The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 7: Kings and Prophets: The southern kingdom as God’s people
Background Information: 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35
How could God’s word have been lost for so many years, and no one even noticed? This neglect of the Word of God is tied directly to the widespread turning of the nation away from God to idols. The recovery of reading and obeying the Word of God resulted in widespread turning back to God. Since the book of Kings tells us the missing scroll was read through twice in one day, it probably wasn’t the entire Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible). It is often believed to have been the book of Deuteronomy. It is important to note that Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than any other Old Testament book. Ironically, a book that tends to bore modern readers may have started a national revival during the time of Josiah and was the Lord’s favorite book! When Josiah heard the Word of God read, he immediately recognized it as such. His first impulse was to tear his clothes. This is strange to us, but it was a sign of great grief and repentance. He heard, in God’s word, things that he had not been leading the people to obey. He did not plead ignorance: “But I didn’t know, it’s not my fault!” Instead, he pled with God for forgiveness and mercy. Josiah was probably the godliest King among Israel’s kings. For thirty-one years, he led faithfully and without a major moral failure. However, his life came to an end because of a single failure to heed the word of God spoken through the king of Egypt. Perhaps God’s word through King Neco was that voice of wisdom we read of in Proverbs. Whatever the case, Josiah spent all those years making great decisions and lost his life because of one bad one. This is a sobering lesson for us. He did not undo all the good he had done in that single choice, but a thousand good decisions will not undo the consequences of a single bad decision. Living in fear of a single terrible decision is not a bad thing; it can help us stay vigilant. However, that fear must not paralyze us, but instead mobilize us for proactive obedience and ongoing diligence to watch our life and doctrine closely, all the way to the end of our lives.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for the new volunteers serving in Super Church and River Next. Ask God to give them vision for their investment in our children. Pray that they would be faithful to share the love of Christ.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.