At Sugar Hill Church, we have been in a teaching series called Underdogs. The Bible is full of great examples of what the world would consider unlikely heroes. They may be unlikely heroes in the world’s eyes but they are not in the eyes of God!

Josiah is one of the unlikely heroes you find in the Bible. His story is found in 2 Kings 22 and in 2 Chronicles 34.

There are a number of reasons why he was an unlikely hero:

• He became king when he was 8 years old. Can you imagine that? I know I was not king-material at 8! I was eating Pop Rock candy and drinking Coke at the same time just to see what would happen!
• His dad and grandad were both evil kings. He came from a terrible family. His dad was assassinated just 2 years into his reign.

Yet Josiah led the nation of Israel in a 40-year revival! He restored what had been lost for hundreds of years! He was a true hero!

Restoring What Has Been Lost

Josiah commissioned the restoration of the temple when he was 16 years old. He wanted to restore what had been shut down. A copy of the first 5 books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, was found during the construction.

A messenger rushed the copy of the word of God back to Josiah and read it to him. Josiah tore his clothes and wept at the reading of the word.

How did this lead to a revival?

God is in Charge

Josiah realized that God has been in charge, is still in charge, and will always be in charge. No matter who sits on the throne or occupies the office of power, God will have the final word.

A Change of Direction

Josiah wept and tore his clothes. Those were signs of repentance. Repentance is a change in direction. For Josiah, he realized the nation he was king over was moving in the wrong direction. And even though much of the problem was started before him, he was willing to humble himself and take responsibility. He knew something needed to change.

God is Patient

The good news for Josiah and the good news for us is that God is patient. God could have severely judged Josiah and the nation. Yet the moment Josiah turned from the sins of their past, God ushered him and the nation into a season of spiritual renewal.

Think about it. God used a teenage king to make a massive impact on a generation and his story still inspires us today.

I encourage you to follow in the steps of Josiah. Remind yourself of who God is. Turn from anything that is hurting your walk with him. Allow him to do a fresh and might work inside of you.

You might just be surprised by what he does in and through you.

Your story matters.