First things first
He was CEO of a small company. His predecessor had allowed the company to slide into bad practice - siphoning off profits, bribery, secret deals and conflicts of interest. Much larger predatory companies surrounded him. A company with which his had close links was taken over, some of the workers forced to work in distant towns, and factories demolished with the loss of all jobs. Would his be next? But he decided, in the face of grumbling and fear, that he had to sort the company out, end the corruption and bad practice and put it onto a sound ethical footing, whatever happened.
Hezekiah, king of Judah for 29 years, reigned over the small area round Jerusalem. His father had been a disaster and his son would be another after him. Assyria, Babylon and Egypt loomed threateningly. The northern kingdom of Israel, based round Samaria, was destroyed by Assyria three years into his reign.
But he sought first God's kingdom and his righteousness. He believed that everything would fall into place if that were Judah's priority. He cleared all the idolatrous high places and altars. He purified the temple and celebrated Passover. 'He did what is good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything he undertook in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered' (2 Chronicles 31:20-21). He didn't always get it right, but he worked very hard at doing his best.
Wherever we have responsibility, even if it is just for ourselves, our lifestyle and our relationships, or whether like Hezekiah we run a business, or just one desk, we are called to seek God's kingdom first. That may not always be straightforward, but that is the way of true love and obedience.
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