The winds were blowing and a storm was coming towards this beach in Miami, yet it did not hide the beauty of the area. We sometimes miss the beauty of God because we allow things to come in the way of us seeing it. Lord help us to always see your beauty.
Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. 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. When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. - 2 Chronicles 29:27-29
Worship is...consecrating yourself unto God. Hezekiah had become king at the age of 25, yet he moved with wisdom and not the folly of youth. He reestablished the temple of God.
He sent in the men to cleans the temple of all the things that were against God. They removed the things that had angered God and began to restore the assembly "God's way".
After everything was cleansed, they then went into the temple to worship the Lord. When they did, the scripture says that everyone did. The entire assembly worshipped together in praises unto the Lord. All were submitting themselves to God.
I don't know about you, but my heart leaps at the picture I see of that. All God's people coming and letting go of their own agendas and placing themselves in the hands of God simply to worship him.
The ending verses of this scripture reads, "So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly"
As I read this my thoughts were, "the church was the church!" So many of our churches today have gone away from the things that are pleasing to God. We have established our ideas and programs with the exclusion of the Lord's direction. In doing so, we have angered God because we have defiled his temple, his church.(not the spiritual Church, but the local congregations).
What he is calling for today is some leaders that will step up, young or old to return his people to a right relationship with him. He is calling for some cleansing, for some consecration of his people. He is desiring us to come and truly worship him because when we do, we will follow after him, his way.
The beauty of obedience unto God is that he will reestablish the place where we worship. If the Spirit of God is not present where you are, maybe it is because God is not pleased with how you worship him. What we must do is just as Hezekiah did and remove the defiled things. This must start first at our own physical temples (our hearts) and then within the fellowship of God's people.
Today, Lord I humbly seek you to help your people see the need to let go of those things that keep them from experiencing true worship with you. Help us let go of ideas, practices and traditions that stand in the way of you having complete control. Lord God we worship you. We seek to see you in the splendor of holiness. You are high and exalted, let us see your beauty. Help us this day to humble ourselves and obey you. Let us come to worship.
