Believing God. Do you? Really? I don’t mean a head nod of “Yeah, I believe in God. He’s real and His Word is true. Yada, yada.” I mean, “Yes, when God says _______ in His Word, He means it and I should get on board. Today. Let’s look at an Old Testament king who took God seriously.

Josiah, king at age eight. His heritage? His father and grandfather did evil in God’s sight. Though Grandpa had a change of heart in his later years and chose to honor God, Dad wasn’t feeling it and was assassinated after two years on the throne. Scripture gives us this timeline for Josiah.

Age eight: King

Age sixteen: He began to seek God.

Age twenty: He began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of idols.

Age twenty-six: He began repairs on the Temple.

As repairs were made, the priests found the Book of the Law, and read it to the king. Second Chronicles 34:19-21 (NIV) records his response:

“When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders . . . ‘Go and inquire of the LORD for me . . . about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.’”

Josiah heard God’s Word. His commandments. His consequences.

And it moved him to greater change. According to what he had just heard, he knew he and his people were out of line. And just as blessing followed obedience, negative consequences followed disobedience.

Josiah took God’s Word—seriously.

Today, it’s more like—seriously? God really means that? Just look at how our culture treats the Ten Commandments.

1. No other gods before Me. (Except the Cowboys, Facebook, Pinterest.)
2. No idols. (Too many to list. What’s getting in the way of time with God?)
3. Don’t misuse God’s name. (OMG!)
4. Remember the Sabbath. (Sunday as a catch-up day for work, shopping, you name it. And don’t get me started on how youth sports and even adult races and triathlons now invade Sunday.)
5. Honor your father and mother. (R-E-S-P-E-C-T has become D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T.)
6. Don’t murder. (Gossip, slander. Words cut like knives.)
7. Don’t commit adultery. (Jesus equated lustful thoughts with the act of adultery. Where has personal purity gone in what we watch, read, and listen to?)
8. Don’t steal. (Reputations, identity theft, time.)
9. Don’t give false testimony. (Lying is accepted.)
10. Do not covet. (Debt abounds because we must have it now.)

Seriously?

Questions:

Who is calling the shots in your life?

Do we rationalize sin?

Do we recognize Jesus’ authority as Savior and Lord?

What do you think of the reality of God’s standards as recorded in His Word? Do you believe them?

Tweetables:

Seriously?: Believing God Means What He Says Click To Tweet
Josiah heard God’s Word. His commandments. His consequences. And it moved him to greater change. Click To Tweet
Josiah took God’s Word—seriously. Today, it’s more like—seriously? God really means that? Click To Tweet