“Weeee-eee are neverrrrr everrrr everrrrr getting baaack together! WEEEEE…”
We have all heard that famous/infamous Taylor Swift song.
It’s catchy, and even if you don’t like it, I know you just sang along with me!
A few weeks ago, the story of Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23 was taught to me, and good ol’ T-Swift’s song instantly came to mind.
In this account of Josiah’s rule as king, it’s told that his father, Amon, was not a nice man AT ALL. He turned a nation that worshiped the one true God into an idol-worshiping, adulterous, deceitful, dark place. It’s never really told how Josiah became a man of God, but 2 Kings 22:2 says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”
When Josiah was old enough to reign on his own, he decided it was time to get his kingdom back in order under God’s rule. This is when you can cue up Taylor Swift.
He started “doing away with” (AKA killing) the pagan priests. He took all of their relics, statues, and shrines and burned them. Everything and anything that did not reflect God was demolished, desecrated, destroyed. There was no “re-purposing” or recycling of any object, animal, or person that might even remind anyone of their idol worshiping ways. It sounds really intense and pretty cruel, but Josiah did what he had to do to restore and win back his kingdom in God’s name. The craziest part of the story is that Josiah even had the bones of dead pagan worshipers dug up from the ground and burned!
There could be no evidence of what had been in order for Josiah to move his people forward into what God had for them.
DANG.
As a chaperon at a youth camp, I was re-introduced to this story.
One morning during the session for chaperons and leaders, we went through the lesson that our kids were learning that day. 2 Kings 22-23. Obviously I had read this story before in church and in my college Old Testament Survey course, but it had honestly been a while. Steve, the camp director, split the story up among us. He pointed right at me and said, “You get the part where Josiah goes into action.” He then assigned me the portion of 2 Kings 23 when the desecrating, destroying, and demolishing happens.
I read what Steve had assigned me and thought, “Man that’s too intense. He had people killed? He dug up skeletons and burned them?! I think he might have taken things a little too far. That seems crazy.”
And then it hit me. I saw my life in Josiah’s story. I beg God to make me uncomfortable for Him; do whatever YOU want to do in me, Lord! And when He gives me the instructions I am seeking and starts to make changes in my life, I just cannot deal. He asks me to do the same thing that Josiah did- to rid my heart of any trace or hint of any little or big thing that will hold me back from Him. I want to, but I just can’t let. GO.
I pictured myself making a huge pile of all the weirdness from my life; personal insecurities, finding my identity in others’ opinions, fear of what’s to come with the World Race. Then I pictured striking a match, setting that pile of ugliness ablaze, and dancing a jig as God began a new work in me.
I am letting go of this weirdness I’ve been hoarding for greater things. It hurts, there’s no doubt about that. But it is worth it! I have realized that I will not always understand the “WHY” of most things He tells me for quite some time, and that is okay. The burning away of the old things will stink, be painful, and will take time to heal, but we always come out better for it when we are following what our amazing, powerful, sweet Father has for us.
Now I am moving forward with my World Race and am more excited than ever to share the love of Jesus wherever He may call me! As many of you know, I will be leaving in January 2016 instead of this coming September. Would you join me in praying for the future of this adventure? I am fully confident that He has called me to this Race and will continue to direct my steps!
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” -Job 23:10
