OUR DAILY BREAD : REFORMATION

[cimi]

August 15
Wednesday


REFORMATION

READ:
2 Kings 22:11-23:3
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The king stood by a
pillar and made a
covenant before the
LORD...And all the
people took a stand for
the covenant.
__2 Kings 23:3
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In May of 2001, English evangelist J. John spoke in Liverpool, England, on the eighth commandment: "You shall not steal" (Ex.20:15; Deut. 5:19). The results of his preaching were dramatic.

People's hearts were changed. One author reports that large amounts of stolen goods were returned, including hotel towels, hospital crutches, library books, cash, and more. One man, who is now in the ministry, even returned towels he had taken from the Wimbledon tennis championships years ago when he worked there.

Something similar happened with King Josiah in the 18th year of his reign. Because of the long line of evil kings, the record of God's laws had been lost. So when Hilkiah found God's law and Shaphan read it to King Josiah, the king tore his clothes in grief and immediately began making religious reforms in his own life and throughout the nation. With just one reading of God's Word, he changed the course of the nation (2 Kings 22:8-23:25).

Today, many of us own Bibles, but are we changed by the truths found there? We are called to read, hear, and obey His Word. It should cause us, like Josiah, to take immediate action to bring our lives into harmony with God's desires. __Marvin Williams
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THINKING IT OVER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~Is it my habit to read God's word every day?~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~How does awareness of sin break my heart,~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~as it did for King Josiah?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Open your Bible prayerfully; read it carefully;
obey it joyfully.

************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Kings 22:11-23:3***********

11 When the King heard the
words of the Book of the
Law,...[he said,] 13 "Go,
inquire of the LORD for me,
for the people and for all
Judah, concerning the words
of this book that has been
found; for great is the wrath
of the LORD that is aroused
against us, because our
fathers have not obeyed the
words of this book, to do
according to all that is written
concerning us."

14 So [they] went to Huldah
the prophetess... 15 Then
she said to them, "Thus says
the LORD God of Israel, 'Tell
the man who sent you to Me,

16 "Thus says the LORD:
'Behold, I will bring calamity
on this place and on its
inhabitants__all the words of
the book which the king of
Judah has read__ 17 because
they have forsaken Me and
burned incense to other gods,
that they might provoke Me
to anger with all the works of
their hands. Therefore My
wrath shall be aroused against
this place and shall not be
quenched.' " ' 18 But as for the
King of Judah, who sent you
to inquire of the LORD, in this
manner you shall speak to
him, 'Thus says the LORD
God of Israel: "Concerning
the words which you have
heard__ 19 because your heart
was tender, and you humbled
yourself before the LORD
when you heard what I spoke
against this place and against
its inhabitatns,...and you
tore your clothes and wept
before Me, I also have heard
you," says the LORD.

20 "Surely, therefore, I will
gather you to your fathers,
and you shall be gathered to
your grave in peace; and your
eyes shall not see all the
calamity which I will bring
on this place." ' " So they
brought back word to the
King...

3 Then the King...made a
covenant before the LORD, to
follow the LORD and to keep
His commandments and His
testimonies and His statutes,
with all his heart and all his
soul.