March 15, 2025, 2 Kings 15:32-38

 

March 15, 2025, 2 Kings 15:32-38

³² In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. ³³ He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. ³⁴ And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵ Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord. ³⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ³⁷ In those days the Lord began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. ³⁸ Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

We finally see some daylight.  This new king Pekah, took over and he had been in the line of royalty that had been cut down, but he was from a line that did right in the eyes of the Lord…mostly.  He followed God when it didn’t ruffle the feathers of those who made offers in the high places.  But he himself honored God with what he did. 

Do you find yourself honoring God on Sunday morning or when you know someone is looking, but Saturday night, you like to do things that you think others won’t see, so they couldn’t really matter, right?

God sees…and that is all that matters.  Yes, we want to be an influence for others, but we must have the relationship with our Father, Creator, and Savior where it needs to be, or the other things we say and do won’t mean a thing. 

I can find a politician I support and I go to rallies, I campaign for them, I can even give them money to help fund their campaign, but on election day I either don’t find time to go vote, or I vote for their opponent.  Now, it could be that no one ever finds that out, but my zealousness for that politician certainly isn’t all in, or I would have found time to give them my vote.  My work on their behalf was half-hearted at best.

What about your work for Jesus?  Is it “all in” or half-hearted?  How do you feel at your core?  Do you love Jesus beyond all others and everything else?  If so, that will show through in what you do and what you say. 

It reminds me of my husband.  He loves me so much more than I deserve, and people often tell me that they can see how much he loves me every time he looks at me.  It comes through in just how he looks at me, and then of course flows through how he treats me and talks about me. 

Do you look at Jesus and talk about Jesus in a way that reflects how much you love Him?  Or is your love for Him half-hearted and a love of convenience?