Josiah ascended to the throne of the Jewish people at the age of 8. He had been raised seeing and experiencing the idol worship, violence and injustice of his father and grandfather. Josiah lived differently. He followed God. What is remarkable is that, despite his upbringing, we are told that Josiah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD ... not turning aside to the right or to the left.” 

 

In fact, we are told that Josiah “had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.”

 

Of Josiah God says:

 

“He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the LORD.”

​

Josiah illustrates the fact that circumstances and environment alone are not the decider of a man’s destiny. Each individual can choose to follow God and leave behind the terrible influences of their childhood. His courage to follow God even when no-one else was, his concern for the poor and needy, his model of the crucial role young people can play in God's plan and his unwavering commitment to God are attributes that we desire to see replicated in the people we serve.