Joash’s life is a sad example of what it means not to be established. Recall from King Jehoshaphat’s life, described in II Chronicles 17, that God established his kingdom because he sought God and followed His commands with a heart devoted to God’s ways. A heart that wasn’t devoted, and his failure to seek God resulted in Joash’s not being established enough to remain faithful to God once Jehoiada was gone. This story of his life challenges us to examine our own hearts and our own seeking. Is there something or someone propping you up so that you are following God’s commands without a heart fully devoted to Him? Recall that Jesus defined eternal life as knowing God; simply following God’s commands without a devoted heart does not promote that intimate relationship Jesus was describing in the word He used for “know.”
Are you a Jehoiada to someone else, propping him or her up so that it looks like he or she is following God, when he or she is really following you? Jesus’ command to His followers is that we “make disciples”; He didn’t mean for those disciples to be ours, but His. Think about the training you’ve provided for your children: are you preparing them in such a way that they love God whether you are here or not? Are they following God, or just following His commands?
If the truth of our lives is that we are not fully devoted in our following God, Satan doesn’t want us to know that. He wants to deceive us into thinking that we’re “all right,” and he does have the ability to blind unbelievers. God alone knows the condition of our hearts, and we must ask Him to search us and reveal to us anything of which we need to repent. We can’t so much as seek Him without His help; ask for whatever help you might need today. If an honest and open appeal to God reveals nothing lacking in your heart, your devotion, your seeking, your following, your knowledge, your intimacy with God, then don’t let Satan deceive you into thinking there is a problem that isn’t there. Rather, thank God for the privilege of relationship with Him and renew your commitment to go ever deeper in your intimacy with Him. Ask Him to establish you so that you are a Jehoshaphat, and not a Joash!