I needed to hear that

 

2 Kings 22:11-20

People say all the time, "I needed to hear that." That normally comes after reading something encouraging. Maybe it was a message about taking it easy on yourself or having patience with your struggles. A good reminder about trusting God in difficult circumstances gets that response, too. I can get that message after sending a daily text about keeping hope. We do need reminders. That's part of having a human heart. Though I often wonder if our needing to hear these messages so much can mean something else as well. Maybe we need to hear them so much now because we didn't pay attention to them before. King Josiah needed to hear that. But he didn't only say it. "When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes." His action was an outward sign of repentance. Israel needed to hear it as well. The peoples' disregard for the law had been longstanding. Other kings had led them astray to follow other gods. Josiah's response, then, is striking. It demonstrates something you and I can learn from. The king stood convicted of his nation's disobedience. Simply from hearing God's law. As a result, God saw Josiah as "penitent" and "humbled" (2 Kings 22:19) at the occasion. Do we respond the same way to the words of God we hear? Or do we look to scripture and sermons as mere personal motivational?  When we listen to what we need to hear from God, there's a consequential response needed. In scripture, to hear is to obey. There's no distinction. If you heard, you follow through. If you aren't obedient, well, you didn't hear. Notice the prophet Huldah in 2 Kings 22. Even though Israel hadn't been faithful to God, she was still there. When the king heard the word of God, he called for her consultation. Amidst Israel's disobedience, someone was there still willing to speak for God. There's a powerful reminder. Even when I don't want to or haven't been willing to listen, God is still speaking. I needed to hear that. Stay blessed...john