WHOEVER SETS HIS WHOLE HEART ON SEEKING GOD

I don’t know what your home was like growing up, but my parents had some rules for daily living. One of the hardest ones to consistently follow was washing my hands before a meal. I knew it was what I was supposed to do, but when I was hungry and the food was ready, I was rarely thinking about where my hands had been recently. I wasn’t alone though. For many meals, we had kids from our neighborhood over, and some of them did not have these rules at home and did not understand the expectation. They were just hungry, and mom’s good cooking was hard to wait for.

 2 Chronicles has some repetitive themes, especially that of Judah’s and Israel’s kings walking in disobedience to God, and the people increasingly suffering the consequences of idolatry. But there are a few fleeting moments throughout Judah’s history, where one of David’s descendants turns his heart back to the Lord and calls the people to repentance and restoration. Chapter 30 captures such a moment, as King Hezekiah brought back the Passover feast in Jerusalem, and even some of the northern tribes showed up. But there was a problem: Most of the people from the North did not understand Mosaic purification rules and arrived at the feast ritually unclean. They desired to worship God and participate in the Passover with their long-estranged Jewish brothers and sisters, but they had grown up without access to the scriptures or an understanding of God’s Law. With a clear eye on the importance of the moment, Hezekiah chose not to reject these people, but instead to petition the Lord on their behalf.

“May the good Lord provide atonement on behalf of whoever sets his whole heart on seeking God,” was the cry of Hezekiah, and the Lord answered. Herein, we find a wonderful reminder of the graciousness and goodness of our Father. He expects His children to walk in obedience to Him, yet there is grace overflowing for those who lack understanding but possess genuinely worshipful hearts. Conversely, Amos 5 shows us that those who are good at religious activity, but whose hearts are not aligned with the Lord are rejected. God is not impressed by piety, legalism, or good deeds. The Lord knows what is in each heart and embraces those who humbly seek Him with everything they have. “Man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7)

Today, let us rejoice in the goodness of our Father, who has made a way for all of us to not only be forgiven, but who has given us new hearts (Eze. 36:26), and filled us with His Spirit, by which we can seek Him fully and cry out to Him, not as religious devotees, but as children calling to their Father (Rom 8:15). And the best part is that it is free (Rom. 5:23). It is not only impossible to make ourselves “clean” or “good” enough to earn a connection to the Lord, but it is not necessary, because God has done that for us. Like Hezekiah, and all the people in Jerusalem on that blessed Passover, let us Praise the Lord for His love and mercy, poured out on us, His undeserving people.