As I read 2 Kings 22 today, one thought just kept running through my mind.
How do you lose the Word of God?
Now, I've lost my Bible before. I've left it in my car. I've set it at the foot of my bed, and before long it's buried under blankets or a pile of books. I've randomly set it down somewhere in the house and later found myself walking from room to room trying to remember where I left it. So I understand losing my Bible. I get it. But that's not what happened here.
The Book of the Law wasn't just misplaced. It had been neglected and forgotten. It was there the whole time, but somewhere along the way God's people stopped listening to it. It became just another scroll sitting in the Temple instead of directing their lives. When it was finally read to King Josiah, he didn't hear it and think, That was a good message.
He let it change him.
I think sometimes we can read the Bible without ever letting it change us. We can finish our reading plan, highlight verses, memorize Scripture, and even teach it to someone else. But if we close the Bible exactly the same as when we opened it, we've missed something.
God never gave us His Word just to fill our heads with knowledge. He gave itto us to transform our hearts. To correct us when we're wrong. To encourage us when we're weary. To remind us who He is and To remind us who we are.
When Josiah heard God's Word, he realized there were things in his life and in his nation that needed to change. He didn't argue with it. He didn't try to explain it away. He humbled himself before the Lord.
I want that kind of heart.
A heart that doesn't just read God's Word but is willing to be changed by it. Every time we open our Bible, we have a choice. We can read it just to finish another chapter, Or we can invite the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and shape us into the people He's calling us to be.
I don't ever want God's Word to become so familiar that it stops changing me.
Love Pastor Mandy
MandiesDandies / Ark of Hope
Daily Reading 2 Kings 22
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