The Topic of Teenagers Open Heavens for Friday 23rd August 2024 Is “King Josiah”
Read: 2 Chronicles 34:1-7
1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3. ¶. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
5. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
7. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
Memorise: John 5:17
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Josiah was eight years old when he became a king in Judah. He was a good king who loved the Lord. One day, he stumbled on an old book which had the details of the things that he and his people were supposed to do in their service to God, and he swung into action immediately. Josiah ensured that the book was read to the people, and he made a commitment to live by it. He also destroyed the altars of worship to strange gods and started repairing the temple of God. King Josiah wanted his people to keep their promises to the Lord, so he asked them to celebrate the Passover in remembrance of their forefathers’ freedom from the Egyptians. Josiah achieved feats that many kings who were before him couldn’t.
From the life of Josiah, we can learn that age is not a barrier to making an impact. Don’t ever think that you’re too young to bring about a positive change in your family, community, and the world at large. Josiah also knew what to do after studying the Book of the Law. How much of God’s word do you know, and how well do you apply it to your daily living? If you don’t study the word, you cannot make a real impact.
