July 30

 “…the king… made a covenant before the LORD…” 2 Kings 23:3

King Josiah was responsible for a major revival in Israel. He meticulously removed the idolatrous places of worship, overthrew their temples and destroyed the priests of the heathen religions which had grown populous in the nation. His cleansing work included the removal of sodomite houses, and of those practicing occult arts. The Bible reports him as doing right in the sight of the Lord, walking in all the ways of His forefather David, and not being influenced by pressures around him, but staying on course spiritually. This is a sterling testimony and a rarity among the usually poor performances of kings who either did outright evil in rebellion against Yahwah, or walked righteously but only in part and without consistency throughout their lives. Josiah stands out from among the rest as being a righteous man and a godly king in Israel. He stood by the pillar - this was understood to be a special place in the temple set aside for the king, from where he would make his orations to the people and offer prayer and worship unto God. It was from this prominent and public place and in front of all the people that Josiah made a promise to God. His heartfelt pledge to God included that He and the people would walk close to God, keep His laws with all their heart and all their soul, and uphold the words of God’s covenant with them as written in the book of the law. Wonderfully all the people took a stand with him in total support and commitment to that promise. How precious it is to have leaders who are sensitive to the Spirit of God, in tune with His will and obeying His word wholeheartedly! God will perform good and great things through such men! The task of all believers is to be obedient and aligned with Jesus and His word. This is much easier to achieve when the individuals who lead us, give us a consistent example of loving God and honouring His word. When such men by their example and teaching remind us of all that is holy and righteous, we should take notice and with all our hearts make our stand with them! May God raise many leaders like Josiah among us, to help guide us in the path of righteousness and encourage us to a life of holiness before the Lord!  

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

May 19

“And when he had broken down the altars and the groves…” 2 Chronicles 34:7

Josiah was but a young boy eight years of age, when he began his reign as king over Israel. In spite of his youth, he did righteousness in the sight of God and walked according to the precepts of God’s law, in imitation of his forefather, the great king David. Josiah brought reform to Israel by thoroughly destroying all the places where idols were being worshipped. He journeyed throughout the land and wherever he found altars or groves dedicated to any heathen idol, he not only tore them down, but eradicated them, destroying them so completely that they could not be rebuilt again from the same materials! Revival broke out in Israel as a result of this ‘boy king’ and his actions of faithfulness to God. Josiah is a bright star shining in the dark sky of Israel’s history of backsliding. He reminds us to be faithful and to take a stand for God and His Word. We learn that when we stand for the Lord we must do so, totally and without compromise. God’s people must be faithful people and cannot stray from the truth of His ways. They cannot espouse means of worship and religion which are not acceptable to God. It is a mistake to think that we can imitate and adopt the ways of unconverted people around us, as suitable means or expressions for the worship of Yahwah, the true God. The message of Josiah’s life, is that there is no room for compromise in the life of the believer; that we must stand for God, His ways and His righteousness at all times and in all places; and that we must do so thoroughly and completely without giving place, not for a moment, to the enemy of our souls. Removing any contamination of the world from our lives, should be thorough. The systematic, methodical and comprehensive analysis of our minds, hearts and lives in the sight of God, and the removal of anything that may be offensive to God and contravening His Word, is a good practice for retaining a healthy spiritual life in Christ.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion