AND HIS MOTHER WAS...

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KING HEZEKIAH

Read 2 Chronicles Chapters 29–30

Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king… His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD… 2 Chronicles 29:1–2a NIV

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Reading through the stories of the Kings of Judah and Israel can be very discouraging. There were so many bad kings and so few good ones. But whether they were evil or good, the narrative often includes this phrase: "His mother's name was…" The kings of Israel were greatly influenced by the women in their lives, both wives and mothers. From wicked queen Jezebel to faithful queen Esther, we see that women have held a significant role in history. Though they were not usually making the decisions, they were definitely influencing the character of those who did.

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Lord, thank you that Your Word honors godly women and their role in shaping the characters of the Bible. May I never accept the voices that would demean the importance of my job as wife and mother. Help me to teach my children the truths of Your Word and faithfully discipline them to be respectful of their parents and their God.

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"The older women… can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:3a-5 NIV