Disheartened. Discouraged. Demoralized. Do any of those sentiments describe you? Do you ever feel like throwing in the towel? How can we stay faithful to the call when we feel mentally and emotionally paralyzed?

King Josiah inspires me. If anyone might feel justified in giving up, it would be him. In spite of all his efforts, sure destruction was coming to his beloved country. He had led Judah through numerous reforms since his assent to the throne. But in the midst of repairing the temple, he discovered the Book of the Law. Upon one reading, Josiah realized how irretrievably far they had fallen. So how did Josiah respond to such dire news? You might think he would be so distressed, he would throw up his hands and quit. But quitting was not in his repertoire. Doing the right thing was.

He called all the people together and renewed the covenant. He charged them to obey every word of the Law. Nowhere does Scripture indicate he did this to somehow appease God, to get him to change his mind. He simply purposed that in the time they had left as a nation, God‘s people would do the right thing no matter what.

And so must we. Whether we feel our family is falling apart or our churches are crumbling, our challenge as believers remains. No matter the cost. No matter what others do. No matter what we think the outcome will be. We must always do the right thing anyway. 

We must speak the truth to one another as long as we have breath. Walk in love as long as we have a beating heart. Resist the temptation to throw in the towel. Make every day count for God. To whatever extent we can, we must always do the right thing.

Father, help us speak the truth in love to one another as long as we have breath. May we resist the temptation to throw in the towel in hard times. Help us make every day count for you.

Throughout the Day: Make it your intention to take whatever discouragement comes your way today and turn it over to God. Then do the next right thing he shows you to do, in his power and with his love.



Tags: Daily Devotional 2 Chronicles 34
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