Journey 4-2-08

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 23:25-26

This past weekend I was at a conference where one of the topics was unmet expectations. During one of the sessions someone pointed out how we often have formulas that we expect God to abide by: A + B will surely equal C.

I was thinking of that statement as I read about Josiah. Josiah did all the right things. When the book of the law was found he wholeheartedly set out to follow all of its instructions. He renewed the covenant and cleansed the land. Wouldn’t it be expected then that God would respond in kind sending revival throughout the nation and establishing Judah? But the LORD’s anger was not turned away. God had a plan that included punishment of sin and also future redemption that included the removal of the nation of Judah.

So often we are surprised by God’s unexpected plans. We pour our lives out in obedience, serving as He has called us and often deep inside we expect to see something like Obedience + Sacrifice = A Mighty Movement of God (A church planted, a revival occurring, the ones we are serving turning to the Lord finding salvation of revival, etc). Yet, as C.S. Lewis often illustrated in his Narnia chronicles “He is not a tame lion.” God’s ways are above us. God is wild and free and ruler of all. He does not abide by our formulas, but blazes His own path of love, redemption and restoration in His own way.

Now Josiah had advanced knowledge of this situation through the prophetess Huldah. He knew that all his efforts and the results of his obedience would only last for his lifetime. I stopped and thought of that for a moment. Josiah was faithful even though he, not only had no promise of success, but when he had the assurance that what he was working toward would not last. Can I be as faithful when I don’t see God moving? Can I trust God’s long term plan when He moves outside of my carefully constructed formulas? When the formula doesn’t add up and the people are not yet restored, I want to still follow hard after the Lord Jesus.

Josiah may not have enabled the long term restoration and renewal of Judah, but his life still stands as a testimony of wholehearted obedience. I want my life to reflect the same, a testimony to the faithfulness of God in my lifetime.