Childlike faith

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 33, 34; Psalm 89

2 Chronicles 34:1-3 (NIV)

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king; and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 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, carved idols and cast images.

Psalm 89:14-15 (NIV)

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. 15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.

Good morning!

The faith of a little child is a precious gift from the Lord. Jesus recognized the value of childlike faith when he said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” [Matthew 19:14 NIV]. When the disciples were arguing about who would be greatest in God’s kingdom to come, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 18:3 NIV].

Why, then, do we find it surprising to read about eight year old Josiah reigning as king of Judah? Could you have led a country in the ways of righteousness and justice when you were eight years old? Josiah’s faith in the Lord was larger than life. He chose to seek God’s face and was open to His instruction every day. It was his sole desire to live within the umbrella of God’s holy presence, and that childlike faith afforded young Josiah the strength to lead a nation back into alignment with God’s holy law. The secret to Josiah’s success was in his willingness to allow the Lord to reveal sin for what it truly is, then rise up to abolish the practice of idolatry by his people. He even took it one step further, by identifying and attacking the root cause for the sinful behavior of his people. Josiah was known for his uncanny ability to turn back to the Lord with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength. He chose to obey all of the laws handed down through Moses, not just some of them. Josiah relied on God’s wisdom and leading and applied what He learned to every aspect of his life. He refused to compromise or re-write the law to fit his personal preferences. Josiah identified idolatry as anything that places self before God. I wonder what would happen if we could experience the childlike faith of Josiah - would we continue to water down God’s holy Word so that it neatly fits into the daily choices we make…

There is a way for each of us to experience the love, faithfulness, righteousness and justice of our Lord each day. If we are willing to submit our lives and obey His Word, the Lord will give each of us the childlike faith of Josiah. Are you willing to seek His holy presence this morning? Will you be open to what He says to your heart? Take a moment today to examine what it means to have childlike faith. When you seek Him, He finds you. Jesus can take your broken and humble heart and mend it with His amazing, healing touch. What will it take for you to trust Him completely today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the childlike faith of young Josiah, King of Judah. If you ask Jesus to help you, He will give you the desire to love Him faithfully every day with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. You will experience true joy in His holy presence. There is no love greater or more fulfilling than the love Jesus Christ offers to you today.

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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