July 17

---

Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.’ 2 Kings 22:8

---

🔊 The Temple had been locked up and neglected throughout the long 52 years of Manasseh’s reign. Decay and vermin had damaged the treasure of the nation to the brink of no return. Then King Josiah commanded the priests to cleanse the Temple and, as they carefully sifted through the rubbish, there they found the ancient copy of the Law, probably the book of Deuteronomy. There are treasures hidden in people’s hearts, buried through years of sin, disobedience and prayerlessness. They neglect reading the Bible, but most serious of all, their inner faculty of knowing God is dead and buried. But God commands the cleansing of the temple of our hearts, and the full restoring of the treasures before they are lost for ever. How do we cleanse and refresh our hearts? Put away doubtful habits. Light up your heart with praise, and wait quietly on God. As our eyes become accustomed to the different light that shines from God’s Presence, we see our hearts in a fresh light for the first time. It is by the inner faculty of the heart that we know God. ‘Sweep’ your heart each day; expose yourself to the light of His Presence, and read His Word so that you come to know the God who reveals Himself through His Son.