Repairing Broken Doors: Setting the Tone for a New Year by Rose McCormick Brandon

 Young King Hezekiah, devout and earnest, ascended to Israel’s throne after the death of his wicked and idolatrous father, Ahaz. The citizens rejoiced because the new king had the heart of his ancestor, David, and not that of his father.

        The first thing Hezekiah did was open the temple and repair its doors. This act set the tone for his reign. God would have His rightful place. 

In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. 2 Chronicles 29:3 

 

Hezekiah led the citizens of Israel to repent of their sins and vow to follow the Lord. That meant tearing down all the idols his father had erected. It meant declaring they would love the Lord their God wholeheartedly, with all their soul and strength (Deut. 6:4).

What a beginning! Repairing the doors to the temple and opening them for worship brought healing to the nation. By this act the people said no to sin and all ungodliness and yes to living a holy life and giving God first place.

After Hezekiah repaired the temple doors, revival swept across Israel. Leaders who had followed the previous king into idol worship confessed their sins, rid their homes of false gods and committed to living in obedience to God.

        Are the doors of your life in disrepair? Has Bible reading and prayer lost first place in your schedule? It’s time to repair these doors, set them solidly on the hinges of your life. It’s time to get familiar with the squeak of the prayer closet door. That door determines the future.

My happiest moments are when I am worshipping God, really adoring the Lord Jesus Christ. In that worship I forget the cares of the church and everything else. To me it is the nearest approach to what it will be in Heaven. Charles Spurgeon

Response: Lord, today I commit to giving you first place in my life. I will make worshipping you my primary occupation.