LIVE A WORTHY LIFE
LIVE A WORTHY LIFE
And the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son. And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. —II Chronicles 21:16-20
What a sad commentary about Jehoram, King of Judah. Because of his wickedness and how he had led Judah astray the Lord brought judgment upon him, his possessions, his wives, his children and his people (II Chronicles 21:13-15). He lived such a wicked life that he died “with no one’s regret.” How sad is that? No one mourned for him. No one felt sorry that he was gone. Nobody was disappointed that he had died. There was no feeling sorry for his death. No tears shed for him.
Even though people thought this way, well, they followed him into vileness while he was alive. It was not like they took a stand against what he was doing. But the Lord surely took exception to his vileness. He rose up peoples against Judah to invade and defeat it. All this because of Jehoram’s wicked life and leading the people into wickedness. They buried him in Jerusalem, but not in the tombs of the kings. He was not honored in death.
What will be said and felt at our death? Oh that you and I would live a life that honors the Lord. As we honor Him in life may we honor Him in death. May it be so!
Dear Father may I faithfully live to honor You now and may I do so in death as well. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus.