May 15, 2006 - II Kings 22-23 and John 4:31-54
Today, we have a contrast between king Josiah and the woman at the well in Samaria. They both trusted the Lord and His Word. They both tried to have an impact on those around them. One succeeded, and the other failed. Why do you think this happened? Let's let the Lord speak to us about this today, because I hope we all want to be people who greatly impact the lives of those around us.
Josiah started reigning when he was 8 years old, and he reigned for 31 years. During his reign, they set out to repair the Temple, and they ended up finding the book of the Law that had been lost. When Josiah heard the Law, he realized God was punishing them for not keeping the Law, so he set out to root out idolatry in all of its forms and to restore the true worship of God. The Bible tells us that he did this with all of his heart and that he did better than any other king before or after him. (23:25) However, after his death, his sons went right back to idolatry. I believe that shows us that the people did not turn to the Lord in a heart felt revival. There were just reforms made by the king's men. Reforms are no substitute for real revival. We can't reform our lives. All we can do is to give our hearts fully to the Lord. That is the only way to bring real change and joy into our lives.
That is what we see in John 4. The woman at the well went to testify of Jesus to the people in the town. They came because of her words, but then, they listened to Jesus and came to receive Him into their own hearts. (4:42) In this case, there was heart change, not just an attempt at reform. Her joy had been so contagious that others were drawn to Jesus. Then, they found joy by trusting Him personally. There is no mention of such eager hearts in II Kings 22 and 23. I hope we can see this clearly. We must believe Jesus. We must take Him at His word. We must fall in love with Him as our Lord and Savior. Then, there will be real change and real joy. Reform does not bring the joy, because it is only religious activity. What we need is heart change.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 24-25 and John 5:1-24.
Josiah started reigning when he was 8 years old, and he reigned for 31 years. During his reign, they set out to repair the Temple, and they ended up finding the book of the Law that had been lost. When Josiah heard the Law, he realized God was punishing them for not keeping the Law, so he set out to root out idolatry in all of its forms and to restore the true worship of God. The Bible tells us that he did this with all of his heart and that he did better than any other king before or after him. (23:25) However, after his death, his sons went right back to idolatry. I believe that shows us that the people did not turn to the Lord in a heart felt revival. There were just reforms made by the king's men. Reforms are no substitute for real revival. We can't reform our lives. All we can do is to give our hearts fully to the Lord. That is the only way to bring real change and joy into our lives.
That is what we see in John 4. The woman at the well went to testify of Jesus to the people in the town. They came because of her words, but then, they listened to Jesus and came to receive Him into their own hearts. (4:42) In this case, there was heart change, not just an attempt at reform. Her joy had been so contagious that others were drawn to Jesus. Then, they found joy by trusting Him personally. There is no mention of such eager hearts in II Kings 22 and 23. I hope we can see this clearly. We must believe Jesus. We must take Him at His word. We must fall in love with Him as our Lord and Savior. Then, there will be real change and real joy. Reform does not bring the joy, because it is only religious activity. What we need is heart change.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 24-25 and John 5:1-24.