Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of His fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger. So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘There shall my Name be.'”
– 2 Kings 23:25-27
Devotion
Following the spiritual reformations instituted by Josiah, God still pronounces judgment on Judah for their rebellion against Him. As far as Josiah was concerned, this whole process was the outcome of sincerity and loyalty. The people, however, were simply following the lead of the king, not under any sense of penitence or return to YAHWEH. Therefore, God did not turn from His necessary judgment. Josiah had done all he was able to do, and was gathered to rest before the final stroke fell. Thus, God moves forward, delivering the godly from the midst of judgment as it falls upon the godless.
The Big Question
Each one of us is spiritually responsible to God for our own lives. In the end, we will not be judged by the morals of the culture around us. We each will be held accountable in how we responded to God’s offer of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Josiah could stand before God and hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into my rest.” What about you? Is your passion for Christ real? Do you seek to glorify Christ with every decision and every action in your life? Like Josiah, are you ready to expel the idols in your heart and renew your faith in the One True God?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what you have learned today.