Lessons on Joash (2)â€”Seeking to Please God, Not Men - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

The LORD is near - Friday, May 7, 2022
by Jacob Redekop, Brian Reynolds, John van Dijk, Eugene P. Vedder Jr

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Lessons on Joash (2)â€”Seeking to Please God, Not Men

After the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them.
2 Chronicles 24:17

Lessons on Joash (2)â€”Seeking to Please God, Not Men
After the death of Jehoiada, the high priest, things changed in the reign of Joash. We see the princes coming and giving homage to the king, and Joash, desiring to please them for this allegiance, listens to them. It does not take much time for hearts to be manifested. Even if the temple was newly restored, there was no real desire for the things of God: they abandon the house of the Lord, turn to idolatry, and even to murder when voices of warning arise.

Seeking the favor of men is always a downward path. It not only leads to compromise in the things of God, but soon to full departure, as we can see with Joash. Yes, seeking to please men rather than God will always lead, in the end, to abandoning the things of God. How different things would have been if Joash truly had the fear of God in his heart so as to seek to please God rather than men! But the princes' voices were stronger than all the knowledge and the good he had received from Jehoiada, who had saved his life and made him king!

We have in the apostle Paul a great example of someone who feared God and sought to please Him, whatever the personal cost: "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10 esv). Paul was not looking for the approval of men nor to please men, but positively sought the approval of God and to please God. How about me? Who am I seeking to please? Is it the One who gave His life for me, and bought me for Himself at a great price, and made me king and priest to God? Or am I seeking to please others, either to get something from them, or them from me?

May we see the dangers of seeking men's favor, and the blessing there is in seeking the approval of God. Here is a verse to encourage us today in doing so: "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4).

Alexandre Leclerc

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