Amon’s reign didn’t last long. And, it’s not surprising that the son from Manasseh, the worst king ever, would also be evil. His own servants were even corrupt and brought Amon’s life to an early end. Then the people killed Amon’s assassins. What were they thinking and why? We’ll have to wait and see what Amon’s young son, Josiah does.
Knowing that God has predicted the fall of Judah to the hands of the Babylonians, I was expecting that it would happen during Amon’s evil reign. But it is still one of those things hanging over the heads of Judah’s leadership.
However, they don’t seem too concerned about it, do they? If they feared God’s wrath, their actions certainly don’t show it. Maybe they don’t even know what Isaiah had shared about God’s plans for Judah. Were people that blinded to the truth?
We could look around our world today and see all sorts of the same types of corruption. There are power hungry rulers in most nations of the world today. How many of them are seeking God’s counsel before acting? If they are, then the next question is “are they listening?”
We could even raise our own hands. We are all leaders of something. Maybe we’re parents, in charge of children. Maybe we’re CEOs, in charge of a large corporation full of employees. Maybe we’re Sunday school teachers introducing children to Jesus. How do we do at checking in with God before “leading” who we are entrusted to lead?
Maybe you’ve never thought of it like that before. Some of us are better at being leaders than others. I’ve never thought of myself as a strong leader. I suppose that goes back to my first marriage and how I was beat down about how “stupid” I was. But no matter, in my weakness God can shine.
I love it in 2 Corinthians 12 when Paul is talking about boasting. He doesn’t want to take credit for things but wants to give God the glory. He does that by boasting about his weaknesses so that people can see God’s power at work. In verse 9, “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
Corruption is defined by the google reference as “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.” Sadly, living in Mexico we see a lot of this type of behavior. It is alive and well in other areas of the world, too, just turn on the news.
In our story today, we read about the “conspiring” going on. There was deception and jealousy, both behaviors contrary to God’s design and desire for us. Do you see any of this creeping into your own life?
What can we do about it? The answer is always “Jesus” according to my Sunday School kids. I can remember they knew they would get a lot of questions right if they answered, “Jesus.” In this case, that is the right answer. Seek to be more like Jesus. Deception and jealousy would have been foreign to him for they are gifts from the evil one.
Take some time today to examine areas of your life that may not be as pure as you would like. What can you do to clean that up so it won’t distract you from God?
Let’s pray …
Lord, there is a lot going on in the world right now that is downright frightening. Help me avoid being drawn in to accepting the wrong message. Give me wisdom to see where corruption is so I can avoid it. Show me how I can make a difference by getting rid of corruption in my corner of the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
