Scripture:

2 Chronicles 34:8
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when (king Josiah) had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

Observation:

So begins the story of King Josiah and his famous reforms that led to the re-discovery of the book of the Law amidst the rubble and ruin. What strikes me is how similar to King Hezekiah's reforms Josiah's are. Further, it begs the question: "how did things get so far off-track so fast?" 

Hezekiah was Josiah's great grandfather, so in the course of 

less than 100 years things went from great to awful. 

What gives?

Application:

Discipleship (following in the path of the LORD) is not something we achieve once-and-for-all. Rather, it requires a constant attentiveness to what the LORD is doing - to that which the LORD is inviting us to participate in ever-more-fully. To rest on ones own laurels is to begin to put ones trust in something (always an idol) other than God. Of course we all find ourselves in such a stance on a regular basis. That, in and of itself is quite unavoidable. The key is to notice this and remedy it quickly. Left unattended, sin festers and goes from bad to worse fast.
  

Like Josiah and Hezekiah before him, we start by rejecting 

those things that alienate us from God and God's will for us.  

But, we can't stop there.  

Discipleship is not only a negative 

(in the sense of turning away) enterprise.  

Following the risen Christ is fundamentally 

a positive (in the sense of turning towards) exercise.

Prayer:

Holy One, you alone are Holy, you alone are worthy of our trust. Help us to be faithful to the paths to which you have called us; and, when we stray grant us grace to keep such wanderings brief so that we might get back to the joyous work of welcoming others into "the Way". amen.