Today's encouragement comes from 2 Chronicles 21:20a, where we read these words:
"He [King Jehoram] was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reign-ed in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed [died]."To me, this is one of the most tragically-comical texts in all the Bible. The vile Judean king Jehoram finally "kicks the bucket," after suffering grievously in his body, because of all his flagrant rebellion against the Lord, and his unre-pented-of sins—and nobody is sad about it. Instead, if anything, the people of Judah are relieved.
Some human beings leave nothing but shame and disgrace behind them, after they depart this life. On the contrary, the memory of the Chriist-loving Christian churchman always brings joy to the saints, and glory to God.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Never think to be kings when you die, and slaves while you live. The crown of glory is for conquerors, not for captives.”
—Thomas Watson, in, "A Body of Divinity"]
