Two young kings!

There were two young kings in the history of Judah!  Joash became king when he was seven years old (2 Kings 11; 2 Ch.24).  When Athaliah killed all the royal heirs, the sister of King Ahaziah and her husband Jehoiada saved Joash and kept him hidden.  At the right time, Jehoiada made Joash king.  King Amon, son of Manasseh, was assassinated by his servants, and the same servants made his son Josiah king in his place in his eighth year.  Jehoiada, his uncle, guided Joash.  Josiah also must have been guided by someone, even though the Bible does not say so explicitly.  After the death of Jehoiada, Joash walked away from the ways of the Lord.   But Josiah stayed true to the Lord till his end.  I believe the difference is because Joash did not have a personal relationship with the Lord!  Joash did what was right only as long as Jehoiada was alive.  But the Bible says Josiah sought the Lord in the eighth year of his reign (2 Chr. 34:3).  Josiah must have committed himself to the Lord when he was sixteen and stood firm till the end!

A Ghanaian proverb says, 'An uncompleted work deserves no reward.'  The Bible says,  "he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:13).  We have to start with God; we should stay with Him and end with Him!  Joash did not begin with God.  He started with Godly Jehoiada!  So when Jehoiada died, Josiah was sidetracked by his passions and compromises!  Following a person, a preacher, or a pastor has the same pitfall.   If we make Jesus and His Word the focus of our lives, we will be able to weather the storms of life, for Jesus has promised, "… I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).   The call for us today is to begin with God and surrender every area of life.  When we start with God, we lay the foundations for our future.  If we surrender our will to Him, He will help us build a lasting relationship with Him.  He will save our souls and straighten our paths.  Any attempt to bypass God and do our own thing, even in one area of our life, may lead to temporary success but ultimately only to disaster.

My friend, let us consciously begin with God, follow Him and not go after people.  I do not know your challenges today, but remember that Jesus has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world.  Let us, therefore, take God at His Word and live focusing on His Word so that we can finish well! 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, help me to stay focused on Your Word alone at all times. Amen.

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