I think Jehoram is not a name you want for your son

Nothing against the name, but the life behind the name in 2 Chronicles is one of the worst ones recorded in the bible. Here's how his life ends.

2Ch 21:19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.

2Ch 21:20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Jehoram was the king of Judah, the son of Jehoshaphat. Where Jehoshaphat was godly and as a result, God blessed him with peace in his kingdom and many riches, Jehoram the son, only inherited the riches. He was wicked and God judged him. Harshly too. I would not want to die the way Jehoram died. No thanks.

I have many many thoughts, to many to share at this point, about the hardship of riches and the detrimental affect it has on children growing up in it. I find that so often the comforts we provide for our children become the greatest obstacles to the formation of their faith. I have this theory that the greater we understand our DESPERATE need for Jesus, the deeper the formation of our faith.

"I'm drowning. I'm blind. I'm a leper. I'm headed straight to hell." - those are the makings of great and deep faith.

"I'm OK, I'm missing something, I'm interested" - those are the makings of shaky faith.

It's difficult for a young man like Jehoram, and for countless others, to grow up inheriting the blessings of God and enjoying the materialistic fruits of His hands to see clearly their state of desperation. Wealth and "things" just have a way of tempering that.

I think when we find ourselves surrounded by materialistic blessings from God, there is simply a greater need to put ourselves in situations where we are desperate for the Lord. Go street witnessing. Go down to Mexico. Go on a mission trip. Go feed the homeless. Go serve the sick. Go pray for the elderly. Do things that money cannot cure. Let your faith cling to the power of Jesus. And in all this, by all means, take your children along with you, lest in the materialistic blessings of the Lord, we raise sons and daughters like Jehoram.

May it never be.