I hate mosquito bites, so when I work outside on summer days I douse myself with bug repellent. I prefer the strongest stuff I can find, and the smell comes across like a punch. I stay outside because my wife doesn’t enjoy me smelling up the house. I need to shower off the stink before lounging on the couch.

After years of neglect the people of Judah and Israel gathered to celebrate Passover. But many of the people had not undergone a purification ritual required to offer sacrifices in the temple, the holiest of places. They needed to shower off their stink.

Hezekiah, the king leading the renewal movement, prayed for the enthusiastic yet unprepared worshippers: “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.

The ritual of purification, while extremely important, took second chair to hearts seeking after God. Which is good news for all of us.

I can worry less about the outer forms that accompany a follower of Jesus, like showing up at church, watching my mouth, or praying before my meals. While I consider such things important, the inner workings of my soul take precedent. Ritual is less important than a heart tuned to the Lord.

Whether fresh from the bath or still needing to shower off my stink, if my focus centers on the Lord, then my heart inclines in the right direction.

2 Chronicles 30 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Chandler Cruttenden