Kingdom Competitor

The history of Israel’s kings is complicated, to say the least.

King Saul began with tremendous potential, but insecurity and paranoia eventually took hold of his heart. King David and his son Solomon were, on the whole, faithful kings despite their significant flaws. After Solomon’s reign, however, the nation fractured into two kingdoms, and the biblical record becomes a cycle of mostly poor leadership. Again and again, we read that kings “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Yet every so often, a godly ruler emerges from the chaos.

One of those kings was Jotham.

We do not know as much about Jotham as we do David, Solomon, or even Hezekiah, but his brief story contains a powerful lesson. Jotham was the son of King Uzziah, a king who generally followed God but stumbled near the end of his life. In pride, Uzziah entered the temple to perform duties reserved only for priests, directly violating God’s command. As a result, he was struck with leprosy and remained afflicted until his death.

When Jotham became king after his father, Scripture says:

“And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 27:2

Jotham learned from both his father’s faithfulness and his father’s failure.

But the verse that stands out most comes a few lines later:

“So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.”
2 Chronicles 27:6

Think about that for a moment.

Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord.

Not because he was the most talented king. Not because he had the strongest army. Not because he possessed unusual charisma or political genius.

He became mighty because he submitted his life to God.

The Power of Ordered Living

Jotham understood something that many people still struggle with today:

God knows better.

That statement may sound simple, but truly living it is another matter. It requires humility. It requires surrender. It requires trusting that the Creator of heaven and earth understands how life is meant to be lived.

If God created humanity, then He probably knows a thing or two about what leads to flourishing.

Following Christ is not a guarantee of wealth, comfort, or worldly success. The Bible never teaches that. Jesus Himself told us to count the cost of following him, and countless believers throughout history have suffered greatly for their faith.

But I do believe that when we order our ways before the Lord, His wisdom begins shaping our lives in ways that produce lasting fruit. We might not win the earthly game, but we won’t lose it when following Christs commands.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy:

“Train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
1 Timothy 4:7-8

Notice that godliness affects both eternity and the present life.

Following Jesus is not simply about reaching heaven someday. It is about learning to live today according to God’s design.

Human Flourishing Through God’s Design

When we align our lives with God’s instructions, our hearts and habits begin to change.

We learn how to work diligently while also embracing rest through God’s rhythm of Sabbath.

We learn to love enemies instead of escalating conflict.

We learn to care for the poor, the vulnerable, and the marginalized.

We learn that every human being bears the image of God and therefore possesses inherent dignity and worth.

We learn that integrity matters in business, truth matters in relationships, and faithfulness matters in our families.

The more you examine Scripture, the more you discover that God’s commands are not arbitrary restrictions. They are invitations into abundant life.

Jesus said He came so that we might have life and have it abundantly.

The challenge is that we often want abundance without obedience.

We want God’s blessings while still choosing our own path.

But that is not how ordered living works.

The Danger of Doing What Seems Right

The Bible gives us countless examples of what happens when people decide their wisdom is superior to God’s.

Consider Saul.

When Samuel was delayed, Saul chose to perform a sacrifice himself rather than patiently obey God’s instruction. Later, when commanded to completely destroy the Amalekites, Saul convinced himself that partial obedience was good enough. He kept spoils of war under the pretense of serving God, even though God had explicitly said otherwise.

Saul’s downfall began when he started believing his judgment was more reliable than God’s.

Even David, a man described as being after God’s own heart, suffered consequences when he chose to ignore God’s commands. The Old Testament warned kings against accumulating wives for themselves, yet David did exactly that. The resulting family turmoil brought heartbreak, division, rebellion, and violence into his household.

These are dramatic examples, but they illustrate an important truth:

Doing what is right in our own eyes rarely ends where we think it will.

God’s commands are not obstacles to our happiness. More often, they are safeguards protecting us from unnecessary pain.

So How Do We Order Our Ways Before the Lord?

The good news is that this is not complicated.

God is not demanding perfection. He is asking for faithfulness.

Here are a few simple practices that can help keep your life oriented toward Him.

1. Pray Daily

Talk to God every day.

Thank Him for His blessings. Confess your sins. Bring your concerns before Him. Pray for your family, friends, teammates, coworkers, and community.

Prayer is not a religious checkbox. It is a relationship.

God desires to hear from His people, and not just when they are in trouble.

2. Spend Time in God’s Word

Every day, engage with Scripture in some way.

Read your Bible. Work through a devotional. Listen to biblical teaching on your commute to work or practice. Fill your mind with God’s truth regularly.

You cannot follow God’s direction if you never listen to His voice.

3. Use Helpful Resources

If you need structure, use tools that help build consistency.

Some great options include:

• FCA Athletes Bible
• FCA Devotionals through the Bible App
• The Daily Blade 5-Minute Devotional Podcast

The goal is not complexity. The goal is consistency.

Do Simple Better

One of my favorite ideas that I have learn from successful sports team is this: Do Simple Better.

We often assume spiritual growth requires something dramatic or elaborate. In reality, most spiritual maturity is built through simple habits repeated over time.

Start your day with the Lord your God.

End your day with the Lord your God.

Seek the Lord in all you do.

Submit your plans to the Lord.

Repeat that process day after day.

There is a certain beauty in the repetition.

King Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord. The same invitation stands before us today.

Order your ways before the Lord.

Let Him lead you from the rising of the sun to its setting.

And as you faithfully follow Christ, trust that He will shape you into the man He created you to be.

• Written by Tate Tobiason