II Kings 15 : 33

II Kings 15 : 33

Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

A king of Judah. He reigned 16 years and was 25 when he took the throne. In September I will be 5 and twenty years times 2 – am I ready yet to take a throne? What does that mean? I want Jesus to reign on my throne but how often do I push him aside so I can sit there?

This king only reigned for 16 years and then someone else took his place. He died , I am sure the later verses say how and who took over after him but isn't that the way with all earthly kings? They reign for a time then another takes their place and puts their ways into place setting aside the ways of the past king. If I am the "king" on the throne of my life I can make some changes that will last for a time but they will not be permanent and will not be in complete accord with God's will for my "kingdom." As with the kings of Israel and Judah there were good ones and bad ones but they all had their faults and follies. They all thought they were in charge and set themselves on the throne. When a man is on the throne Jesus, by default, isn't.

That is not how I want to live my life – I don't want the throne. I have struggled mightily the last 25 years, or so, of my life to be on the throne. I wanted to be in control of my destiny. I wanted to be the man with the plan. The go to guy. The king.

What did it get me? I studied law and accounting and got my degrees that sit molding in the garage. I racked up over 1/10 of a million dollars in debt and where am I?

I tried to build my own throne and the claim my own kingdom. And for all of this time I was a Christian that gave lip service to Jesus being on the throne. But I had pushed him aside – I wanted the throne. I didn't trust Him to look out for what I saw as my best. He needed my help and guidance to take care of me and my family. I told so many people that God sent me to law school and that he had a plan for me based on it. But looking back I never received a word of knowledge or prophecy about it. I don't remember ever having a revelation or feeling a strong voice of god telling me "this is the way, walk in it." I decided that I would be a lawyer and that God would bless it. I took the attitude that if he didn't want me to be a lawyer he could stop me but if he didn't I was going to bull through with it. And I did.

But to what avail? I find myself today disabled from my profession and trying to discover God's continuing plan for my life. I know he isn't done with me (even though at times I feel like he is) and that he loves me and is not mad at me (I also struggle here because I know I am mad at me).

I need to push aside thoughts of the throne and strive instead to be a "good and faithful servant" – whatever that means. I do not want to be like the ancient kings of Judah and fight for the throne. I have spent far to long in the chase of it and feel that like Solomon's son Absalom I have ended up hanging from a tree by my hair just waiting for someone to come and run me through with a spear. As he had found himself completely disabled and at the mercy of all I found myself hanging from a tree. But, unlike Absalom, I know that the one that found me was not going to run me through with a spear but instead would untangle me from the tree and then lead me along the path he set for me. The key is that I need to stop striving for the throne and just follow the King. My place may be to be his cup bearer, His mouthpiece or the guy that cleans the toilets but I know he has a place for me in HIS kingdom and I am learning more and more to trust him that he will lead me and my family into it.

THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!