When hiking or camping, one of the most important pieces of equipment to have is a compass. It guides a person to the desired destination with a needle that is set to align with the earth’s magnetic field north. No matter which way the compass is turned, the needle points north, and a person can adjust direction accordingly.
From time to time, a compass can get air bubbles or be exposed to extreme temperatures, interference from nearby electronics, or other magnetized objects. These can cause the needle to lose its magnetic pull to the north. When this happens, the compass needs to be reset.
The compass that has guided the United States of America to world prominence and prosperity, helping to navigate us through incredible challenges, has been our faith in God. He is the “north” on our “compass.” He is the center point. We were founded on Judeo-Christian principles. We are one nation, under God. But we seem to have lost our way. When the nation of Judah lost her way, King Josiah reset her moral and spiritual compass. Following his example, we also can reset our national compass by doing the following five things:
Read 2 Chronicles 34
I. Return to God 2 Chronicles 34:1-3
Give the phrase that indicates King Josiah returned to the God of his fathers.
How old was Josiah when he turned to God?
When have you told someone in the next generation to seek God? Psalm 24:5-6; Psalm 78:1-7; Psalm 89:1; Psalm 145:4. If you and I don’t tell the next generation, who will?
When a person or nation turns to God, how does God respond? Jeremiah 29:12-13; Deuteronomy 4:29; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 24:7; Hosea 6:1; James 4:8.
Would you tell God you want to return to Him—now?
II. Repent of Sin 2 Chronicles 34:4-7
How did Josiah lead his nation in repentance?
What is one evidence that a person or nation has returned to God? 1 Samuel 7:3; Jeremiah 4:1-2; Hosea 14:2.
As you return to God, what sin, habit, attitude or relationship do you need to put out of your life? 2 Corinthians 6:17.
III. Repair the Altar 2 Chronicles 34:8-13
Following Josiah’s purging the nation of sin and idolatry, what did he do next?
If the temple was the place where the people met with God, what does it mean to repair it?
What do you and I need to do to repair our relationship with God? Joel 2:12-14; John 6:37; Revelation 3:20.
IV. Rediscover God’s Word 2 Chronicles 34:14-28
As the temple was being repaired, describe the amazing discovery that was made. 34:14-15.
How did Josiah respond to the discovery? 34:18-21.
Years later, what similar action did Ezra take? Nehemiah 8:1-3.
What did Ezra do that helped each individual person discover and apply God’s Word for themselves? Nehemiah 8:7-8.
What difference does it make when people not only hear or read God’s Word, but understand how it applies to their lives? Nehemiah 8:9; Nehemiah 8:10-12; Acts 8:26-39.
Would you rediscover God’s Word and what it means in your own life by reading a few verses each day, asking yourself what lessons you can learn from them, applying the lessons to your life, then living out in obedience what God has said?
V. RECOMMIT OUR FAITH 2 Chronicles 34:29-33
How did Josiah lead his people in renewing their faith? 34:29-32.
How did he follow this recommitment to God with action? 34:33.
What difference would it make in your family if you as a parent or grandparent would lead in a recommitment to faith in God … by your own example?
If each of us reset our own moral and spiritual compass, what impact would we have on our nation? What impact would our nation have on the world? We will never know until we reset our compass. ©2025 Anne Graham Lotz
Anne Graham Lotz has proclaimed God’s Word worldwide for more than 40 years. Her newest book, which she co-authored with her daughter Rachel-Ruth Wright, is Jesus Followers: Real-Life Lessons for Igniting Faith in the Next Generation. It is available from major booksellers online.