2nd Chronicles Chapter 34. Seek. Realize. Repent.
SEEK:
King Josiah at the age of 16 really began to seek the Lord and learn all he could about the Lord. He was hungry and thirsty for the Lord. Psalm 42:1 says, As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you oh Lord.
REALIZATION:
The more King Josiah sought the Lord the more he realized how his Nation had been disobedient to the Lord.
REPENT:
Once King Josiah had the realization that the nation has been disobedient, he came humbly before the Lord tearing his clothes and made a renewed covenant to follow the Lord. He made sure all the false gods were destroyed and that his Nation followed the Lord.
SEEK:
How hard do we seek the Lord? If you're hungry and thirsty for something you seek it strong and hard and with great intensity. May our hearts truly hunger and thirst for God's word.
REALIZATION:
The more we seek the more we realize areas of imperfections. God will bring to our attention areas of weakness. How do we respond?
REPENT:
Do we humbly repent and make a renewed commitment to change and follow the Lord? Or are we stubborn and fight against the spirit within us?
Lord help me seek you. Help me realize weaknesses. Help me change!
Reading how King Josiah and the others renewed their covenant with the Lord was very powerful.
These verses:
“ 31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.”
How many of us need to make a recommitment, a new covenant, with the Lord? What idols remain in our lives that if King Josiah could see, he would destroy? King Josiah was very wise, even from a young age. He was a leader for God’s people. We can be like King Josiah and lead others to destroy the idols of their lives and turn to the Lord.
While reading this chapter, I thought about how Josiah was seeking the Lord with all of his heart. He got rid of the idols and humbly followed the Lord. May we ‘find’ God’s Word today and be obedient as well.
I was reminded of what we read in Jeremiah 29:11-14.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”