DILIGENCE

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 34

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

An actor from “Nazareth Village” in Nazareth holds a scroll in the synagogue as he depicts Jesus from Luke 4:14-20. Perhaps it was a scroll resembling this one from which young king Josiah read aloud in the hearing of his people, and which produced nation-changing results.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses: 2 Chronicles 34:19, 31

Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes…Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow 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.

Back in 2 Chronicles 24, we read of the boy king, Joash, who became king at seven years old. He did well as long as he had his teacher present, but then went astray. Now we have an eight-year-old, Josiah, made king. No doubt he also had strong guidance from godly people. Unlike Joash, Josiah stayed true to the God of Israel all his life. It seems reasonable to suggest that finding the lost manuscript of the Bible made all the difference. The turning points of Josiah’s life are as follows: At eight he became king. Josiah would’ve been six when his grandfather, Manasseh, died. Manasseh had turned from God and then returned in repentance. Perhaps Josiah’s grandpa had told him the stories of the tragedies that resulted from ungodly behaviour. At 16 Josiah began to seek the God of King David. At 20 he began to destroy the idols such as the Baals which the people had been worshipping. The northern tribes had been dispersed throughout the world in what is now known as ethnic cleansing, but the remnant who remained came under Josiah’s leadership. At 24 Josiah began to repair the ancient Temple of God built by Solomon. Then comes the words of our key verses.

We need to cherish the Book we are reading together. Many years before the workmen discovered the manuscript of the Bible (probably Deuteronomy), diligent people had spent countless hours copying, by hand, the Words. There were no print shops where copies could be run off. All the effort at copying was rewarded long after the writers had passed on. Do we wonder if we will ever see the fruit of our labours? Don’t lose heart! Rejoice in our sowing of good seed; we can trust God with the reaping of results in His timing.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for determination to serve You well today, leaving the results of my labours up to You and Your timing. Thank You, Father God, for the opportunity to sow seeds which will yield a good harvest. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Twenty-four year old King Josiah tore his clothes to indicate his profound grief at the failure of Israel to keep true to the writings on the scroll which was found hidden in the Temple. The King, himself, read aloud from the Bible in the hearing of all the elders of Israel. I often read the Word of God out loud when it is called for. One of those times was in Regina, Saskatchewan. Dr. Shapiro, a Jewish medical doctor, had, like Josiah, torn his clothes to show extreme grief. I don’t have space to tell the story here. It’s on pages 113 -116 in my book, This Far by Faith. A great turn-around happened in the doctor’s life as a result. I find it interesting that offerings are often the lead-up to blessings. Again and again in our readings, I find the connection between giving and receiving. That has certainly been my personal experience through the years. A New Testament reading on which I’ve just meditated is 2 Corinthians chapter 9 (click here to read with me).

Yours for finding our Bibles and for reading carefully its transformative message daily!

David

Jesus portrayed by an actor entering the synagogue in Nazareth. In this synagogue I take delight during our tours in reading from Isaiah, as Jesus did here in His hometown synagogue.