By Julie Ferwerda Did you know that most movements of God that historians call “great awakenings” have started with young people?1 Fathers of great faith movements and revivals, such as Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, William Carey, George Whitefield, George Muller, as well as modern evangelists such as Bill Bright, Billy Graham, Luis Palau, and many others were mere youths when God called them to join a vision for great change. Throughout the Bible, we’ve seen how God frequently used young people to enact serious changes on cultures, nations, or even the world at large. In fact, when God selects His special agents, He doesn’t ever measure by appearance, age, experience or talent; He measures by heart. Joseph, Samuel, David, Esther, Jeremiah, Daniel, Mary---all were but inexperienced youngsters with few human possibilities looming on the horizon when God called them out for a world-impacting Mission Impossible. None of these young people had to wait to grow up to make a difference for their generation or their world. One of my favorite Bible kid’s success stories is Josiah. When Josiah was only eight years old, God put him on the throne of Israel as King, with a great mission in mind for him. At sixteen, when he had matured into a young man, Josiah began seeking his God wholeheartedly on his own, discovering that his purpose was to change a whole nation with truth and justice (1 Kings 13:2). This was especially miraculous from a human standpoint, because based on family heritage; he should have either been wicked or dead. Through his reign, Josiah restored the Temple, tore down witchcraft, and reinstated the Passover with a celebration unlike any the Israelites had ever seen. And it all started with an eight-year-old! When Josiah’s life on earth was over, here’s how the Bible described him. “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since” (2 Kings 23:25). God gave Josiah the divine opportunity, and Josiah was faithful to the call of changing his world for the sake of God’s Kingdom. It’s no different today. Our sons and daughters are not only the hope of the future church---they are the hope of the church now. Will the words used to describe Josiah’s faithful obedience be the words that describe your children and my children one day?
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 23:12:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015