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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 23 December 2025:
2 Chronicles 31:1 — Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.
True worship does not end at the altar; it advances into action and spreads. Once hearts are rightly aligned with God, the natural overflow is repentance that becomes reform. The people do not merely celebrate revival; they dismantle rival loyalties. Idols tolerated yesterday are torn down today. This is not impulsive zeal but covenant obedience, removing anything that competes with God’s rightful place. Renewal that does not confront entrenched sin is incomplete. When God restores worship, He also restores courage to deal decisively with what corrupts it.
Worship should lead you into a desire for purity and holiness before the Lord.
Hezekiah’s zeal inspired a national movement of purification, crossing hundreds of years of political divide – from Judah into Israel. How might God use such faithfulness in our generation?
2 Chronicles 31:2 — And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.
Hezekiah didn’t let the Passover experience become a one-time event – he capitalized on the spiritual momentum and institutionalized reform. Spiritual renewal requires structure if it is to endure. Hezekiah understands that passion without order eventually burns out. God is honored not only by sincerity but by faithfulness in assigned roles. Every priest and Levite serves according to calling, not preference. Thanksgiving and praise are treated as sacred duties, not optional extras. God’s work thrives where worship is organized, responsibility is clear, and service is sustained.
2 Chronicles 31:3 — The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord.
For Hezekiah, national reform and restoration was personal – he was fully, personally invested. Leadership sets the tone by example, not exemption. Hezekiah does not demand sacrifice he is unwilling to make himself. He gives from his own resources to ensure worship remains consistent and uninterrupted. Faithfulness to God’s Word governs his generosity. True leaders invest personally in what they ask others to support, anchoring obedience in conviction rather than coercion.
2 Chronicles 31:4 — And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord.
The priests were fully supported so that they could completely dedicate themselves to the Law of the LORD. The church was supported by the tithe. We have discussed the tithe before – the first 10% of a person’s profit or produce from labor or transactions given to God as an offering of faith, administered by the priests for the work of the temple and for their provision. The tithe was a public offering (unlike alms and gifts) and was expected. The tithe provided consistent revenue which facilitated planning and saving for future requirements or contingencies. What would be different today if church members tithed?
God’s servants are sustained so they may remain focused on God’s service. Provision enables devotion. The people’s obedience frees spiritual leaders from distraction and secures continuity in teaching and worship. This is not charity but covenant responsibility, recognizing that the health of the community is directly tied to the faithfulness of those entrusted with God’s Word.
God expects everyone within the church to play a specific role in worship and ministry under the direction of a church leader. Leaders must lead by example in every way. Hezekiah first gave from His own possessions before asking others to give.
2 Chronicles 31:5 — As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
When hearts are revived, generosity follows naturally. The people respond quickly and joyfully, not reluctantly. Firstfruits signify trust, giving to God before securing personal surplus. Abundance is not measured merely in volume but in willingness. Revival reshapes priorities, turning possessions into instruments of worship.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 — Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Chronicles 31:6 — And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps.
Faithful obedience becomes visible. The heaps testify publicly to collective commitment. What belongs to God is returned to God without dilution or delay. When obedience is shared, it strengthens communal faith and accountability.
2 Chronicles 31:7 — In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
True reform is sustained, not momentary. Over months, the people continue giving consistently. Obedience becomes habit, not hype. Enduring faithfulness reveals genuine transformation.
2 Chronicles 31:8 — When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.
Leaders recognize that generosity is God’s work before it is man’s achievement. Praise flows upward to God and outward to the people. Gratitude replaces control. God is glorified when leaders acknowledge His hand in the obedience of others.
2 Chronicles 31:9 — And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps.
Accountability accompanies blessing. Faith does not negate oversight. Wise leadership ensures that God’s provision is stewarded with integrity and transparency.
2 Chronicles 31:10 — Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.”
God’s provision exceeds need. Obedience results in sufficiency with overflow. The blessing is not hoarded but shared, confirming that God is faithful to sustain those who honor Him.
Financial obedience ensures the church has needed resources for worship, ministry, evangelism, and fellowship and also enables church leaders to focus on leadership rather than fund raising.
2 Chronicles 31:11 — Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them.
Abundance requires preparation. God’s blessings must be stewarded responsibly. Provision is protected so it can continue serving its intended purpose.
2 Chronicles 31:12-19 — And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things….
Faithfulness characterizes every level of service. Names are recorded because integrity matters. God values trustworthiness as much as talent. Order, care, and fairness preserve unity and ensure no one is neglected.
2 Chronicles 31:20 — Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.
Faithfulness is measured by consistency across life, not isolated acts. Hezekiah’s obedience is comprehensive — public, personal, and persistent. Character cannot be compromised – the way you do anything is the way you do everything. If you are careless in one area of your life, eventually, it will bleed over to the other areas. Conversely, practicing discipline and diligence in one area of your life will eventually benefit the others too. This is one of the reasons the Bible calls us to be excellent in all things, doing everything in a way fit for the KING.
- 2 Corinthians 8:7 — But as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you — see that you excel in this act of grace also.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 — So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
- Colossians 3:23-25 — Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
- Proverbs 18:9 — Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
Good leaders must be good managers and stewards. Not every manager is a good leader, but every good leader is a good manager. Leadership starts with self-leadership. You must be able to effectively manage your own time, money, and resources before you are ready to lead others and manage more.
2 Chronicles 31:21 — And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
Prosperity here is not self-exaltation but God-honoring fruitfulness. Wholehearted obedience aligns effort with blessing. When God is sought first, work gains eternal significance and flows with supernatural power.
Faith in God and wholehearted dedication enables you to finish the work God appointed you to do because He has empowered you to do His will. If your will is His will, nothing can stop you. You have all power and authority when you are operating within His power and authority. You have zero power and authoring when you are trying to operation outside of His power and authority. You can’t do both either.
- John 15:4-17 — Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) — 23 December 2025: Remove what competes with God, support what advances His work, and serve Him with wholehearted consistency. Tear down hidden idols, give generously and faithfully, and steward every responsibility as an act of worship, seeking God first in all things.
Pray: “Lord God, search our hearts and reveal anything that rivals Your rightful place. Give us courage to remove what dishonors You and grace to build what glorifies You. Teach us to give freely, serve faithfully, and steward wisely all You have entrusted to us. May our obedience be steady, our worship sincere, and our lives a testimony to Your abundant grace. We seek You with our whole hearts, trusting You to produce lasting fruit for Your glory. Amen.”
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