Don’t you just love makeover shows? I do! It is amazing to see what can be done with a little hard work in the right direction. King Hezekiah, in Chronicles 29, was in a makeover mood! His father, Ahaz, had just died so Hezekiah became king. He was ready to makeover the temple. Why? Because his father, King Ahaz, had turned away from God and Hezekiah was determined to purify the temple and set things right with God. Hezekiah, instead of following in his father’s footsteps, chose a different role model to emulate. He chose to pattern his life after David, a King of Israel from the early years.
He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. Chronicles 29:2 NIV
Hezekiah got right to work. He repaired the temple doors, then gathered the priests and Levites, his team of makeover workers, and explained the project. They were to consecrate themselves and the temple, because God’s anger was on Judah and Jerusalem for turning their backs on God. Their parents and ancestors had desecrated the temple and Hezekiah was determined to start new with a purified temple and people. He knew that doing this would bring God’s favor back. Look at the difference between what was done under Ahaz’s reign, compared to what Hezekiah intended. A vast difference!
7 Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. Chronicles 29:7
10 I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. Chronicles 29:10
A huge renovation was about to take place! Look how cool this is! Hezekiah was King of Israel but God was King of His heart! The renovation would be according to God’s Word, our King! Hezekiah ordered the workers to take out unclean things from the temple. They did so as
“the king had ordered, following the Word of the Lord. Chronicles 29:15
The priest and Levites followed Hezekiah’s word which was God’s Word. What significance! The workers could not have done better than to follow a man who was following God’s Word. Is that not like us following the word of our pastor who follows God? It is a special relationship of love and honoring God’s message that comes from the pastor’s mouth. I digress a bit, but the Lord led me down that path. Back to Hezekiah…Just as Hezekiah chose the first day of the first month of the first year of his reign to start a renewal of Israel’s relationship with the Lord and a consecration of God’s temple, we can do the same! What better day than the first day of the week to set things right!
Our heart is God’s temple in which to reign. Does it need a makeover? A renewal? Do we have any extra habits, attitudes, any turning to the way of the world, the reigning culture, that we can take out of our heart, God’s temple? Does God fully reign there? Has the world snuck things in that aren’t God- honoring? Lets treat His temple with the purity that it deserves.
Let’s honor God by starting today, to give His temple a fresh coat of His Word, His will, His way. Let’s take stock of the project (God’s mission for us to do) that needs to be done and begin by ask Him to purify our hearts, renewing us with His passion for people! Today can be the start of a new reign in a beautified temple!
Dear Father God,
Sometimes, for me anyway, it is hard to talk to You because You are so holy and righteous and our words are so, well, normal. But You know what we are trying to say when we ask for more of You. We want to start our week with a renewal of our hearts. May it lead to revival in our churches as we let our hearts draw closer and closer to You. Do work in us that we cannot do ourselves. Make the temple of our heart fully Yours and draw others to You through us. It is such an honor to be a servant and child of Yours. We love You so much! Amen
May you all have a blessed sunshiny day in the Lord. Happy Makeover Monday! Love you!
Just me. Just His worker,
Tina
Glory in the Morning 