Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
Okay, maybe not the mighty, but another icon of celeb spirituality has revealed himself to be a grifter, a sycophant playing to the masses, a flash-in-the-pan Christian. And, once again, Christians have taken to social media to warn us all, this is the time to be vigilant; to be discerning. Well, yes; but isn't the time to be discerning before we endorse every personality who claims to have had a "real encounter with Jesus"? Nevertheless, discernment helps us spot the fakes, right? Did you know it helps us know truth, also?
In 2 Chronicles 35 Josiah, king of Judah, had led God's people into a time of repentance and revival in Jerusalem. The Passover that was celebrated was unlike any other for hundreds of years prior. The temple had been cleaned and prepared, brought into the fullness of its function once again. And the king of Egypt was using Judah as his thoroughfare. Huh?
Yep, we have this account of a glorious return to serving the Lord, celebrating His deliverance, and then this seemingly odd non sequitur. But this is God's book, so, of course, there's a point.
King Josiah and Judah were riding a wave. Life was good. God was foremost. But then, the presence of evil (or perceived evil) in the form of a king --a king, specifically, of a nation from which the people had been delivered. Remember the Passover celebration? Upon hearing of the king's presence, Josiah prepared to go to battle; but Egypt's king had messengers on the way.
What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; (v.21)
But it didn't stop there, because there was more to the king's message:
...for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.
Was Egypt a God-fearing nation? Certainly not. Did Josiah have a right to be suspicious? Sure! But the problem was, he failed to filter the king of Egypt's message through the lens of God's sovereignty. We don't read that Josiah prayed. We don't read that Josiah asked the leaders in the temple to seek God's direction. Instead, what we do read is the confirmation:
Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God.
from the mouth of God. God had indeed spoken to Necho. Josiah, however, ignored the word because he did not value the source. And, in the natural, with good reason. The source was the king of a pagan land. The source was the king of a people allied with some of the strongest military factions of the day. But just as God accomplished His will by working in the heart of another king of Egypt (Exodus 5-13), God was well able to speak to this king. All Josiah had to do was ask God for confirmation. All he had to do was humbly seek Truth. Instead, his mind was made up: he trusted his own thoughts, waged war against Necho, increased the strength of Babylon (who would later overtake Judah), and was killed in the process.
So, the question: How does one get discernment? And the quick answer --I've held your attention long enough --through prayer, study of the Scripture, and application. Discernment is wisdom, knowledge applied. So, in order to increase it --like any muscle or skill --we have to exercise it: we've got to go through some drama if we want to learn how to apply what we know. That drama is not only the field on which we practice, but it usually keeps us in a place of humility, a place where we realize we don't know it all and must trust the One who does. The more we read about God's character, and the more we learn of His benevolence to His people, the more our knowledge is increased; we then take what we have learned and apply it. God is faithful. God is true. God is just. I can trust Him. Likewise, we pray with those things in mind, praying His will is accomplished, and asking Him for wisdom as we navigate life. We take our eyes off of the specifics of our circumstances --the source, the "odds", the lack of time, the diagnosis --and we place our thoughts directly on the One who can do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, the One who is faithful and true, the One who knows the end from the beginning, the One who cares for His people and will never leave us.
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