“That which was Right” 3/20/14...the Wayfarer

3/20/14

“That which was Right”

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

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.”

(2 Chronicles 34:1&2)

Even a child of eight, placed in a position of great authority, could and did please God, following the teachings given by God through the benefit of having been raised up in a godly manner.

Take note that this boy/king stayed straight down the line in regard to those teachings, listening to none on any side that would take him, or his nation in another direction.

“Here we go again preacher, you have no business in politics or the affairs of society!”

Yes indeed, here I go again, despite those who fail to comprehend the fact that without Godly leadership, without adherence to God’s laws nations are doomed to the damnation they place on themselves for the failure to stay on that path established for them by God.

This eight year old child grew, and did not deviate despite the advice of those within his society that wanted “progress”.

He carefully restored the nation as much as he could, taking the time to read the law, and to take it to his people.

After having read that law, and realizing how far they had drifted, he went to God in true sorrow and both sought and received God’s forgiveness and help, restoring not only a single city, but an entire people to the place intended for them while removing the very things that initially caused the nation to fail, and face the wrath of God instead of the intended love.

Along the way, he sought guidance from the Godly among his people, accepted that guidance and employed it to empower both himself and that people in God’s sight.

It was not all sunshine and roses that he faced, not the guaranteed help of the powerful that he turned to for assistance, but turmoil and trial, that in turn brought both him and that nation back into the favor originally intended for them.

“And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,

Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the King of Judah:

Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;

Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou hearest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also saith the Lord.”

(2 Chronicles 34:23-27)

As this eight year old grew, as he continued to seek out the ways of the Lord, he found more and more to concern him because of the departure of a people ignoring God.

When given the wisdom of those given it themselves by God, he listened, made atonement for the SINS that separated his people from God’s love and blessing.

He chose to follow what he knew to be truth, and the only way to come back within the parameters of those intended blessings.

He did this by carefully reading and following God’s laws, not through haughtiness and arrogance that had taken them from that blessing.

This short chapter has only 33 verses, please read and review them for yourself, then take the time to compare the progress made by an eight year old to the “progress” of the leadership given today.

Compare the advisers chosen, and listened to, and the direction chosen and followed, and then tell me to keep my nose out of the politics that drive the direction of not one, but far too many peoples once claiming to seek the benefits of being God’s chosen.

Look at the actions taken by this child, throughout his short reign, and compare it to the actions of those we allow to have rule over us now.

A child can only be guided by the guidance given as a child. When coming into adulthood, that guidance will prevail in both words and in deeds.  If that child becomes a leader, it will lead only in the direction, or misdirection given and accepted while still a child.

Any led by that, once upon a time, child, will benefit or suffer the consequences of that guidance.

Choice of who to follow, what guidance to take is individual, as is the choice of accepting the teachings of the scriptures, the history and lessons given by those scriptures, accepting the blessings that are to be had by the knowledge of the truth, or another choice to follow the whims and variances that deny the possibility of ever hoping to be given the blessings of the One True God.

The proclivity of man to choose wrongly is the reason for the sacrifice of a Savior given to provide a new and lasting covenant that will restore those blessings forever if the terms are accepted.

That same Savior spent much of his ministry in the constant proclamation of the necessity to get back to the basics that allow those blessings, and in fact provide for eternal blessings if accepted:

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Without that repentance, both nation and individual is condemned to face the wrath of the One True God, both here and in the eternity too many refuse to recognize that exists for the soul, they have abandoned.

Though the trials and tribulations of this life, temporal and temporary, are many, and painful, as are the rewards and baubles traded for the permanence of far better rewards and blessings there still exists the possibility to attain more than the temporary, and overcome those trials and tribulations through endurance in faith of the reality of that eternity, and what WILL be given there through choices made now.

Jesus was, is, and shall always be, the Way the Truth and the Life.

Take time to read what He taught, what He promised and still promises, then choose for yourself whether to accept His Truth or the lies of leadership far less capable than that eight year old, whose comprehension has not even attained that of that eight year old.

I close in prayer once again that the completeness, unity and immutable Truth of what has been given be heard and followed.

I remain still, nothing more than a simple sinner saved by the grace of the same GOD that once guided an eight year old, and pray that I have the same cognizance held by that child, can make a difference on some level as did that child, as I also remain ever the soldier in Christ Jesus, attempting only to serve as best I am able, proclaiming both warning and promise made by Him with complete belief in both.

That which was right, still is right, that which was wrong still is wrong.

2 Timothy 1:12

¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer