July 10, 2017
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
When God is doing something phenomenal—something extraordinary, truly
earthshaking—you have to be part of it!
When the Magi saw the star in the heavens, they had to follow it.
When Peter and John heard that the tomb was empty, they ran to see. When the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples at Pentecost, they turned the world upside down.
Is God doing something phenomenal today? I believe He is—and
it’s much like what He did in the days of King Josiah.
Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh, had plunged the people into a
cesspool of occult practices, including child sacrifice. Incredibly,
Josiah’s father, Amon, “sinned even more” (2 Chronicles
33:23). Out of this sewer, Josiah ascended the throne at age eight. Can you imagine the boy looking at himself in the mirror wearing his
baggy regalia and oversized crown? Most 8-year-olds wouldn’t stand
still long enough to put on all that garb, much less wear the itchy stuff!
But Josiah wore it, and “he did what was pleasing in the LORD’s
sight” (2 Kings 22:1–2)! His mother, Jedidah, must have guided
him in godliness. Who else could have? He had no Scriptures—his
wicked predecessors had lost or destroyed all copies. Josiah’s only
spiritual signposts were memorized Scriptures recited to him by
Jedidah—talk about phenomenal parenting!
At age 16, “Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David”
(2 Chronicles 34:3). God continued to move in Josiah’s heart, and by
age 20, the courageous king was ready to be a part of God’s moving in
the nation. Starting in Jerusalem, Josiah set out to purify the land:
He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished . . . . He also made
sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were
smashed. (34:4)
Then he swept through the rest of the country:
He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the
idols into dust.
(34:7)
He pulverized the idols. Nothing left but dust—now
that’s phenomenally thorough!
Next, Josiah appointed to his “cabinet” men who had caught his
passion, supporters whom he mentored. With shared vision, they restored the
temple—phenomenal team building!
In the process, the priest Hilkiah found a dusty scroll: the “Book of
the Law of the LORD” (34:14). Perhaps the only remaining
copy—a phenomenal discovery!
Keep in mind, Josiah, unlike Luther and Calvin, initially had no
Scripture to rally his reformation. But then, there it was! How precious
the melody of God’s truth must have sounded! Josiah wept as he heard
it read, tearing his clothes in repentance over how his nation had
neglected God’s Laws.
Do you remember the first time the Bible impacted you? Did your heart sing
and tears flow? Finally, you had Truth! Something you could rely on, that
would help you know what to do next.
Josiah certainly knew. He gathered the nation and read “the entire
Book of the Covenant” (34:30). He “pledged to obey the LORD by
keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and
soul” and required everyone to make a similar pledge
(34:31–32). Then Josiah hosted the biggest Passover the nation had
ever experienced. What phenomenal obedience!
Can you imagine the entire world worshiping God and celebrating the Lamb?
Don’t you ache to be a part of something so phenomenal?
You can!
Judah wouldn’t have seen reformation without Josiah’s
“cabinet.” That team couldn’t have been built if Josiah
hadn’t chosen to think and act biblically. And he couldn’t have
if Jedidah had not done the same in teaching her son godly truth.
The phenomenal happens through our daily faithfulness to align our
thoughts with God’s—to think biblically in order to act
biblically . . . to fulfill our role in God’s plans!
At Insight for Living Ministries, we’re passionate about following
God’s commands. That’s why we’ve developed Vision 195—our plan to go into all
195 countries and “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew
28:19). With internships, training centers, and translated resources and
broadcasts, we’ll equip individuals in every nation to study, teach,
and live God’s Word in their communities. The result? Worldwide
worship!
Absolutely phenomenal!
We cannot do this alone. We need a loyal “cabinet” of believers
who will think and act biblically with us. Will you join us? Something absolutely phenomenal is happening,
and you can be part of it.