2 Chronicles 27

“So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.” (2 Chronicles 27:6, NKJV)

Much of life is spent preparing for something else. When we are about five years old we begin kindergarten. Then we continue through elementary, middle and high school. Hopefully, by the time we graduate we have developed life skills in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as knowing something about science, history and government. Now we should be able to get a job. But of course if we want a more skilled or specialized career then we must go on to college and perhaps even a graduate program. Still we develop more education, experience and skills. When it is time to get married, hopefully we prepare for that by going through premarital counseling. We take childbirth classes and prepare the nursery for the newborn. Then as we get older we prepare for retirement. We draft a will so that we can prepare for our death and for our loved ones who survive us. All of this preparation is for the matters of the temporal life. But what about the matters of the spirit? What about the matters of eternity?

Jotham had the opportunity to watch his father accomplish much as king of Judah. Uzziah was a good king who did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. But Jotham also saw his dad make a big mistake when he thought he could offer incense in the temple. Consequently, Uzziah was a leper for the rest of his life. Therefore, Jotham determined to prepare his ways before the LORD and to do His will.

Many years ago, I attended a Pastors’ Conference in which Pastor Damien Kyle of Calvary Chapel Modesto spoke on the kings of Judah. He observed that Jotham was the only one of whom there was no sin recorded. Jotham determined to do what was right before the LORD, and he never wavered. He defeated the Ammonites in battle so that they paid tribute to Judah. He became mighty because he chose righteousness. But sadly, the high places still remained so that the people still sacrificed and burned incense to images rather than at the temple before the LORD Jotham left a good example, but the people still acted corruptly.

We prepare ourselves for so many things. Are we preparing our ways before the LORD to please Him and to influence the next generation? How are we developing our spirit? How are we preparing for eternity? May God help us grow mightily in Him because God occupies a mighty place in us!