2 Kings 22:19a – 22b
….because
thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when
thou heardest what I spake…..thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will
bring upon this place.
The Lord
Considers the Individual
This is the Lord speaking
to a 16-year-old King Josiah. Josiah had
just read the Word of God after it was found in the midst of a temple that was
filled with all sorts of abominations and priests that were not serving the
Lord. He read that horrible things were
going to happen as a result of God’s people and previous kings serving false
gods, offering their children as sacrifices and allowing anyone to be a priest
regardless of their devotion to the one true God. Josiah feared the inevitable consequences of
living apart from a surrendered life to the Lord. The Lord spoke to Josiah and explained that
these consequences were sure to happen but because Josiah’s heart was tender
and he humbled himself at the Word of God, he, himself would not live to
experience this. The Lord does look at
an individual’s response to conviction and His voice. We might have made mistakes or lived in ways
that oppose the Lord, but when we have a tender heart and humility before Him
when confronted, we can be assured that our God is not only just, but merciful. Remember to fear the One who judges while
drawing near to the God who forgives. He
doesn’t just deal with His people as a group but considers the individual as
well.
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