We resemble what we revere, either for our ruin or restoration.
G. K. Beale, We Become What We Worship
After the fall of Amon, his son became king in his place. King Josiah was a man who sought the Lord at such an early age and continued doing so with humility as he grew. King Josiah’s seeking resulted in repairing the temple of the Lord, which led to the discovery of the Book of the Law.
Hilkiah, the priest, was the first to unearth it and referred to it by its proper name. He, then, gave it to Secretary Shaphan who plainly referred to it as “a book” before he handed it over to Josiah. When the Book of Law was handed over to the king, he tore his clothes. In the Old Testament, tearing one’s clothes is a sign of grief.
Why did Josiah tear his clothes when the Law was read?
As the Book of the Law was read in public for the first time in nearly 60 years, King Josiah tore his clothes as a sign of his grief. He grieved when he realized that he, as the nation’s leader, had not been fulfilling the commandments of the Lord.
ESV.org
King Josiah knew the importance of the Book of the Law. From then on, he honored it by humbly receiving correction and wisdom from the Word of God which impacted the heart of the entire nation.
If we truly believe the Bible is the living Word of the one true and holy God, we won’t just read it; we’ll let it read us. It will breathe fresh life into us, rearrange our wrong thinking, redirect our wayward heart tendencies, and cause us to become more and more humble with each interaction.
Lysa TerKeust, The Best Way to Approach the Word of God
REFLECTION: Do you ever feel resistant to the things God calls you to in His Word? How can you press past that resistance and allow Him to reorient your heart to His Truth?
I am most resistant when it comes to humility and forgiveness. When the Lord asks me to change the way I feel about a certain person or situation and I don’t like to obey — maybe because it’s something that hurt me, made me angry or anxious — or basically, when He asks me to do things in His way and not my way, I’m very resistant. That whole thing might be under the need of being in control. Over time, the Lord only gives us instructions that are good for our souls. Most of the time, the very thing that we wanted – especially when we get too emotional – is not what’s best for us at the moment. When we read the Bible, it guides us to know how to respond to life and it also uncovers and reveals who we truly are. The urge to resist is always present.
We have different truths in our minds based on how we see things. To push past the resistance, as cliche as it may sound: obedience is key. Our church always reminds us that even though we don’t like or we don’t feel doing things for the Lord, we have to take a leap of faith and do it anyway. The doing precedes the feeling. For example, in my area of humility and forgiveness, the only way I can be humble and forgiving is when I actually practice it. We don’t depend on our feelings to practice and grow in our character. Our emotion is a gift from the Lord but it shouldn’t be taking control of us. In reality, I like to be in control; the only way I can let the Lord take over is when I learn to surrender. Surrendering everything to the Lord, admitting that we cannot do it on our own – even we are very [and wrongfully] convinced that we can – and obeying Him every step of the way could push back the resistance and help us reorient our truth to His Truth.
Devo Background via First5: The Best Way to Approach the Word of God
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