2nd Kings Chapter 23.
King Josiah takes very seriously the Words of the Lord. He reads them to all his leaders and all the people of Jerusalem and Judah. He renews his heart to the Lord so that he is serving the Lord with all his heart, soul and strength. He got rid of every evil and false god in all Judah and Jerusalem. He burned them and destroyed them.
I wonder what could be written about me as a leader for Christ? Would it be the typical leader that did evil in the eyes of the Lord?
Or would I be the rare leader that got rid of all evil and who did what was right in God's sight? Who followed the Lord with all my heart and soul and strength?
God forgive me of my sins and I surrender everything over to you. Empower me by your Holy Spirit that I might be an overcomer of all sin so I can be a leader that serves you with all my heart and all my soul and all my strength. Amen
Although Josiah’s life was cut short, God still used him to do great things. Josiah wasn’t just a hearer of God’s Word, but he took action to do what he heard. We read in verse 25 that Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might. May we be like Josiah in serving the Lord with such great commitment, joy and enthusiasm! May we not hold anything back, but be completely surrendered to Him!
I’m reminded of James 1:21-25.
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
I needed the reminder from the Lord in today’s reading that His timing is not ours. His is perfect. It had been 300 years since the Lord’s prophecy to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 13:2 but it came to pass in today’s reading. Thank you, Lord.