Finishing the Work

Read 2 Kings 11:1–13:25

4. One day King Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the Lord’s Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift.
5. Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple.”
6. But by the twenty-third year of Joash’s reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple.
7. So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Don’t use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs.”
8. So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple. 2 Kings 12:4-8

It seems that every workplace depends on a humming core of borderline workaholics. These people have a true devotion to their work. Both master and slave to their jobs, they work because they want to. Who do you know like that?

You will find out more about the kings of Israel and Judah in this reading. The most notable is King Joash—an actual good king (there weren’t many)—who sets out to finish repairing the Temple. His crew can’t find the time to do their jobs, however, so Joash has to make some new assignments. Read this passage and learn about the importance of doing God’s work.

See if you can find insights on going far enough when making changes.

Much had to be done to repair the Temple, but many years had gone by without progress. The priests simply hadn’t done any of the work. So King Joash took them off the task and gave the assignment to laypeople. As it turns out, these people proved to be exceedingly honest and dedicated—to the point of not having to account for the money given to them for the job. What a contrast between these workmen and the priests (2 Kings 12:8, 15)! As trained men of God, the priests should have been responsible and concerned, for the Temple was their life’s work. But they did not have the necessary commitment.

God’s work is best accomplished by people devoted to it. Don’t let your lack of training or position stop you from making a solid contribution to God’s kingdom. Give your energy wherever it can be used to carry out his work. What task does God have for you to do today?