Title: Now THAT'S a Youth Ministry! / Topic: Spiritual Heritage

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 34:1-8
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images. 4 Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles, the idols and the images. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, 7 he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem. 8 In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God.

Observation: Josiah started ruling the country at age 8! He was mentored by Hilkiah the priest and some other wise men who loved the Lord aand taught Josiah to do the same. But verse 3 tells us that while he was still young (age 16) he began to seek the Lord himself. What follows is a list of what he did as a leader, and what an awesome job he did! He led the entire nation away from idol worship, repaired the temple of the Lord, and led the nation in repenting of their sin. He held a meeting with all the leading men and had them publicly renew their commitment to obey God fully. Now that's a youth ministry! Oh that our young people today would see themselves as powerhouses for God.

Application: Our society fosters in our young people the idea that they aren't expected to be responsible and that they can't do too much leadership-wise. At the same time it tells them that they are the most important people on the planet and that they are free to follow their own whims. The result is disastrous. We need to mentor our young people in the fear and admonition of the Lord, instill in them respect for their elders, and also that they have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to lead powerfully. Young people have more strength, enthusiasm and energy than older people. They have more potential for changing the world positively than older people do. The best world would be one where young people led with confidence while listening to the wisdom of older people. As adults , we need to do our best to lead our young people to live and lead this way.

Prayer: Father, help us to take the time to pour ourselves into our young people. Let us instill great faith, confidence and respect in them. And help them to take up the mantle of leading us with greatness at very young ages , as did Josiah.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.