Monday, August 4th, 2008 by Randy

TITLE:
“A Responsive Heart”

SCRIPTURE:
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. 2 Chronicles 34:27 (NIV)

OBSERVATION:
At the age of 16, Josiah, the king of Judah, “began to seek God” (2 Chron 34:3). Even though he was just a teenager, he showed more godly leadership than most of his predecessors. His example reminds me that we should never let “age” hinder what God wants to do.

Yet the real turning point came when Hilkiah found the Book of the Law and gave it to Josiah. Josiah had been seeking God, but not with clear understanding. Many scholars believe this book they found may have been the book of Deuteronomy. In the past, God’s law had been discarded and ignored by the evil kings, but now God’s commands were made clear. How did Josiah respond? The Bible says that he his “heart was responsive” and he humbled himself before God. His heart change led to life change! He obeyed God’s word and tore down the false idols and reestablished God’s law.

APPLICATION:
Our hearts can “respond” to many things around us. God wants us to respond to Him! Just like Josiah, I need to have a responsive heart to the things of God. I need to be more committed to learning from God’s word and doing his will then every before. My notes make this important application…“reading God's Word is not enough; we must be willing to do what it says.” The Bible may not be “lost” in our day and age, but it might as well be, if I fail to read it and do what it says.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I want to know and do your will. May my heart to be responsive to you! AMEN.