2 Kings 18-20

"He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 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.)

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; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook."

Interesting how these "high places" came up in our conversation last night. We talked about how the other kings before Hezekiah (that also did what was "right in the eyes of the LORD") failed to destroy the idols at the high places.

I am reminded this morning that God desires our all and not just a part of us. Are there "high places" in our lives that we are not willing to let go of? I believe the other kings did not remove these places, because they have been around for a really long time. They have grown accustomed to people offering sacrifices in these high places. They had a heart for God, but held onto a sin that they probably did not realize as sin anymore.

We need to ask God for wisdom regarding the "high places" in our lives. Are there sins in our lives, however minor they may seem, that we've grown accustomed to? Are there ideas and attitudes we have about certain issues that are not Godly, but we are unwilling to let go of them because we've had them for so long?

It must have taken a lot of courage and trust for Hezekiah to completely destroy the high places. But we see how God blessed him because he did so.

It is scary how easily we can become set in our ways. We like to use excuses like, "Oh, this is just the way I am." And "Don't try to change me." Don't we hear that everywhere? When was the last time we said them, perhaps, not out loud but in our hearts?

Let's trust God this day. Let's not be set in our ways, but always be willing for God to change us for the better. God wants to perfect us to be more like Jesus. Let's give him our all, and not limit God by our stubbornness:)