No. That’s it. No. I think this is hilariously accurately summed up by the Backstreet Boys who said, “I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, what you’ve done… as long as you love me.”

This idea struck me as I was reading today’s passage about the great (if underrated) king Hezekiah. His first order of business after taking the throne was to restore Israel in relationship with God. He cleaned the land of the idols, shrines, pillars, and foreign gods. He re-opened, restored, and rededicated the Temple of the Lord built by Solomon. And he called every person from both Judah & Israel (those who were left after the Assyrian raiders came through) to come and worship the Lord. And they didn’t get everything right. They had to move Passover back a month because the people and facilities weren’t ready. They had commoners offering sacrifices because the priests weren’t ready. The even had unclean people partaking in the meal, after king Hezekiah prayed for grace from God. And the Lord blessed all of it! It was never about the rituals. The rituals were there to show US how UNHOLY we are and how much we needed God. God just wanted our hearts. Our genuine love for Him fuelled by understanding of what He was doing to bring us into good standing.

The point is this: even if you are so far gone that God has sent multiple prophets to tell you of the impending judgement, you can still turn it around and come back to Him! You are never too far from God. You are never too broken to be restored. You are never too lost to be found. Neither is anyone else.