Role Model—Hezekiah
Hezekiah is at a crossroads in his life. At just 25, he’s the king of Judah. What kind of king will he be? Will he allow the bad example of his father, King Ahaz, to influence him? Right up to his death, Ahaz had been an unrepentant apostate. He promoted pagan worship and even burned at least one of Hezekiah’s brothers on a pagan altar. (2 Chronicles 28:1-4) However, Hezekiah doesn’t permit his father’s hypocritical conduct to sour him on the worship of Jehovah, nor does he feel doomed to repeat his father’s mistakes. Instead, Hezekiah keeps “sticking to Jehovah.”—2 Kings 18:6.
Does one of your parents mock the worship of Jehovah? Is he or she abusive or a slave to some bad habit? If so, you don’t have to repeat your parent’s mistakes! Hezekiah didn’t let his sad family background ruin his life. In fact, he became such a good king that “after him there proved to be no one like him among all the kings of Judah.” (2 Kings 18:5) Like Hezekiah, you can make a success of your life despite difficult family circumstances. How? Keep “sticking to Jehovah.”