2 Chronicles 34:33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

Josiah became king when he was only eight years old. When he was twenty, he led his people to remove Asherah’s poles and Baal’s altars. When he was twenty-six, they found the book of the law, in the temple, and Josiah led his people to repent before the Lord.

All his life, Josiah kept following God and led his people to do likewise. We read in the last verse of this chapter that as long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord.

Apparently, for the people to follow the Lord, it was necessary for the king, their leader, to follow the Lord. The verse implies that when Josiah died, people started to depart from following the Lord.

What about you and I? Are we living so that others are following the Lord? Are we leading others to God, or away from God? Let’s have the same attitude as Josiah who kept following God, all the days of his life!