Saturday August 31
"He sought his
God…And so he
prospered.” 2Ch 31:21 NIV
God’s Plan for
Spiritual Renewal
The conditions in our country today are similar to those in
ancient Israel. In spite of all God’s blessings, the people had turned
their back on Him. So when Hezekiah, a man of integrity, came to the throne, he
set his heart on restoring God to His rightful position of leadership in the
land. Notice four things he did: (1) He reopened the doors of God’s house and
called the people to repent and return to the Lord. (2) He challenged the
corruption and carnality which had become a way of life even among leaders and
ministers of the Lord. His words were strong: "Sanctify the house of the
Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place” (2Ch
29:5 NKJV). Can you see a parallel to the day in which we live? (3) He
reestablished the supremacy of God’s Word. "They went in to purify the
temple of the Lord…following the word of the Lord” (v. 15 NIV). Pastor, a
Sunday morning sermon alone won’t cut it; you need to get your people into
God’s Word every day. (4) He called the people to worship God. It was an
amazing scene. "The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers
sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the
burnt offering was completed” (v. 28 NIV). Scholars estimate that for over
three hours the entire nation stood in God’s presence and worshipped Him. Did
God bless Hezekiah’s efforts? "In everything that he undertook…he sought
his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” And that’s God’s plan
for spiritual renewal!
Taken from the Word for You Today devotional
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