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August 29, 2021 8:00 pm
A stately sunflower stood on its own in the center of a lonely stretch of national highway, just a few feet from the fast lane. As I drove past I wondered how it had grown there with no other sunflowers visible for miles. Only God could create a plant so hardy it could thrive so close to the roadway in the gray gravel lining the median. There it was, thriving, swaying gently in the breeze and cheerfully greeting travelers as they hurried by.
The Old Testament tells the story of a faithful king of Judah who also showed up unexpectedly. His father and grandfather had enthusiastically served other gods; but after Josiah had been in power for eight years, “while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David” (2 Chronicles 34:3). He sent workmen to “repair the temple of the Lord” (v. 8), and as they did they discovered the Book of the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament). God then inspired Josiah to lead the entire nation of Judah to return to the faith of their ancestors, and they served the Lord “as long as [Josiah] lived” (v. 33).
Our God is the master of unanticipated mercies. He is able to cause great good to spring up unexpectedly out of the hard gravel of life’s most unfavorable circumstances. Watch Him closely. He may do it again today.
Welcome to today's encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today is titled mercy and grace that it was written by James Banks, a stately sunflower stood on its own in the center of a lonely stretch of national highway just a few feet from the fast lane. As I drove past. I wondered how it had grown there with no other sunflowers visible for miles. Only God could create a plant so hard you could thrive so close to the roadway and the gray gravel lining the median there.
It was thriving, swaying gently in the breeze and cheerfully greeting travelers as they hurried by. The Old Testament tells the story of a faithful king of Judah who also showed up unexpectedly. His father and grandfather had enthusiastically served other gods. But after Josiah had been in power for eight years while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. He sent workman to repair the temple of the Lord, and as they did, they discovered the book of the law. The first five books of the Old Testament God then inspired Josiah to lead the entire nation of Judah to return to the faith of their ancestors and they served the Lord as long as Josiah lived. Our God is the master of unanticipated mercies. He's able to cause great good to spring up unexpectedly out of the hard gravel of life's most unfavorable circumstances watching closely he may do it again today. Now let's turn our attention to God's word and will go to second Chronicles chapter 34 verses one through eight. Josiah was eight years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem. 31 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and follow the ways of his father David not turning aside to the right or to the left in the eighth year of his reign. While he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David in his 12 year, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places Asherah poles and idols under his direction, the altars of the bales were torn down. He cut to pieces. The incense altars that were above them and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
He burned the bones of the priests on their altars and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem and the towns of Manasseh, Efraim and Simeon as far as Naftali and in the ruins around them. He tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crush the idols to powder and cut to pieces.
All the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem in the 18th year of Josiah's reign to purify the land and the temple essential fan son of a Celaya, and by Isaiah the ruler of the city with Joe, son of Joe as the recorder to repair the temple of the Lord his God. Now let's pray heavenly father, thank you so much that you never change in Lamentations chapter 3 verse 23. The word says that your mercies are new every morning. Would you help us to look forward to what you have for us this day and may your mercies be visible to others as we follow you.
It's in your great name that we trust and pray, amen on today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries