FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “8 Is Enough”

Supplies: Bible; photos of family members at the age of 8 (2nd or 3rd grade)

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What were you like when you were eight?  Looking back, I was a pretty typical third grader in the early 80’s.  I was average height with an average “build” and long red hair.  I lived with my parents on a one-block street where everyone knew and liked each other.  I had a sticker collection and loved to roller skate.  I played Barbies with my best friend who lived across the street.  I wore a lot of purple and carried a Pac-Man lunch box.  I watched Scooby-Doo after school and played Frogger on our Atari until I beat every level. Just your typical eight year old.

What about you?  Take turns sharing with each other what you remember about being eight.  Did you have any unique passions?  Was there anything that made you stand out from the crowd?  Do you remember liking that time of life or was it challenging?  If someone in your family hasn’t reached the ripe old age of eight yet, have them speculate about what they think they’ll look like and be like at that age. 

READ

Read 2 Kings 22:1-2 together.  Paraphrase for younger children. 

THINK AGAIN

I think we can safely say that Josiah was NOT a typical eight year old.  Few of us had to deal with the kinds of pressures and responsibilities that were thrust at Josiah.  While most of us were trying to be King of the Hill, he was was trying to be an actual king.  And let’s face it—he didn’t have the best role models in the world.  Both his father and his grandfather were evil leaders who turned their nation further and further from God.  Yet, Josiah managed to rise above his predecessors to do great things…beginning as a third grader.  Today when we see and eight year old in a difficult home life, we turn it into the justification for the inevitable poor behavior.  Josiah breaks the mold by turning from his upbringing, choosing instead to follow the one true God and becoming a leader comparable to King David.  It’s tempting to attribute this inspiring turn-around to the people in the story: Josiah’s character, his mother’s influence, surely SOMEone deserves the credit.

In truth, God is the only answer to what made Josiah different.  God’s prevenient grace went ahead and began to tug on Josiah’s heart, drawing Josiah closer and closer to the God who loved him, until Josiah was able to choose for himself whom he would follow.  Josiah’s choice changed the nation for awhile, leading them back to God.  And it was all built of the foundation laid by that same God.

APPLY

God’s prevenient grace doesn’t just work on ancient eight year old kings.  It’s at work today in the hearts of everyone in your family.  Take some time to think: what foundation is God laying in my life right now?  How is Jesus setting the stage to draw me closer to Himself and His plan for my life?  What do I need to do to step up and build on that foundation?  Share your thoughts with your family.  Decide what action steps you need to take to engage and use that grace that God is pouring into your life.  

PRAY

Dear Jesus, thank You for the incredible ways You draw us close to You.  Help us remember, Lord, that now matter how old we are, we can turn our hearts to You and experience Your greatness.  In Your Name we pray, Amen.

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.