Daily Devotions

Have you ever done a lot of work on a job and then moved on to either a different project or a different job, leaving someone else in charge? It can be daunting to leave it for someone else when you have invested time and energy into making it as great as you can.

I contemplated this thought as I read some of our Scripture today in 2 Chronicles 24. We learn about the relationship between Joash and the high priest Jehoiada. They are rebuilding what was left of Jerusalem after some horrible rulers that came before them.

Joash has done right by the Lord in partnering with a high priest named Jehoiada. With Jehoiada, Jerusalem gets back on track after being derailed for many years because of evil leadership. This included worshiping idols, false gods, and destroying what God has been trying to do in Jerusalem.

Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple. 2 Chronicles 24:15-16

After Jehoiada’s death, King Joash begins to falter. He surrounds himself with the wrong people who eventually end up allowing Jerusalem to go back to the way things were that were against God and his desires for Jerusalem.

The most surprising thing about all of this is, it isn’t a change of power. It is the same king, he’s just a little older. You would assume he would maybe be wiser, too. But instead, the change is in the people he surrounds himself with after Jehoiada dies. We learn a valuable lesson here: The people you surround yourself with have a direct impact on who you become. And it doesn’t just affect you, it can affect generations to come.

What about in your own life? Have you walked through seasons that your relationships have distracted you from God? How can we keep our eyes on God in all that we do including the relationships we choose? How can we seek counsel from people who lead us toward God rather than away from him?

Questions for reflection: