 May 20, 2021
The Best Way To Approach the Word of God
LYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) One of my greatest joys in life is studying God's Word. It hasn't always been that way, though. I spent years resistant to His Word. Then perplexed by His Word. And finally, so moved by His Word it broke through all my hurt, confusion and rejection. Jesus saved my life. And it was His Truth that rewrote the story of my life. But He couldn't change my story until I embraced His story. And that meant I had to stop viewing His Word as some out-of-date book and receive it as breath and life for each new day. Our response to His Word is very telling of how we view His Word. We see this Truth in a passage of Scripture I would love for us to consider today. Second Chronicles 34 gives us an up-close look at the life of King Josiah, a man who began seeking God at an early age, "… while he was yet a boy …" (2 Chronicles 34:3, ESV), and continued to respond to God with a heart of humility as he grew. The life of this king who "… did what was right in the eyes of the Lord …" (2 Chronicles 34:2, ESV) reminds me of what theologian and scholar G. K. Beale said in his book, We Become What We Worship: "We resemble what we revere, either for our ruin or restoration." King Josiah sought after the Lord, and therefore his actions reflected the One whom he revered. The result? The restoration of the people of God for a season under the rule and reign of this righteous and upright king. King Josiah's seeking resulted in repairing the temple of the Lord, which led to the discovery of the Book of the Law. This is where we witness the first of two very different responses to God's Word. It's important to note in 2 Chronicles 34:15-18 how Hilkiah, the priest, and Shaphan, the secretary, each viewed the Book of the Law. Hilkiah referred to it by its proper name. However, when Shaphan delivered the message to King Josiah, he simply said that he had been given "a book." (v. 18a) Clearly, the importance and reverence of this book was lost on Shaphan; however, the response of King Josiah helps us to see the importance of the words of the Lord. Not only did King Josiah tear his clothes upon hearing the Book of the Law, (2 Chronicles 34:19) but he also humbly received correction and moved with wisdom after inquiring of the Lord — choices that ended up impacting the hearts of the entire nation. (2 Chronicles 34:29-33) | 
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