A New Start

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 23:19-25

TO CHEW ON: "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 all the Law of Moses." 2 Kings 23:25

“Everybody come to the temple. King Josiah has called a special meeting.” Quickly word traveled from house to house. When everyone had gathered, Josiah opened the book that the priests had found. He read aloud all the laws God had given Moses. Then in front of all the people he promised God that he would keep these laws for the rest of his life.

After he had dismissed everyone, he got to work.


Wherever there was an idol, he told his servants to smash it. Wherever there was an Asherah pole, he commanded it be taken down. Wherever there were altars, he broke them. He took down statues that had been dedicated to the sun god and made sure every dish, goblet, utensil or piece of furniture that had been used to worship an idol was taken out of the temple.

Josiah burned the rubbish outside Jerusalem.
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

He told the people to get rid of the idols in their homes. He even went to Samaria and destroyed everything to do with idol worship there. Finally the land was cleaned up. Then he called the people together again for a big Passover celebration.

No one before or after Josiah worked so hard at doing what God had said. Always before, the kings had done a half job. They rid the land of some idols and altars. But the ones they left soon lured the people back to idol worship again. Josiah’s thoroughness helped Judah to turn from their old ways and make a new start.

We can clean up our lives like Josiah cleaned up the land. We can name the things we’re sorry for in prayer. We can get rid of things like books, games, music and anything else that will tempt us to again wander away from God. We can be as thorough in our new start as Josiah was.

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me everything that comes between You and me. Help me to rid my life of it. Amen.


MORE: Your new startYou start a new day energetic and fresh from a night’s sleep. You start a new basketball tournament with no losses. You start a new school year with clean books, long pencils, maybe a new backpack and even new clothes. What changes might happen when you make a new start with God:

1. You feel clean inside
2. You sing
3. You feel peaceful
4. You get a different body
5. You feel joyful
6. You make a new set of friends

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Finding a Special Book

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chron 34:14-19 & 31

TO CHEW ON: "Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, 'Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.' And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes." 2 Chronicles 34:18,19

When King Josiah turned sixteen something changed. Perhaps after being king for eight years he realized what a hard job it was. Maybe he wished he had help and wanted to be sure that God was on his side. He may have asked, which god? For the people in Judah worshiped many gods.

Perhaps he remembered his grandfather, King Manasseh, and thought of how he had smashed the idols and taken down the Asherah poles after he got back from prison. Then he had told everyone to worship the unseen God of the temple.

However it came about, over the next four years, Josiah took down every altar and high place and pole connected with idol worship. Then he decided to clean up the temple too. He put the priests and Levites to work. One day as they were clearing out garbage, they found a book. It was the book of the Law that God had given Moses.

When Shaphan the secretary showed Josiah what they had found, Josiah wanted him to read it. So Shaphan read God’s laws to Josiah. He had never heard them before.


He became so upset and afraid, he tore his clothes. Then he asked Shaphan and the priests to pray to God for him and the nation, that they would be spared the terrible punishments God had promised.

Hilkiah the priest and others prayed for Josiah. God answered that He would punish Judah just as the book said. But if Josiah would keep on doing the right things, this punishment would come after his lifetime.

We have God’s book with us today. It is the Bible. Unlike Josiah’s time, Bibles today are not lost. They are plentiful and common. But in order for the Bible to help us as it did Josiah, we need to follow his example. We need to read, respect and obey it.



PRAYER: Dear God, help me to read and obey Your word. Amen.

MORE: Bible Search
1. How many Bibles or parts of the Bible do you have in your home?

2. Which is your favorite Bible?
Why?

3. What is your favorite Bible verse?
Why?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.