It takes a godly man to buck a trend and go against what is popular. That is what Hezekiah did. He took the throne at a time when Judah was immersed in idolatry. He immediately started his work of restoration, turning the kingdom back to God. The testimony of his life, therefore, was that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, even to the point where the Bible says, “there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him” (2 Kings 18:5).

Because of his godliness, God blessed Hezekiah. No doubt, there were some in the kingdom who despised the new direction in which the king was leading them. Nevertheless, Hezekiah’s mind was on pleasing God and serving Him exclusively. As a result, he gained favor with God.

2 Kings 18:7 (ESV)
⁷ And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered…

Living for the Lord is always prosperous. I am not talking about earthly riches, but rather it is prosperous for the soul. If we serve God faithfully, we will enjoy spiritual success now and the prosperity of heaven at God’s appointed time.

1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)
⁸ For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Notice that there is no downside to living a godly life. While bodily exercise can have some value with regard to physical fitness, it does not in any way help our soul. Godliness, on the other hand, is beneficial right now, as well as in the life to come.

What can godliness do for us in this life? First of all, it assures us that we have God in our lives. The Bible says about Hezekiah that “the Lord was with him.” It is always a blessing to have God on our side. From a spiritual standpoint, if God is on our side, we have access to all spiritual blessings, and we reap the rewards of God’s goodness. Having God in our lives even causes us to prosper physically. I am not speaking of becoming rich in material things, but God does bless us with all that we need. Jesus tells us that the result of seeking God first in our lives, is that God will providentially take care of our physical necessities of life (Matthew 6:33).

Second of all, we can avoid many of the devastating consequences of sin. Think about all the hardships people have experienced because of ungodly living. Families have been separated, bodies have been broken, and lives have even been lost due to people choosing to live in sin. I have often said, if a person would simply follow the instructions of the Bible, even if he did not commit to the Lord, he would have a better life. He would avoid many of the pitfalls that come from living ungodly.

The greatest blessing of living a godly life is the prosperity of the soul, ultimately experienced in the life to come. As Christians, we have the abundance of life now (John 10:10), but more importantly, we have the hope of heaven, where all the sadness and sorrow of this world will be nonexistent. In heaven, we will have peace and prosperity forevermore. Clearly, living a godly life, like Hezekiah before us, is worth the joy of eternal life.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.