EXAMINE YOURSELF

​Monday, 12th September 2016

2 Chronicles 27: 1-9 (NKJV)

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the Lord). But still the people acted corruptly. 3He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel. 4Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. 5He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also. 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, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

In our reading today, we see that Jotham the king of Judah did what was right in the sight of God, yet the people acted corruptly. In our country today, we often complain that the political and religious leaders are incompetent, corrupt, partial, wicked etc., but do not take time to examine ourselves whether we are also guilty of the things we complain about. There are incidences of deliberate lateness to meetings, church, work, etc., lying, over invoicing, bribery, stealing and other vices in our society. There is also family dysfunction, unhappy marriages and sexual immorality. We cannot blame these on our leaders. We have to take responsibility for the way things because it is not just the fault of our leaders. We need to first remove the beam in our eyes before we can remove the mote in another person’s eyes.

Now, quietly consider any area in your life where there is cheating, hypocrisy, covetousness, lying, envy, truancy, murder, adultery etc. All these are incidences of corruption. Ask God to forgive you of them all and to help you not to do them again. Determine today never to involve yourself in corrupt practices.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the grace to live for You a life that is free from corruption, to the glory of Your name. Amen.