Monday, November 10, 2008

Mon., 11/10/08 Devotion (2 Ki. 23:25)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Kings 23:25. This is a description of the great king of Judah, Josiah:

"Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him."

Josiah was outstanding, because of his comprehensive zeal for the Lord and His word. Virtually everything Josiah could conceive of doing, in order to be in accordance with the law of God, which had been recently-found in his day, he did. The earlier verses of this chapter detail all the wonderful reforms Josiah effected, in Judah and Jerusalem.

Was Josiah perfect? No. But his heart was whole, toward God. The Lord accepts desire for deed, for those who are in Christ Jesus. Let us take comfort from this truth; and may we seek everyday, by grace, to be more and more faithful to our Redeemer.

[Puritan quote of the day: "A good and clear conscience keeps holiday every day of his life, though he has hardly anything else to feed upon." --Christopher Love, in "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]