Jehoiada!
2 Chronicles 24: 2’Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.’
(Psalm 119:34 'Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.' Memorize)
Joash was crowned the king of Judah when he was seven years old and he reigned for forty years. There was a great man of God behind him! He was the priest Jehoiada! Oh, how I wish we could have Jehoiadas’ these days! He guided him in the right path and hence the entire nation was blessed. Joash was stirred in his spirit to repair the house of the Lord. Now, this is amazing! When revival starts in the heart of one person, the entire surrounding is set on fire! When I was buzzing high for God, people closely associated with me got saved too. At tea break, with tea cup in my hand, I would narrate my experience with God to my friend, who sat close to me at work; she got saved, the fire spread among her family members too. At my home front, there was super-duper revival, with my maid also getting filled with the Holy Spirit. Most of the youngsters who attended my meetings, have all abandoned cinema theatres, unwanted relationships, bad habits and have started serving God - most of them have their own ministries now.
When Joash was burning for God, the right people joined him and they started repairing the temple. Love for God leads you to serve Him! You would not be a passive watcher but you would set out to be a server. That’s exactly what Joash did. Money poured in and they restored the Lord’s House to its original condition. We find a grand finale of this era in verse 14 as it ends with, ‘…and they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.’ Got that? It was Jehoiada behind the revival! He not only guided Joash in the right path, but kept him away from evil forces. Immediately after the death of Jehoiada, we find the evil forces stick out their necks and counsel Joash to doing the most atrocious and wicked things: ’Therefore they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass.” Alas, Joash fell prey to the devil!
A good start has to be sustained and preserved for a good finish. There are many young people who jump, bubble vivaciously after a youth camp, but a week after the camp-fire dance, they are back to their old joint. How could they do it? They live a rollicking roller-coaster life without stability and consistency. They have failed to persistently maintain their relationship with God. A good leader is essential for spiritual growth. Spiritual accountability is important. Are you humble enough to take advices, instructions and corrections? Proverbs 15:12 ‘A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise.’
There is an acute dearth for good leaders these days! I quote the words of the revivalist Leonard Ravenhill: ‘This generation of preachers is responsible for this generation of sinners.”
We have heard enough of messages on faith and prosperity, time to move on preachers!
Jehoiadas’! Where art thou!
