Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Israel. He is famous for being a great king who brought revival to the land. That part didn’t actually happen until he was twenty-six. But, some kind of foundation must have been laid in the eight-year-old that made him eager to embrace the word of God. When one of his construction workers found an ancient Bible in the Temple, King Josiah started a national movement back to God.

Scholars think Samuel was probably about eight years old when God first spoke to him. He had never heard God’s voice before and didn’t even recognize it. Even after he gave the amazing prophetic word to Eli, it doesn’t seem like he figured out exactly what was going on. He eventually grew up to be a great prophet and leader in Israel where “not one of his words fell to the ground.”

When my husband was eight years old, he devoured a series of books called The Sugar Creek Gang. Sometime in his late forties, he discovered one of the books among his mother’s possessions. He flipped to a random section and began reading to me. In the passage he chose, the boys were taking a break from their summer adventures to attend a revival meeting. One little boy’s father was at the altar leading another little boy’s alcoholic father to the cross. The narrator said,(and I paraphrase) “Right then I knew. When I grow up I want to be a doctor just like my dad. The kind of doctor who takes care of people when they are sick and then leads them to Jesus.”

We both caught our breath. Because you know what my husband grew up to become? Yep. The kind of doctor who takes care of people when they are sick and then leads them to Jesus.

If you currently have an eight year old boy in your life, pay attention. If not, go find one and make sure he has everything he needs to hear God and succeed!