“Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it…. Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes” (2 Kings 22:8, 10-11).

Until the moment the lost Torah was found in the temple, Josiah did his best to live a life that pleased God. For him, doing his best meant fixing up a run-down temple. But it wasn’t until the layers of dust were wiped off the cover of his Bible that he realized just how far he and his people had wandered from God. By reading the Scriptures, Josiah recognized his desperate need for repentance and forgiveness—and his need for a completely changed life.

But Josiah’s story is not meant to be unique. Instead, it is the kind of story God desires for every person who discovers—or rediscovers—their Bible. Doing good deeds may feel good, but God’s will for our lives can only be found in the Bible. And when we read God’s word with an open heart—just like Josiah—we will recognize our own need for repentance, forgiveness, and a completely transformed life. When we rightly “divide” the word of God, God’s word always “divides” our hearts.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb 4:12-13).