There are many Bible stories that I love. But in one particular case, there is a certain lady who is only mentioned in a handful of verses. However, she made an impact on me and I believe she is a great example for the faith series that we have been walking through these past few weeks. Her name is Jehosheba.

Let’s start with a little back story first. There was a man named Ahaziah who was king of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as did many of the kings we read about in the Old Testament. Long story short, he wound up getting killed. So his mother Athaliah proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.

I know this story doesn’t sound good so far. But this is where Jehosheba comes in. She was the sister of King Ahaziah, who had recently been killed. She did something amazing. It says in 2 Kings 11:2-3:

“But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.”

When the right time came, the priest crowned Joash as king. He was only seven years old at the time when he became king. And Athaliah was then killed.

I simply love what Jehosheba did in this story. She acted out of faith and not fear. Fear would have made her think only of her own survival. If she had been acting in fear, she would have fled and not gave Joash a second thought. This story illustrates that strong faith is selfless. Strong faith looks out for other people, helps them, and gives whatever they can. Strong faith doesn’t worry about the consequences in these situations because we know that God is our source and our provider.

As Christians, we are called to be selfless, just as Jesus was. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This isn’t always an easy thing to do. We might get caught up in our own daily lives, and not take other people into consideration. But there are many Bible verses that talk about selflessness. Unfortunately, in today’s culture, many people have an “all about me” mentality. And sometimes this is rooted in fear. We look out for ourselves because we are afraid we will lose something when we give to others. But when we recognize that God is our source, we don’t have to fear.

So I hope this story helps you to press forward in your faith walk. Look for ways to be selfless in your daily life. Look for ways to help those in need. Look for ways to do something for someone else. You never know who you might make an impact on. And you will not only bless the people around you, but you will be blessed as well. When Jesus is your lifeline, you have the ability to help others in miraculous ways.

© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas

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