Obedience.
What comes to your mind?
Is it intimidating, scary, or not your cup of tea? If you are new to this… that might just be the case.
If you’ve been walking with Jesus for quite some time now, it’s exciting. You hear the word of God and you act on it.
There are times when it can be challenging. Don’t get me wrong. Yet, in the end, the Holy Spirit will remind you and nudge your heart.
In my stubbornness, headstrong, and lazy will, He always prevails. I want to be obedient at all times but I fall short. There are times when I am agitated and sleepy, and the list can go on and on.
But what refreshes you more than daily things? Jesus does.
I would like to hone in on this Old Testament story. It was brought to my attention last Sunday.
A walk of obedience from an early age. Take a read!
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 4 And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins[a] all around, 7 he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. 8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
Josiah followed in God’s obedience. He aligned himself with God.
“not turning aside to the right or to the left.” — vs 2
He purged carved and metal images, tore down unholy altars, and cut down incense altars. All in all, everything that was an idol, was cast down.
Is there an idol or even idols in your life that you need to deal with? Cut, tear, and or cut down? Cleanse yourself of everything that does not belong to the Lord.
Are you watching something questionable?
Are you coveting?
How about lying?
How about people pleasing?
Anything that is taking the Lord’s place, is an idol.
We must tear down anything that is trying to take the Lord’s place.
Let’s continue:
14 While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given through[a] Moses. 15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing. 17 They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the Lord and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” 18 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it before the king.
19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.
Did you catch that? The Book of the Law was found!! That means that it was LOST! It was in the Lord’s house all the time. Josiah tore his clothes. The significance of tearing clothes is this:
Mourning
Grief
Loss
Has your Bible gained some dust? Do you eye it, feel convicted, but still don’t have the time to read it? What’s taking its place? Revive within yourself to fall in love with the Word of God. It is alive and active.
Examine yourself. Dig deep. Inhale Him. Exhale yourself.
Let me remind you of something. God is the Word and God became flesh.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Flash from the past: the Ten Commandments were WRITTEN by the finger of GOD.
Doesn’t that interest you? It interests me!
The greatest Author of all time. The greatest penmanship ever.
Let Him write your story. Let go of the pen that you hold so tightly.
Walk in obedience. Surrender yourself to Him.
What are you afraid of?
Let’s continue:
2 Chronicles 34:29-31 ESV (emphasis mine):
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 31 And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
Walk after the Lord
Keeping His commandments, testimonies, and statues
With all your heart and soul
Walk in His Word
There are so MANY more examples that the Bible shows us about obedience.
I’ll end with this. Jesus came to earth to do the will of the Father. His WHOLE life was a devotion to obeying His Father. It wasn’t always easy for Him as well. As you read in the Gospel of Luke, you’ll come across that He sweated blood before the crucifixion. And before, Jesus said this prayer:
42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Through the obedience of Jesus, He made salvation possible for all of US.
Walk in His obedience and be grounded in Him, not disobedience.
It is your responsibility so, therefore, choose wisely.
Keep walking with Him. Stay on the narrow path.