Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. (2 Kings 23:25 NLT)
Read: 2 Kings 22:3-20, 2 Kings 23:1-30, Acts of the Apostles 21:37-40, Acts of the Apostles 22:1-16, Psalms 1:1-6, Proverbs 18:11-12
Relate: I will be the first to admit I struggle to get through 1st and 2nd Kings. I get a little lost in all the names of the kings and the very brief descriptions of their reigns. Occasionally, though, a story will catch my attention. Today, it was Josiah’s reign that grabbed me— talk about a turn around! The guy goes from complete ignorance of the law to complete adherence. He didn’t just agree with the law; he felt remorse for the actions he had committed prior to his knowledge of the law of Moses, and he changed his behavior. That is what happens when someone is exposed to truth and accepts it.
React: I find it interesting that the change in Josiah’s heart did not come from elegant or profound arguments. There was no one striving to convince Josiah to turn from his wicked lifestyle. The change came from hearing the scriptures. We can listen to the thoughts and beliefs of those around us all day long, and it is likely we will not experience any true change. The change Josiah experienced came from an encounter with God’s word. If we want to make real change occur in our own hearts and lives, we need to dig into the word of God. We need to remove the distractions and listen to what God has to say. Only then will we find we are able to destroy the idols of our hearts.
Respond:
Dear God, thank you for giving us your word and the power it has to bring true change in our lives. Help me to focus on what you have to say when I desire to find truth. Please give me ears to hear and the strength to change when I need it. Thank you for the grace you provide as I journey to know you more. Amen.
THE RIVER WALK 
Great post! Thank you for the scriptures to study as well! 😀
Faith comes from listening and listening to the word of God. Thank you for this! 🙂
This is why I love the Scriptures!
Reblogged this on The Joshua Generation Ministries.
Rebecca, Thought provoking post.
Jesus once told the apostles who were not too successful on a fishing outing to cast their nets on the other side of he boat. When they heeded His advice and did so, the once empty nets were near bursting with a great catch.
We have to realize that, regardless of life’s difficulties, if we are not at peace, we may be barking up the wrong tree. Jesus gives us two commandments that encompasses the Ten Commandment; to love God with all our heart, body and mind; and to love others as we love ourself.
Too often we are not at peace because we get the two out of order. First and foremost we must succeed in the first if we are to succeed in the second. If we are to know ourselves and others we must first know God. And to know Him is to love Him. To quote Dante Alighieri: “In His will is our peace.”
-Alan
Reblogged this on emalineachieng and commented:
LET ALL TURN TO THE LORD LIKE JOSIAH.THE LORD KNOWS AND REWARDS THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK FOR HIM
HAKUNA MUNGU KAMA GOD ALMIGHTY
THE ONE AND ONLY GOD
Reblogged this on Undeserved Mercy, Love, and Grace.
Good post, Rebecca. I’m with you on having a hard time reading through 1st and 2nd Kings. If only more of the Kings of Israel and Judah had turned to God like Josiah, God wouldn’t have had to discipline them over and over. Anyway, this reminds me of a related post that I wrote a while back that applies to all believers. It’s called No-turn living. http://jesus4evers.com/2015/03/17/no-turn-living/
May God bless everything you do for his kingdom,
Daniel
Amen! So true! So many instances of this come to mind from my own life. God’s living word is what brings about true change of our heart-state! Not our effort to please or emulate other human-beings.
Thank you for another impactful message! ♡
– Erin Marie
http://www.erinmariemcdowell.wordpress.com
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