2 Chronicles 34:1-7: a reflection

1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, and walked in the ways of David his father, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images. 4They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6He did this in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins. 7He broke down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah became king at just eight years old, and the passage tells us something remarkable about his youth: while he was still young, in the eighth year of his reign, he began to seek the God of David his father. He did not wait until he was older or more established; as a young man, he set his heart to seek God, and out of that early seeking flowed a lifetime of faithful reform, purging idolatry and turning the nation back to God. His seeking of God began in his youth.

Notice when Josiah began to seek God: while he was still young. He did not postpone seeking God until later in life, until he was older, more settled, or had sown his wild oats; as a young man he began to seek God earnestly, and that early seeking shaped everything that followed. His youth was not an excuse to delay seeking God, but the very time he began.

That is an encouragement, especially to the young, but to anyone tempted to postpone seeking God. There is a temptation to think that seeking God earnestly is for later, when we are older, more settled, less busy; that youth is for other things. But Josiah began to seek God while young, and that early seeking bore fruit for a lifetime. Do not postpone seeking God until some later, more convenient season. If you are young, seek God now, in your youth; and whatever your age, do not delay. The sooner we begin to seek God earnestly, the more of life is shaped by it. Josiah sought God while young; begin now, whatever your age, to seek him earnestly, and do not put it off.

Lord, Josiah began to seek you while he was still young, not postponing it until he was older or more settled, and that early seeking shaped a lifetime of faithfulness. Encourage me not to delay seeking you. There is a temptation to think that seeking you earnestly is for later, when I am older, more settled, or less busy. But Josiah sought you while young, and it bore fruit for a lifetime. Keep me from postponing seeking you until some more convenient season. If I am young, help me seek you now, in my youth; and whatever my age, help me not to delay. The sooner I begin to seek you earnestly, the more of my life is shaped by it. Help me seek you now, without putting it off, and let that seeking shape all my days.