To No One's Sorrow

 I have done a lot of funerals in my life. My first funeral was for a 103 year old Christian lady. It was obvious that she had been blessed by God with a long life and salvation. However, I have also done funerals for people who were not believers, and those were very sad. The worst funerals are the ones where no one has any sorrow over the fact that the person has departed from this life because they were such bad people.

That is exactly the way it was for King Jehoram of Judah. He started his reign by killing his brothers, and he led the people into paganism. (II Chronicles 21:20) The Bible tells us that he was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed. So, they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. What a sad commentary on his life.

I wonder what they will say about us when we die? I wonder who will miss us and sorrow over our passing because they will miss us? The answer to those questions is directly related to how well we followed Jesus and did what He told us to do. If we were living and loving like Jesus all our lives, people will miss us. They will long for our compassion and encouragement.

There are far too many people who will be like Jehoram, though. They spend their lives thinking of themselves. They are totally materialistic, so they neglect their family and friends. They don't do the things they should do to help others, because it would cost them time and money. In fact, they are just mean when they don't get their way. When they depart this life, it will be to no one's sorrow.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 22-24.