Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses – 2Kings 23:25. Wow! No king - not David, Solomon, or any other king after him, turned to the Lord as Josiah did.

The reign of Josiah is a text book example of leadership under the authority of the word of God, the Law as it was known in his day. In this series of blogs, and our podcasts, we will study this unique leader – his response to a holy nudging, the knowledge gleaned, the resulting conviction and action taken. My prayer is that you accept the charge and turn to the Lord as a Josiah dad across this year.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem; … He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked entirely in the way of his father David, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. … Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan… to the house of the Lord, saying, “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and have him count all the money brought into the house of the Lord, … and give it to the workmen who are in the house of the Lord to repair the damage to the house. – 2Kings 22:1-5. It seems Josiah had received a holy nudge that the temple of the Lord was not as it should be. Documentation in 2Chronicles 34:2-3 says, “he determinedly obeyed God and followed the example of his ancestor David. His zeal for the True God of David began in the 8th year of his reign.” So, something clicked in Josiah, what I call a holy nudge, for him to take an intentional step in faith to assess the status quo of the nation. It is important to note that his leadership style was to take a measured approach, starting close to home with the house of the Lord. His findings there would allow him to understand the state of the city and the nation. As dads, similarly we are to start close to home and evaluate the status quo.

Blessings to you in this new year. I pray you receive a holy nudge to step up as the spiritual leader in your home. The third tenant of being a faithful father, to lead spiritually by example, starts with intentionality to evaluate the status quo.

Tips to be a Josiah dad:

• Assess personal heart distractions – secular worldview vs. biblical worldview;
• Evaluate the soul level distractions – any idols, unhealthy hobbies or addictions;
• Garner strength to stand per Eph.6:10-11 – physically, mentally and spiritually;
• Eat dinner as a family and discuss the findings – any “damage to the house”;
• Identify any “repair” activity that needs to be initiated.

Prayer guide: Father, thank You for Your word and for the example of Josiah. I confess my drivers have been performance at work and provision for my family. These are not bad in and of themselves but I have allowed the job and money to become idols in my life. I have been leading secularly by example, not spiritually in the way my family needs. Forgive me. I want to be a Josiah dad. Help me evaluate my own heart, soul and strength for shortcomings in living my faith. Equip me as a spiritual leader to clean house and repair any damage in a way that glorifies You. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.

A faithful father repairs his heart, soul and strength to walk in faith.