“So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.” 2 Chronicles 27:6
Where there’s smoke there’s fire. But what about where there’s no smoke. If there’s no smoke, there’s no fire. And if there’s no fire, then there’s no need for fire trucks. There’s no need for firemen, water hoses, sirens, commotion, drama, and cleanup. No smoke, well, means nothing is happening. You see, the smoke and fires in our lives brings complications, difficulties, and problems. And the sad fact of the matter is that the person looking you in the mirror every morning is the arson in your life. We cause our own fires that then in turn cause our own drama. But have you ever noticed that as the fires of our life rage, our stories get longer? It just naturally takes longer to explain the many twist and turns of a complicated story. A story that could have been short and sweet, is now long and sour. In 2 Chronicles 27 we find one of the shortest chapters in Chronicles. Why so short? Because there’s no smoke and no fire. We see a glimpse of good King Jotham’s reign and within it, God finds little drama, complication, or turmoil to report. Oh, to have a life chapter like this when I stand at the feet of Jesus in heaven. King Jotham took the throne at 25 and reigned 16 years. He built for God, he fought for God, he worshiped God, he prayed to God, he served God. And he became mighty…and still bowed to God as His Lord. You see, a life lived in excellence for God will not be greatly complicated by sin. Sure, a life lived in Christ will encounter many obstacles, but those obstacles will not tear down, but build up. God places certain obstacles in our life to grow us, teach us, and draw us closer to Him. But sin, personal sin, will create smoke and fire in our lives that will not encourage, but discourage. Prideful sin in our lives will create turmoil, anguish, bondage, and anxiety. All things that will create not a shorter story, but a longer one. Today, pledge to God to make your story shorter. Pledge to study His word daily, making His commands known deep in your heart so you can make Godly choices instead of sinful ones. Be in deep daily prayer to God, involving Him in every decision that crosses your path. In doing so you will allow God to guide your steps, not prideful selfishness or the world that only seeks to deceive. Seek out blessed fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. Be open and honest with them about what’s going on in your life and they will help you in finding the short story. And do not ever forget the importance of serving God through serving others. For in this way you will spend less time on yourself and use that time where it is the most valuable, meeting the needs of others as you show them the light of Christ. Today, draw near to God and make your story short. Refuse to let it grow because of sin, drama, and tumult. For the short story will not lack of a full life, but instead be full of it. It will be full of abundant life in Jesus Christ.
“Better one handful with tranquility, than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6
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