Scripture:

“Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple. But after Jehoiada’s death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen.

 

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, ‘This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!’

 

Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple.” 2 Chronicles 24:15-21 (NLT)

 

Perspective:

Joash had become king at a very young age. Jehoiada was the priest during the beginning of his life and continually pointed Joash to the Lord. Joash started the project of rebuilding the Temple and even had the people participate in the project financially.  As long as Jehoiada was living and acting as his adviser, Joash honored God in the decisions he was making.  2 Kings 12:2 (NLT) says, “All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” Even at a young age, he had a strong start. Yet, after Jehoiada died, his voice was no longer an influence in Joash’s life. When the other leaders came to him, they persuaded him to follow the sinful ways of their past. At that point, Joash had a decision. Whose voice would he allow to be an influence in his life and leadership? God’s voice was still present through the warnings of the prophets, but not only would they not listen, their hearts had been turned away from God. The voices of the other leaders deafened Joash’s heart to God’s voice and resulted in the death of his trusted advisor and prophet, Jehoiada’s son. Ultimately, Joash’s decisions were impacted by the people he allowed to have a voice in his life. Even when God’s voice was present, he decided to follow the loudest voice in his life, and it led him astray.

 

 The people and voices we allow to influence our lives will impact our decisions and ultimately our future. As Joash’s life testifies, a strong start does not equate to a strong finish. The voices that we allow in our lives can derail our destiny if we are not allowing God’s voice to be the loudest. In seasons of transition, the people in our life tend to change. Maybe you moved across the country for a new job, started going to a new school, or simply had a change in your friend group. During these seasons of transition, sometimes the wise counsel that we have received from godly mentors can become distant when they are not as directly involved in our lives. If we solely rely on people for direction, we won’t be relying on God’s voice for direction. Learning to hear God’s voice requires an individual commitment to seek God. If you live your faith off of the voice of God in someone else’s life, then you will miss the wisdom and direction only He can give. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves this question. Whose voices are the loudest in my life? The people who surround our lives will impact our direction in life and ultimately our relationship with God. As we place God’s voice and direction as the focus of our lives, then He can direct us to the right people in the right seasons to confirm and support His work in our lives instead of us solely relying on other people for direction. 

 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

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