Cleaning House!

DAY 28
2 Kings 15:27 - 25:30

In today's section of reading, Hilkiah finds the Book of the Law in the temple. (Now why it was lost is a whole other discussion). When Josiah the king heard the words of God he tore his robes and inquired of the Lord about what to do.

Notice in 22:19 what effect God's word had on Josiah, "your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord." When the written Word and the Living Word convict the heart, we have seen in the Bible that some hearts are hardened while others are turned to God. But both are changed.

Over and over again, we see that the Kings of Judah and Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord by allowing idols into their lives. This allowed the people of God to continue in their sin. Even those kings that did right in the sight of the Lord, allowed the high places to stay. As a result, sin returned to their lives.

Josiah, was an exception. He went through Judah and destroyed all the idols and high places. He reinstated the Passover. He cleaned house and Judah enjoyed a period of blessing from the Lord. " Neither before or after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses" (23:25)

It's a lesson we all need to remember. When God's Word or the Holy Spirit convicts us of something in our lives that needs to be removed, we need to get rid of it. Just like Josiah, we need to be responsive and humble. If we don't; we allow Satan and our sinful nature the opportunity to return to the high places.

Through prayer and the study of the Word, we have the ability to do some house cleaning in the rooms of our heart everyday. Cleaning house is never fun! But the alternative is even worse. Instead of sweeping our idols under the rug or throwing them in a closet, it's time to take them to the garbage. God will even provide the strength to carry it out the door.

I've got to go, I heard there was a sale on double-ply garbage bags. With Psalms and Proverbs coming up in more than a week, I think I'm going to need them.