2 Chronicles 30:18-20 But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

This is one of many places that indicate that God is far more interested in our hearts than in our ceremonies. Some places say it a little more directly, but this is certainly clear enough. This was a massive, national return to Yahweh, and He received it as such. We get all caught up in rules and regulations to the point that sometimes we forget what they are all about. This is something that Paul wrote about extensively. The letter to the Galatians is all about taking them to task for forgetting what faith is all about. Ephesians 2:8-9 famously encapsulates it: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” The people in Hezekiah’s day didn’t have the prescribed “works,” but they dedicated their hearts to return to the God of their fathers, and God was pleased with that. In Jesus’ day, many of the Pharisees were ritually perfect, but Jesus said they were no better than “whitewashed tombs.” (Matthew 23:27) Ceremonies have meaning, and we aren’t to take them lightly, but above all God wants our hearts, and we must never forget it.

I was thankfully not raised in a ritualistic environment, but I still have the tendency to just go through the motions at times. I must not do that! Occasionally I am tempted to skip morning devotions, but I know well that impulse is from the devil! That said, this morning I overslept just a bit, so my devotional time has been interrupted, but I’m back at it. Maintaining right priorities is always a choice, but it is one that is amply rewarded. I am to be careful that right actions are motivated by a heart that is right with my Lord. When that is the case, the result will be His will being done, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Today’s schedule is certainly packed. Thank You for the man who called yesterday confirming our service schedule. I pray that he would indeed show up, and would encounter You here. Thank You for the Shigeta family members who will be here. I pray that they too would be aware of Your presence, and that everything would go smoothly in the cleaning and then the preparations for tomorrow’s special service. I pray that it would be done quickly enough that there will be no conflict with the marriage counseling I’ll be doing from four. In all of this, may I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me, so that Your will may be done perfectly, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!