Josiah was only 8 years old when he was crowned king. Although his father did evil in God's sight, little Josiah set out to seek the Lord and do what was right. (Unlike today's society that would have used their 'bad' parents as an excuse to sin--a victim of their unfortunate environment.) Josiah cared more for what God thought than what people thought. He placed God as his first priority.
I like that! What an inspiration! And from an 8 year old!
I read an account of England's King Edward VI. I wish I could tell you the magazine in whose pages i found it, but I've long forgotten. Here it is:
the british josiah
The
remarkable story of King Edward VI, the young prince who became king when he
was only nine years old. He was soon known among the people of the nation as
“The British Josiah” not only because of his age (like the biblical king
Josiah, who became king at age 8) but also because of his desire to seek after
the Lord while still very young. He died when he was only sixteen, and his
cousin, Lady Jane Grey, was given the throne. She was Queen for only nine days
when Edward’s cousin, known as “Bloody Mary,” was given the throne in her
place. An excerpt from The
British Josiah, as sixteen-year-old Lady Jane was about to be
beheaded for refusing to embrace Catholicism reads: “From the scaffold she
spoke earnestly to spectators: ‘Good people, touching the procurement of the
crown on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof before God. I did not desire
it….I do look to be saved by no other means, but by the mercy of God in the
blood of His only Son Jesus Christ…and I confess when I did know the word of
God, I neglected the same, loved myself and the world, and thereby
this…punishment is worthily happened to me, and yet I thank God that in His
goodness He hath thus given me time to repent.’ Kneeling down, she asked
permission and quoted all of Psalm 57....Laying her head on the
block, she said, ‘Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’”
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto
me: for my soul trusteth in thee; yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make
my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that
performeth all things for me.He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
My soul is among lions; and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above the earth.
They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves.
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above the earth.
