“Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem… And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
“In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and Levites… and said to them, ‘Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs. They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to God… Therefore the wrath of the Lord came on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. Our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity for this. Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord… in order that his fierce anger may turn away from us. My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him.'” 2 Chronicles 29:1-11
From day one, without immediate predecessor example, Hezekiah understood his call as Judah’s king and seized his responsibility. He understood the times and consequences of sin. Desiring to please his Lord, he immediately ordered consecration and cleansing to restore God’s people and nation to honorable worship, obedience, and joy. He led by wholehearted example, demonstrating genuine love and encouragement for his people, attracting many to return to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 29:20-24,27-31,35-36; 30:1,6-9,12,17-20,22; Isaiah 33:6)
The Lord has plans for each of His people, for hope and a future of making a difference and influencing others. As His gospel takes hold in us, it compels us to seize His call in our time and place. It is prudent to understand His broad workings in the age and culture, and to seek His will for our lives in that context. We were not made to exist as islands nor to pursue personal dreams at the omission of God’s wide purposes, but to know Him, bear His image, and do His prepared work. (Genesis 1:26-27; Jeremiah 29:11; Acts 17:26-27; Romans 14:7-9; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
How important is it to us to take up His mantle? Is our priority to hear and heed His high summons, or to tend our days with narrow, self-serving ambition? If we have sought His direction, how prompt and thorough are we in carrying out His instructions, even if they are hard? Do we diligently seen through what He plants in our heart, or placate good intentions? What specific steps will we take today to implement God’s prescribed consecration and obey His call?
Lord, give me discernment and zeal to know and fulfill Your call, for the building of Your kingdom and magnification of Your glory.
As the rain and snow 
“We were not made to exist as islands nor to pursue personal dreams at the omission of God’s wide purposes, but to know Him, bear His image, and do His prepared work.” Amen!
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