Staying Encouraged
Today's Scripture: 2 Chronicles 27
1Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.
2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.
3He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
4Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
5He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.
6So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
7Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
8He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
9And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
Today's Scripture Meaning:
Aotham's reign in Judah.
- The people did corruptly. Perhaps Jotham was wanting towards the reformation of the land. Men may be very good, and yet not have courage and zeal to do what they might. It certainly casts blame upon the people. Jotham prospered, and became mighty. The more stedfast we are in religion, the more mighty we are, both to resist evil, and to do good. The Lord often removes wise and pious rulers, and sends others, whose follies and vices punish a people that valued not their mercies
Today's Scripture Application
Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of 2 Chronicles with Chapter 27 and we see Jotham rules Judah and does right in the sight of the Lord but the people did evil and they did not follow Godly leadership. Jotham did not get discouraged at their disobedience, quit in the process, and even defeated the Ammonites. In making application we see that we are not to be discouraged when others around us are not following the Lord. The ungodly will act ungodly but, if we are not careful, we will get discouraged by their disobedience. We are to keep our eyes on the Lord and He will encourage us as we attempt to share Christ with them. It is exciting when they get saved but our job is to share Christ and He will convict them in His timing. How about you? Do the lost around you - discourage you? Let us learn from our text today and the life of Jotham to remember to not get discouraged when others around us don't follow the Lord. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, sharing Him with others, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
