The life of Josiah is such an amazing story. His father, Manasseh, was a very evil man who seduced an entire nation away from the Lord. He was a young child when his dad died. His father had humbled himself before God at the end of his life. His father's repentance may have had a very positive impact on his son. The Bible says of Josiah, "he did not turn aside to the left or to the right."
As Josiah became a young man leading the nation, he order the temple to be repaired. In the midst of the repair, they found the "book of the law." It was read to Josiah and it broke his heart. The nation had been living in rebellion for many years and were guilty of horrible sins against the Lord God. The Word of God had been lost and forgotten! Josiah understood the consequences of such actions. Instead of hopelessness, he humbled himself just like his dad and he sought the Lord God.
The word from God to Josiah speaks volumes about this young man. God said of Josiah that his heart was tender and that he was a humble man. He was broken over the rebellion of the people. Josiah was a good man who truly loved the Lord. He did the one important action that is critical to life, no matter the circumstances. He humbly sought the Lord in prayer.
The Lord's response to Josiah was "I have truly heard you." James says, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." What the church needs today is for humbled people to truly seek the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind, and with all their strength. In Josiah's day, it had been a long time since someone was truly broken over the sin in the land!
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