The King's Decree

II Chronicles 34 talks about the time that King Josiah found the Book. King Josiah was this little eight year old boy who was suddenly king. You know the phrase, "Out of the mouth of babes . . ." I imagine this phrase was coined during his reign. Before Josiah there had been one bad king after another. Now there is a good king. He doesn't know quite what to do but he's trying his best. In verse 2 we see that he  did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and he followed the way of David. Parents, grandparents, adults, it is SO important that was walk right. Future generations may not follow the right path, but anything done for Christ will last! and it could even come back and influence people we won't get to meet this side of glory! Live for God, it is always worth it! 

That was just a little commercial, on to the main event! In verses 3-7 we see that Josiah sought God. As he sought God it led him to purging the sin out of his life. As you see God for how great, and holy, and merciful He is, you see yourself for who you really are! The best response to this sinful self is rejection and pursing of this sin! Verse 8-13 we see that after we have sought God and purged sins, then this leads to building. The placing of good things in your life. In verse 20 we see that as this happens you see more of your sinful self, on a deeper level. We used to have the privilege of working with teenagers. They would go to camp and confess sins, i.e. not reading their Bible. The next year we would go to camp and they would confess, it seemed, the SAME sin! What we came to realize was that it was not the SAME sin, it was deeper. That first year they went to camp they were only reading their Bible at church. The next year, they had been reading their Bible a couple times a week on their own and they committed to reading it every day of the week. The next year they may commit to reading the Bible through. The building process in our lives it key to a deeper spiritual walk. And as we walk with God and let Him build the right things in our life, we see how far down that root goes. We confess and forsake that sin. As this happens you see in verse 27, 28 that the proper attitude towards sins leads to God's forgiveness and mercy. II Chronicles 35: 6, 7 then teach us that we need to sanctify ourselves to God. As we sanctify ourselves we see our need of sacrifice. Sacrifice of our worldly goods, sacrifice of our time and finally in II Chronicles 35:10 we see the need for service to God. Everyone who is saved has a job that God wants them to do and ONLY them to do. No one else can do it as good as they can. I once heard a preacher say, "You need to find out what God is doing in this world and find your place and do it!" That's good advice but service to God without these first steps is nothing more than having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof. On the flip side, these steps taken but service being left is like having power and hiding it in a box and never using it. Both sides, compliment each other. 

So we need to 1. Seek God, 2. Have our Sins Purged, 3. Build the Right Things in our Life, 4. More Purging of Sins, 5. Sanctify ourself to God, 6. Sacrifice to God and 7. Finally Serve God! God has something great for you, that ONLY You can do! Determine to serve God today! You won't regret it! I promise you!