In this daily Bible reading is the account of Athaliah, mother of King Ahaziah, taking control of Judah after the death of King Ahaziah. Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and was evil like her mother.
Athaliah killed all the royal offspring of King Ahaziah (her grandchildren). However, one child survived: Joash. He was hidden for six years, and when he was seven years old, he became king of Judah.
Jehoiada was Joash’s guardian and caretaker, and Jehoida strongly believed in God. Jehoiada convinced the army to kill Athaliah and to protect Joash.
Joash became a good king who led the people to faithfully follow the Lord. He was king for 40 years. However, late in his rule, after the death of his faithful counselor Jehoiada, Joash was not as faithful in his allegiance to God.
This illustrates the value of a counselor or confidant who counsels with wisdom. We all need encouragement from time to time and guidance to remain obedient to God. We must therefore seek out other believers to strengthen our belief in Jesus Christ and keep us true to God’s Word.
