Higher Life Christian Centre

I hope that these series of articles will encourage our young people as we continue to look at the life of another young person who God used mightily to accomplish His purpose. It is hoped also that this story will inspire and challenge our young people to know that God can use them also to accomplish great things for His kingdom.

Our featured subject for this piece is King Josiah, whose story is found in (2 Chronicles 34). Josiah was only eight years old when he became king of Judah.
He ascended the throne following the death of his father (king Amon) who was killed by his servants (2 Chronicles 33:24-25). In spite of such traumatic circumstances young Josiah chose to trust in God. The bible tells us “in the eighth year of his reign while he was still young (sixteen years old), he began to seek the God of his father David” (2 Chronicles 34:3). In other words he wanted to know what his purpose was, and to carry it out.

All young people are called by God for a purpose, no one is here by chance, God has a plan for your life, and like Josiah He wants you to fulfil it. I would therefore challenge you to seek the Lord diligently and He will reveal it to you. Sometimes it is easy to blame family background or role models etc as reasons for not fulfilling our purpose, but as we can see that did not deter this young man.

Josiah came from a background where his Grandfather and Father (Manasseh &Amon) “did evil in the sight of God” by leading the people of God into idolatry (2 Chronicles 33:1-9, 21-23). In spite of all that he chose not to go down that path, instead he decided to return the nation to the true worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As a result he removed all symbols of idol worship in the land, purged the land, restored true worship throughout the entire nation thus turning the hearts of the people back to serving the God of Israel.

The bible says that “all his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 34:33b). I would like therefore to challenge, and encourage you the reader of this article not to be put off by your age, but like young Josiah choose to make a difference.

May God continue to bless and prosper you in your walk with Him.

Young people have great potential and as a result God has used them effectively throughout bible history.

As we check through the scriptures we can see examples of young people who God used for His purpose. Perhaps you are someone who God has called or is calling to take a step of faith in the same way that He called and used this young man whose life we are going to look at briefly.

The story of Joseph is told in the book of Genesis from chapter 37 to 46. In that story we see that this young man went through many challenges and disappointments, but in spite of these things he continued to hold on to his dream.

God called Joseph a 17-year-old, a teenager, and gave him a dream. He was the eleventh of twelve sons of his father, and grew up in a household where he was hated by all of his older brothers, because they were jealous of the calling God had placed on his life.

As a result they plotted and sold him into slavery in an effort to punish him. Joseph however, continued to trust God even though his suffering worsened at the hand of his slave master’s wife whose severe temptations he refused with these words “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen 39:9b NIV), which resulted in him being thrown into prison.

God however, changed this young man’s situation by delivering him from slavery and prison. He promoted him to become the Governor of Egypt, which subsequently led to him being used to preserve the nation of Israel.

As you are reading this, you may be faced with many challenges. Your situation and family environment may not be the same as Joseph’s, but there may be certain areas of concern. Perhaps at school, in your community, youth group or just normal peer pressure from friends.

Whatever the situation may be, God has a plan for your life. And if like Joseph you are ready to put your trust in Him and have a personal relationship with Him, you will know that He will never fail you. He is faithful to fulfil whatever promise He has made for your life. He has commanded all of us to go out and make disciples of all nations, and this can be achieved wherever we are and regardless of our age, because He promised to be with us always.

I will therefore challenge you to be a Joseph in you community, school, club groups etc, and make a difference in spite of the obstacles.

May God continue to richly bless your life.