He had a mother named Jedidah. I had a mother named Rachel.

Thursday 8-4-2016   Home in Modesto

Scripture Reading:  2 King 22    2 Chron 34    John 6

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  2 Kings 22:1-2  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. NKJV

O.  Josiah’s evil grandfather, Manasseh, was still king when he was born.  When Josiah was 6 years old his grandfather died and his father, Amon, was made king.  But his father followed the evil pattern of pagan worship that his father had taken, (although his father, Manasseh, had repented before he died).  Now Josiah’s father, Amon, was so evil that his own servants plotted against him and killed him when Josiah was only 8 years old.  Then those servants were all executed.  What a mess!  How then did 8 year old Josiah suddenly appear as a godly king?  His mother knew she was sculpturing a future king and must have led him to the true and living God. He had a mother named Jedidah.

A.  My mother took quality time to shape her future servants of God.  Every morning we would be called from our play to sit at her feet and hear the Word of God read and explained.  She would often read us a chapter from another famous book as well, such as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe and “The Pilgrims Progress” by John Bunyan.  Then we would all kneel and one by one would lead in prayer.  When I started to talk, I started to pray.  I had a mother named Rachel.

P.  Lord, what a difference a mother can make!  In Josiah’s case a whole nation benefitted with God’s blessing from the mentoring of his mother, Jedidah. In my case another nation, Argentina, received a young passionate missionary family determined to make a difference.  Oh God, raise up godly mothers to accept their role of preparing kings, leaders, pastors, evangelists and missionaries.  Amen.

Ralph