JULY 1 READINGS...2 Chronicles 29:3-31:21
Great job! Do you realize that as of today you have read half of the Bible chronologically? It is true…those of you that have stayed the course have now finished half of the Bible. I hope this has been a great blessing for you. I also hope you are getting an understanding of the timeline of God’s work throughout history. This approach to reading the Bible shows you both the history of God’s people and let’s you know when the kings served, and what prophets were brought by God to speak during the times of these kings. I encourage you to continue on to be faithful in your daily readings…I believe the Lord is blessing this time we spend with Him.
Today, we have the beginning of the reign of a good king in Judah, King Hezekiah. As you read you saw that He wasted no time in calling the people back to God, and to reform the harm that his father had done as he had turned away from the Lord. Hezekiah calls the Levites back to their proper place. Because of all the defilement of both the priests and the Temple, the first step would have to be a purification…the cleansing of sin, so they could come before the Lord in worship. This is still true today…we come to Christ for the cleansing of our sin…then we are able to come before the Lord in biblical worship. This purification was both personal and for the Temple and the implements within. They were commanded to remove any ungodly things out of the Temple. Here we can see that godly leadership makes a difference. First, the king gets right, then the religious leaders, then the people. After the purification takes place there is a great sacrifice to the Lord…followed by the king announcing that all of Israel would celebrate Passover again that year (though it would be a month late). When the king sent out the invitation to the people, even in the land that had been conquered by the Assyrian, many mocked…but many also came. Don’t be surprised as you and I speak the things of God the response will be a mocking by some, but God is also faithful to bring His own when we share His word. The heart of the people was being changed by the presence of God among them. Hezekiah continued to make reforms…for things had be wrong for so long he had to set much right. The Lord is always looking for His people to return to Him. Our nation is filthy before God…but we don’t have to live in that filth…we can return to God, and He will cleanse, He will restore, and He will begin to work through us again.
Share any thoughts you have from today’s reading. Don’t become stained by the ungodly world you and I are living in. We need to keep both our eyes and affections on God alone. Who knows what great work He will do in our time?
TOMORROW’S READINGS…Proverbs 25:1-29:27