Let's Stay Sharp!

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 12

Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (2 Kings 12.2)

Devotional Thought: We hear a lot in professional circles about the power of mentoring—identifying someone who is a bit further down the road and developing a relationship … a relationship where you can pick their brain when you encounter issues that defy easy solutions … a relationship where it’s safe and you can be open and transparent without fear of retribution … a relationship where the primary goal is not improved performance or enhanced accomplishment but, rather, personal development.

Mentoring, I believe, is just as important in God’s Kingdom.  One of the best ways we grow is through the influence of godly individuals who believe in us and pour into our lives.

Joash [Jehoash] was a respectable and skilled leader in large part because Jehoiada served as his mentor.  Jehoash came into the responsibility of being king at a way-too-young age, but the influence of Jehoiada helped to grow him to where the burden and obligation of leadership didn’t overwhelm him.  He carried himself in a way that not only benefited his subjects but also brought a smile to God’s face.

We are never so old that we can’t use the help of a godly mentor.  At the same time, we are never so unschooled and naive that we can’t pour into someone and serve as a mentor to them.  Think about who it is that you can draw from and who it is you can invest in.  And … if you’re struggling to come up with someone—or someones—ask God to lead you to a person, or a person to you, that can fill this important and valuable role in your life.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov. 27.17).  Let's stay sharp!

John Whitsett

Prayer: Lord, help me to be humble and open to learn from others, and give me the courage and confidence to teach others.  Then, grant me teachers after your own heart and opportunities to teach.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 17.1-5

1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right!

3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.