Yesterday I began a series of post about what I’m learning from my new friend Hezekiah. We’ve been hanging out the past couple of mornings together and it has been a valuable time for me. I’m passing along some of the insights he has been teaching me.

The second thing I learned from Hezekiah is the importance of doing the first things first.

2 Chronicles 29:3 says that “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.” Then he assembled the priests and instructed them to consecrate themselves and to get rid of all the filth from the Holy Place.

In his first month in office, Hezekiah could’ve worked on healthcare reform, built a bigger palace, tackled the declining employment rate…but no. Hezekiah restored the house of God that his father Ahaz destroyed.

Hezekiah is teaching me that there are hundred ways that we could spend our time but nothing is more important than doing the first things first. The first thing in our lives should be God.

By restoring the house of God, Hezekiah is taking the first steps to restoring the nation of Judah. The house of God is where the people would make sacrifices and commune with God. By restoring the house of God they were restoring a relationship with God. We will not find restoration for our nation apart from restoring the house of God. If only our world would embrace this.