“Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for fifty-two years.”

— 2 Chronicles 26:3

Today it seems to be the heart’s desire of every teenager that on his sixteenth birthday he receives a car, preferably a long, low, sleek one with a lot of painting on it and several mufflers. Well, the ancient Jewish leader Uzziah had more than his heart’s desire when he became sixteen. They gave him the whole kingdom, and he became the king of Judah.

“Woe to you, O land, when your king is a lad” (Ecclesiastes 10:16) says the Old Testament writer. At the time Luther was brought before Philip of Spain, a young man who had just ascended to the throne, the placards that the supporters of Luther raised around the Diet of Worms cried out the message, “Woe unto that nation whose king is a child.”

And yet, surprisingly enough, to every rule there are some exceptions, and Uzziah proved to be the exception and followed after the Lord. He walked in all of the ways of his father and according to the teachings of the prophet Zechariah. As long as Zechariah was there, Uzziah sought God, and God caused him to prosper greatly. He reigned longer (for 52 years total) than any of the other kings of Judah or Israel, save one. Sadly, he did not remain faithful after the prophet died. May God give us grace to serve Him faithfully, no matter what our age may be and no matter how others may react to the Lord.

Lord, our King, in one sense it does not matter who governs us at any level because You are sovereign. We ask, however, that You would bless us with good and godly governors and with Your servants who follow the counsel of Your Word.

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, OUR
GOVERNORS CAN BE GODLY.