Wed.’s Devo - Revival

Read: 2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21; Romans 15:1-22; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 20:13-15
Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah inviting them to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Most of the people scorned and ridiculed the invitation, but a few from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came. This reminds me of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 22 about the king who sent out invitation to his son’s wedding. They ridiculed them also so God sent the invitation to the highways and byways.
Many people from Judah came to the feast which had to be put off a month to get all the priest sanctified to serve. The people came unpurified and ate the Passover. It looked like nothing was being done according to the law, but because Hezekiah’s heart was so right, God heard his prayer for the people and healed them. Revival came to Judah and they celebrated another seven days with joy and they left blessed. When it was through, the people went through their land getting rid of all the evil and places idolatry. They finished by the seventh month in time for the feast of tabernacles. That is the sign of true revival - when it causes the people to tear down their old idols and change their lifestyle. Revival is more than a meeting or an experience, it is a life changer.
The people had given so much offerings to the temple that they had to build storerooms in the temple to hold it all. The Levites were all placed in their places of service. They served from the age of 3 and up. That is amazing that three year olds had duties in the temple but then I remember that Samuel was probably that age when he came to live with Eli and serve in the temple.
Hezekiah spent a year setting up God’s government the way the law said it should be and God caused his government to prosper.
In Romans, we learn that everything written in the past was written to teach us something for today. Paul encouraged the ones who had always had the law, the Jews, to have patience with the Gentiles who were just coming to the faith. They had been prophesied years ago that they would come in and now they were coming in. It was Paul’s ministry to teach the Gentiles how to be an acceptable offering to the Lord. We don’t have Jews and Gentiles but we do have churched and unchurched people. So we churched people are going to have to have patience with the unchurched that come in during the harvest.
Lord, help us to stay awake spiritually to what we are to be doing in this time. Prepare our hearts for the harvest that is coming.