Open and Read

Imagine a house of worship that never read God’s Word? Coming from a Bible believing church we would be aghast at the very thought, right?  Well, why in the world would we still be meeting and what message is coming from the pulpit? The priests in the days of King Josiah (King at eight years old, reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem, and did what was right in the sight of the Lord) found the book of the Law in the house of the Lord, but no one read it. Clearly the Jews in King Josiah’s day must have been doing what was right in their own eyes, for how else can we explain King Josiah’s response when he read the scriptures for himself, “Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. (2 Kings 22:11)” The great conviction over the reality of their state/condition drew King Josiah to conclude, “for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us. (2 Kings 22:13)” King Josiah’s response also gives us a clue as to why so many kings (31-33) before him “did evil in the sight of the Lord,” because no one read the Word of God, but adopted the culture, practices, and norms surrounding them.

What’s the takeaway? Left to our own devices when we drift away from doctrine, we will abandon correction, reproof, instruction in righteousness, and can never be perfect nor thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So Lord, “Thy WORD I have hid in mine heart that I may not sin against You, (Psalm 119:11).”  May Your Word convict us of our sins. “Thy WORD is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)” May You Word lead and guide me all the days of my life.  You said, Lord, “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:9}”

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are thankful for men of God who preach the Word of God. In fact, some men preach the Word so well that we do not feel compelled to read the scriptures for ourselves. Whether it is trust or laziness, Lord, we take their word for it. We pray for a zeal for You, Lord, that will cause us to search the Scriptures with our own eyes so that we may be able to stand on Your Word and against every high thing, culture, practice, and norm that exalts itself against the knowledge of You!
By Sis. Paula Smith