God's people.

Hezekiah was different from a lot of the kings who came before him. Many of them turned away from God. But the Bible says Hezekiah did what was right, just like King David did. David was a king from long, long ago, part of Hezekiah's family.

The Bible also says Hezekiah trusted in the Lord. In fact, there was no other king in Judah quite like him!

Then comes our monkey bar word. Hezekiah “held fast” to God. That means he held on tight. He did not stop following God, even when it was hard.

And it did get hard. This week we'll see Hezekiah face a scary enemy and a scary sickness. But through all of it, he kept holding on to God.

Here is something important. Holding on to God doesn't mean you'll never get tired. Hezekiah had hard days, and you will too. The good news is that God holds on to you even tighter than you hold on to him. When your arms feel like noodles, he doesn't let go.

Holding on to God looks like praying even when you don't feel like it. It looks like telling the truth when a lie would be easier. It looks like being kind when the kids around you are not.

Maybe you feel like you're in the middle of the monkey bars right now. Things are hard, and you're tired.

Keep holding on. Keep reaching. God has you, and he won't let go.

Apply

Hold on to God – Pick one time today to pray, even if you don't feel like it. Maybe it's on the way to school or right before bed. Holding on to God starts with talking to him.

Pray

God, I want to hold on tight to you like Hezekiah did. When I feel tired, help me keep going. Thank you for holding on to me even tighter. In Jesus' name. Amen.