“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?” (Job 9:4 NKJV)

  Josiah was one of the few kings of Judah who did what was right in God’s sight. He went from one city to another, breaking down all the altars of Baal and wooden images. He also burned the bones of the priests of Baal on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 34:1-5 – NKJV  1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.  2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or the left.  3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.  4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.  5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. Josiah also set the priests and the Levites in their duties and encouraged them to serve in the house of the LORD. Moreover, Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem in a grand style. 2 Chronicles 35:15-18 – NKJV  15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also the gatekeepers were at each gate; they did not have to leave their position, because their brethren the Levites prepared portions for them.  16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.  17 And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.  18 There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, Josiah died in the prime of his days because he refused to refrain from meddling with God. It is good to examine how Josiah meddled with God to avoid such a terrible and deadly blunder. While Necho, the King of Egypt, was on God’s mission to fight against the house of the King of Assyria, Josiah went out against him. Therefore, Necho sent messengers to Josiah, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” (2 Chro. 35:21 NKJV). Unfortunately, Josiah would not stop meddling with God despite being warned by Necho. The Scripture testifies to Josiah’s stubbornness and its consequences. 2 Chronicles 35:22-24 – NKJV  22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.  23 And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.”  24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Many people today, like Josiah, meddle with God by resisting or standing in the way of someone God has sent on a specific mission. That is a dangerous thing to do! When you seek to discourage, resist, oppose, or stand in the way of anyone God has sent on a mission, like Josiah, you are simply fighting against God, thereby setting yourself up for sudden destruction. No one ever hardened himself against God and prospered! Job 9:3-5 – NKJV  3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.  4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?  5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger.  One of the primary responsibilities of spiritual leaders (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) in the Church is to equip the saints for ministry work. Ephesians 4:11-15 – NKJV  11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;  14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,  15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ- However, it is disheartening that many of our spiritual leaders today are unwilling to equip and release believers under their tutelage for ministry outside their church, organization, or denomination circles or settings. Many of our spiritual leaders today, like Josiah, are hiding under various religious guises to discourage, dissuade, oppose, or hold back mature believers in their churches, organizations, or denominations from stepping outside the four walls of their churches, organizations or denominations to do the work of ministry they have equipped them for. It is sad but true that many mature believers in our churches today are warming the church benches or seats and marking the church register every service because their pastors would not allow them to go out and fulfill their divine assignments outside their church walls or denomination settings. God’s gifts in many believers today are lying dormant or wasting away within the four walls of our churches because of the spiritual manipulation, domination, or bewitchment of our spiritual leaders. The latter would not release mature believers under their leadership for the works of the ministry outside their church, organization, or denomination circles or settings. Beloved, when you employ any means or strategies to oppose, resist, or discourage any believer whom God has called to pioneer a new work or sent on a mission outside your ministry, church, organization, or denomination setting, you are simply meddling with God. You are not God’s boss whom He must consult with or take permission from before He calls and sends any of His children on a mission outside your ministry, church, organization, or denomination. The kingdom of God is infinitely greater than any ministry, church, organization, or denomination! Josiah was perhaps not convinced Necho was on God’s mission to Assyria, so he sought to oppose and stop him; nevertheless, he lost his life in the process. Even when you are not thoroughly convinced about the mission or assignment God has sent any of His children, it is wise not to seek to resist or oppose anyone who claims God has sent him on a mission outside your church, organization, or denomination circle or setting. Although Josiah disguised himself to oppose Necho, who claimed to be on God’s mission, he was shot and severely wounded. Many spiritual leaders today, like Josiah, have been severely wounded because they would not refrain from meddling with God by seeking to manipulate, discourage, or hold back believers under their leadership from stepping out of their ministries, churches, and denominations to fulfill their God-given assignments. Friend, learn from Josiah’s blunder and beware of meddling with God! The Bible admonishes you to mind your business or ministry and not suffer as a busybody in other people’s matters (1 Thess. 4:11, 1 Pet. 4:15). Refrain today from meddling with God by seeking to stop, distract, discourage, or dissuade anyone called or sent by God on a mission outside your church, organization, or denomination circle or setting. Stop meddling with God! Remember the stubbornness of Josiah and its consequences!  

Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, I choose not to meddle with You by seeking to discourage, oppose, or stop anyone under my leadership whom you have called and sent on a mission outside my church setting, in Jesus’ name. Amen.