Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. 2 Kings 23:25
The well-known hymn I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, begins with the words, "I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back." These beautiful words are a reminder that God calls His people to follow Him fully, holding nothing back from Him. He wants fully devoted followers.
When King Josiah reigned as king at eight years old in Judah until his death, he remained entirely devoted. He obeyed Scripture. He condemned idol worship and even tore down pagan shrines and altars. He held nothing back from God. Because of this, 2 Kings 23:25 says, "Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. He was wholly devoted.
Josiah's example of devotion points back to the book of Deuteronomy, where the Israelites were called to commit their lives entirely to God. They were instructed, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5). Josiah certainly modeled this throughout his life.
Like the people of Israel and Josiah, we are called to love God with everything. When we do this, everything else falls into place. When we love God, we want to live in a way that honors Him. We want to live according to all of the other instructions that He gives us. Additionally, when we love God with everything, we lose the taste for the things that are not of Him.
My friend, God's greatest instruction He has ever given and ever will give you is to love Him with everything. If you ever wonder how you can honor Him or make Him pleased, look no further than the Scripture we have studied today. May this unmatched love for God be the greatest desire and pursuit of our hearts for as long as we live.
Take time to worship Jesus and commit to being His fully devoted follower. Listen to "I Have Decided", sung by Elevation Worship. Pay attention to all of the words in this song and sing them to the Lord. Give everything to Him, holding nothing back from being His fully devoted follower.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
"These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 "Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
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