Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 2 Kings 22:8
Even before finding the Book of the Law Josiah had begun to repair the temple. Without the influence of a godly father (Amon) or grandfather (Manasseh), Josiah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left” (verse 2)
Some would blame their upbringing for their beliefs, or lack of beliefs, yet here is Josiah only eight years old deciding to follow the Lord. Before finding the Book of the Law he had determined to live in the ways of David, which illustrates the point that we don’t need a ‘special word’ to start living a more God-pleasing life.
Often we wait for God to send a special word of guidance or direction while God is waiting for us to turn to him, then he can lead and guide us. Or maybe, we are waiting for God to perform a miracle or give us a sign to decide whether we will trust God. Yet God has given us the evidence we need in creation (Romans 1:20) and in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our day we also have the advantage of the historical evidence of Jesus’ life and death. Yet, it’s easy to ignore a message we don’t want to hear.
Josiah started by repairing the temple and in the process found the Book of the Law which led to the renewal of the covenant. We too can start taking the steps which will lead to a renewal of our relationship with God.
