Thursday Morning

Concept: Repentence

Have you ever left something important behind? Your glasses, sunscreen, keys, a favorite toy, your phone, a ring, that thing your sweetie asked you to hold, tickets to the event to which you are currently driving? We all have. Most of the time, there is usually a point of no return, a point at which it is better to leave it behind and get it later rather than go back and get it right then. However, many times deferring the pain of going back can get you in more trouble.

In last night’s teaching we heard about a bunch of kings. A few kings were good. Many kings were bad. Some kings were downright evil. Josiah was a good king. His father was a bad king – so bad that his officials conspired against him and assassinated him. His grandfather was evil – sacrificing his own son in the fire, building altars to stars, practicing sorcery and divination, consulting mediums and spiritists, even erecting objects of worship of other gods in the temple. Josiah didn’t have a great family legacy to fall back on.
Josiah was eight years old when he was made king. What were you doing when you were eight? Riding your bike? Jumping rope? Playing tag? Ever rule a country? Me either. Josiah didn’t have a great childhood, the wisdom of age, or an incredible stately presence to fall back on.

What did Josiah do that gets him a special mention? 2 Kings 22:2 says “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his [fore]father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” Josiah’s strength was his willingness to follow God no matter what. In the eighteenth year of his reign, He ordered some repairs to the temple and a neglected scroll was found. All he had known was the evil reign of his father and grandfather. When the scroll was read, he immediately took action to get the country back on track. He cleaned all other influences out of the temple and brought it back to good repair. He destroyed all the altars and objects of worship to the false gods. He cleaned up the entire kingdom and led the people back to God.

This turning back is called “repentance”. To repent is to immediately turn back the way you came – like a military about face.

So, if you left something valuable behind, would you go get it? What if it were something that made the difference between life and death? God is the source of life. Where did you leave Him? He’s waiting for you to return. As soon as you turn around and take the first step, He will run the rest of the way to meet you. Do what needs to be done today to return.

Remember this concept: Repent.