Monday 14 Aug 2017

August 14: 2 Chronicles 34:1-5

Key Verse: 2 Chronicles 34:3
In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.

Devotion:
Even though Josiah was only 8 years old when he came to power, he made a decision very early on to follow God based on what he knew about David and what he had done for God. When he was 16 he went to start cleansing the land from all the idols and false gods by knocking down statues, idols and altars to other gods. He even took the bones of the priests and burned them on the altars… burning the bones of the priests who led these false practices was a deterrent but also something which had been prophesied too.

His heart was set of getting the people of Israel to go back to God and prosper under His name again. For far too long they had rebelled against the religion and against all the old ways. Now it was time to drop their religious practices and move back to having a relationship with God. If we read further on in the chapter we find how the Book of the Law of the LORD was found once again. Certain priests had been paid to keep it safe – which they did.

When God knows you are doing things the right way, He will open surprising doors and ways to you. When God sees your heart is in the right place, He does things which will make you realise just how much He loves you and cares for us all. Through this we can be encouraged and live a closer life with Him just as Josiah was trying to get Israel to do once again.

We have all this history written down so we can read it and understand how life can be very different when we live for God and not against Him. Which we rebel and do our own things, He will hide various things from us until we make our way back to Him; then He opens up door which may well have been closed for many years. I know as a young man I had many doors closed to me but saw them open once again when I turned back to God. God is faithful but He is also just and holy; be careful but be brave!

Points to Ponder:
Are you walking in the worlds ways?

Will you try walk in God’s ways?