17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
OBSERVATION
King Joash had a great start as a leader because he was surrounded by great advisors like Jehoiada the priest. He made great decisions and his relationship with God was thriving. But once Jehoiada was dead, there was a vacuum around the king that was filled by new and ungodly officials. They used flatter and started to feed the pride of the king. As a result, they neglected their relationship with God and engaged in idolatry. But what made things really bad, is that when confronted by godly prophets about their sin, they ignored it, did not listen, and even killed them to silence them. The gravity of this incident was so deep that even Jesus brought this matter up when confronting the Pharisees.
APPLICATION
When we neglect our relationship with God and fall away from his ways, God's mercy always calls us back and the doors for repentance and restoration are wide open. But when we continue in stubbornness, we are setting our lives for major disaster and for extremely painful consequences. Because of my human nature there will be times when I will sin, and even neglect my relationship with God. If I reuse to listen and keep distancing myself from the Lord, I will end up surrounded with the wrong people, doing the wrong things, heading straight to the wrong place.
I believe that what has kept me under God's hand of favor all these years are two things: godly people around me and the willingness to repent when I fall. I cannot let these two important things disappear from my life. With everything in me I need to continue building relationships with godly people and I cannot compromise in confession and repentance from my sins. I need to keep fighting the good fight, even when I receive the blows from the enemy and my own flesh. I need to endure by pursuing godliness. I cannot give up! I may have a good start, like Joash. But just like him, I could end up in a mess if i don't focus on the finish line.
PRAYER
Dear Jesus, please help me to endure the blows, to get up each time I fall, and to continue fighting the good fight. Please help me to keep always godly people around me, really close to me, and give me discernment to stay away from the wicked, from those who flatter and feed my pride. Let me walk in integrity, always seeking honesty, humility, and holiness. I love you Lord. Amen!
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