Jim Gallagher

2 Kings 23:3
“Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.”

The stories recorded in the Bible are designed to impact our lives and affect out behaviors. Here we find Josiah the king making a public commitment to follow the Lord. While his actions were public they were in no way political. This was not an attempt to raise his approval rating or get in good with the special interest groups. He was choosing to stand against what was popular, accepted and even politically correct and choose to commit himself and his reign to the Lord. Two things stand out to me regarding his decision.

First, it took place while standing by a pillar. I think if we were writing the story we would have Josiah at the altar or kneeling before the veil but it simply did not happen that way. Standing next to a pillar he devoted himself to His God.  Wherever you are is the right place to commit yourself to Christ. I have heard testimonies of believers who pulled their car off the road while listening to Christian radio and devoted themselves to Christ, others who were in hotel rooms where they found a strategically placed Bible in the nightstand. I even met a woman who in the middle of the night, alone at her home prayed to devote herself to the Lord, then went down the hall and baptized herself in the bath tub. Wherever you are it is the right time and place to commit yourself and your ways to the Lord. Don’t wait for it to become popular or acceptable. Give yourself completely to Christ today.

Secondly, I notice that Josiah’s commitment had a tremendous affect on others. When he devoted himself to the Lord others followed and eventually the nation was impacted. Often we neglect to be committed because we don’t want to stand out or be the only one. It is not uncommon in marriages that one person desires a deeper walk with Christ but holds back because they are uncertain how their spouse will respond. I think we should keep in mind the fact that others are looking for an example to follow. Your home will be transformed when you devote yourself more completely to Christ. Your decision will impact your spouse, your children and ultimately your world.

Pastor Jim