Bible Passage: “And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces.” (2 Kings 11:17–18a)
Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 11:1-21
The Croods franchise is one of my son’s favorites.
He loves the movies and the Netflix cartoons. In one episode of the series, there is a line that always makes me chuckle (yes, sometimes I watch with him and have seen the episodes multiple times). When one character wants to get stronger “right now,” another character says, “Results are like time-takers; they take time.”
Humorous, obvious, but still a necessary reminder. Sometimes, time is the secret ingredient—the only ingredient.
The history of Israel’s monarchy in both the northern and southern kingdoms is dubious at best. Though there were a few shining moments, it is largely a record of spiraling further and further away from God, ironically fulfilling their own request to be “like all the other nations” when they first asked for a king (1 Samuel 8:5).
But it’s not all bad news.
In the midst of chaos, God preserves a piece of sanity and calm, but it is not always the right time. When King Ahaziah died, his mother murdered the rest of the royal family—her own family.
However, a single heir, Joash, her grandson, was smuggled away and hidden from the murderous intentions of his own grandmother.
For six years.
For six years, God allowed a murderous woman to rule over Judah while the true king, just a child (and the grandchild of the woman who sat on the throne), was safely hidden away.
Six years may not seem like a long time. But think about where you were six years ago, men.
What has happened to, for, and by you in the last six years?
“But…”
The next stage of God’s plan started (and often starts in our sinful, broken world) with a “but.”
At the right time, the child was brought out and crowned the rightful king, and through the boldness of the priest Jehoiada, the murderous usurping grandmother was brought to justice.
Men, waiting is difficult. It is hard to bide time waiting when the answer seems to be right in the other room. But patience and trust in God’s timing yields the right results.
The young king Joash went on to bring Judah back to faithfulness to God.
Where do you need to wait for God?
Prayer: God, I confess that I am impatient and want things quickly. Help me to wait on Your timing for the things You will bring into my life. Amen.
Reflection: Where are you challenging God’s timetable? How can you lean into it more?
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