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So That the King of Glory May Come In

Today is Martin Luther King Day and I am taking advantage of having the day off. To my utter surprise, Rob took the initiative and purchased the king-size adjustable bed, I am now reclining on as I write. While this might seem impulsive we have actually been praying into this matter for over three years. Foolishly we thought a practical queen-sized bed with additional storage in the frame would serve our needs. Perhaps the size would have sufficed but the lack of support, lost for the storage, has wreaked havoc on the alignment of our backs. It all came to a head when Rob started working extra night shifts and could not fall asleep despite exhaustion. 



Thus we now have what feels like an island in the middle of our room and I couldn’t be more pleased. Funny, we received our long awaited king-sized bed on Martin Luther King day weekend. I am choosing to take this as a sign from Psalm 24 that our ancient gates and doors are open for the King of glory to enter. 



What a gleeful notion after having studied the long history of rebellious people and leaders who rejected God and defiled His sacred temple; which evoked countless disasters. Just as the rollercoaster ride of priests and kings started to nauseate I was re-introduced to King Hezekiah.



2 Chronicles 29 launched a sigh of relief with the welcomed phrase, “He did right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that David his father (forefather) had done.” The solace continued with, “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord [which his father had closed] and repaired them [and replaced the gold overlay].” (AMP)



Other kings after David “did right in the eyes of the Lord” but Hezekiah continued to do some major reformations. Hezekiah ordered the Levites to consecrate themselves and to remove any idols, connected the sin of idol worship to the oppression they received from their enemies, and commenced an eight day cleansing of the house of the Lord which included cleansing the altars.



After everything was cleaned, Hezekiah restored temple worship, reinstituted the observation of Passover, and ordered the people to tithe. All these godly changes ushered in a time of abundance, joy, and unity. Most importantly God healed the people of their spiritual uncleanness which allowed their prayers to go up to God in His holy dwelling place. Because the people had been atoned for, their prayers could then enter into God’s holy presence.  



The point of calling out degradation is to encourage realignment; and realignment offers reconnection to God. God's goodness flows from holy fellowship. 



Let us be like Hezekiah who in the first month re-opened the door to the Lord. Sometimes there are major profanities that need to be purified, but other times we simply have shut the door to our Savior. Or maybe like Hezekiah you have to deal with the sins of your father. Perhaps like me, you have to be willing to let go of extra baggage (storage). Whatever the impediment, it is worth facing and there is no better time for a fresh start than the beginning of the year. 



Did your heart and/or spirit respond? What changes have you decided to make? If you are feeling overwhelmed by sin, I encourage you to read the chapter of 2 Chronicles 29 all the way to the end. God does not long to put you through rigorous discipline, nor does He need your penance. God is eager to get into a relationship with all who desire Him. 


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