The man nobody missed

He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. – 2 Chronicles 21:20

A man told me that his oldest brother had died. When I expressed surprise that I had not heard the news already, he said, "We never had it announced in any way. He cared about nobody and nobody cared about him."

At first I was shocked by what I heard, and then I remembered a sermon I had read many years ago, titled, "The Man Nobody Missed." In 2 CHRONICLES 21 we read about that man, King Jehoram. Early in his reign he killed all his brothers and other potential rivals. He led the nation in the worship of false gods, had a troubled 8-year reign, and died from a terrible, painful disease "to no one’s sorrow" (v. 20).

It’s a sad story. Jehoram wasn’t missed when he died, because he had been a self-centered and godless person. The Bible gives Jehoram this short and tragic epitaph: "He did evil in the sight of the LORD" (v. 6).

Let’s remember that the extent to which we care about our relationships – both with God and the people He has put in our lives – will determine how much we will be missed when we pass on. If we keep this in mind and live to please God and show love to others, we’ll be missed when we depart this earthly scene. – Herbert Vander Lugt

One life for Christ is all I have,

One life for Him so dear,

One life for doing all I can

With every passing year. – Brandt

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 21:4-20

Make others happy wherever you go, not whenever you go.