Tender and Turned

"To the king of Judah [Josiah]... thus saith the LORD God of Israel... Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD... and wept before Me, I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.... And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might... neither after him arose there any like him" (2 Kings 22:18,19, 23:25).

Before there never was a king,
The Scriptures thus record,
Like king Josiah who would bring
Such pleasure to the Lord.

And neither was there afterward
A king like him, we learn.
Shall we not heed what we have heard,
And for his virtues yearn?

Josiah's heart, to God's delight
Was humbled tenderly,
And turned with all his soul and might;
Shall we not like him be?

O Lord, You heard Josiah's tears
And saw his tenderness.
And still, Lord, after all these years,
We do not need it less!

Turn us, Lord, revive again
Our hearts to thus surrender
To see in us what You saw then:
A humble heart that's tender!