Hidden for such a time as this
“But Jehosheba the daughter of King Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and they hid him and his nurse from Athaliah, so that he was not killed.” ~ 2 Kings 11:2
Have you ever looked at your circumstances and thought, “God, what are You doing? Because I certainly don’t see it!” Sometimes God is working in places we can’t see, through people we might overlook, and in ways that don’t look anything like what we expected. In today’s scripture reading, it looked like the enemy had won. Athaliah had taken control of the kingdom and was determined to destroy the royal family. But while she was making plans to take over, God was making plans to preserve His promise. Right under her nose, a little boy named Joash was being hidden in the house of the Lord. God was protecting the future while everyone else thought it was finished.
That encourages me today because there will always be times when it looks like darkness is winning. We may look at our families, our culture, our communities, or even situations in our own lives and wonder how things could possibly turn around. But God isn’t limited by what we can see. Just because something is hidden doesn’t mean God isn’t working. Sometimes the greatest work God is doing is happening quietly, behind the scenes, where nobody is applauding and nobody even knows what’s happening.
Here are three truths from this chapter to remind you that God doesn’t need everything around you to be in order before He can accomplish His purpose through your life. He can protect what He’s called, position the right people, and preserve His promises even in the middle of chaos.
1. God can preserve what He has promised, even when circumstances look impossible.
Athaliah thought she had eliminated every possibility of the royal line continuing. She saw the situation as an opportunity to take control, but God saw something completely different. Joash was still alive. He was hidden away for six years, and during that time God was preserving the child who would eventually become king.
There are seasons when you may feel like something God placed in your heart has been forgotten or delayed. Maybe you’ve prayed for a family member for years, waited for an opportunity, or wondered if a dream or calling you once felt so strongly about will ever happen. You may not see anything changing, but that doesn’t mean God has stopped working.
Think about Joash. He wasn’t sitting on a throne. He wasn’t leading an army. He was a little boy hiding in the temple. If someone had walked by and said, “That’s the future king,” they might have laughed. He certainly didn’t look like a king at the time. Sometimes what God is developing in your life doesn’t look impressive yet either.
You might be in a hidden season right now. Maybe you’re raising children, working a job that doesn’t feel connected to your calling, serving behind the scenes, or simply trying to be faithful one day at a time. Don’t underestimate those seasons. God can be preparing you when you think nothing is happening.
Keep doing the next right thing God has put in front of you. Pray over what He has promised, even when you don’t see evidence yet. If you’re praying for a child, keep praying. If you’re waiting for direction, keep seeking Him. If you’re serving somewhere that feels unnoticed, keep serving with a willing heart. Your current position doesn’t determine your future purpose.
2. God uses ordinary people to protect extraordinary purposes.
One of the heroes of this story is Jehosheba. She wasn’t the king. She wasn’t leading an army. She wasn’t standing in front of thousands of people. She simply saw what was happening and did something about it. She took Joash, hid him, and helped protect his life.
I love stories like this because they remind me that God doesn’t only use people with microphones, titles, platforms, or official positions. Sometimes He works through the person who notices a need and steps in. Sometimes its a mother who keeps praying. Sometimes a grandmother that refuses to stop believing. Sometimes it’s a friend who sends the right text at the right time. Then there are the times He works through someone who simply says, “I’ll help.”
You may not think you’re doing anything significant, but your obedience could have a greater impact than you realize. A conversation you have with someone could change the direction of their life. A prayer could be part of someone else’s breakthrough. Encouraging someone who is discouraged could help them keep going when they were ready to quit. Jehosheba probably didn’t know the full story when she hid Joash. She couldn’t see six years into the future. She simply knew what was right in front of her and responded with courage.
Pay attention to the people God puts around you. Ask Him to show you who needs encouragement, who needs prayer, or who needs someone to believe in them. Don’t wait until you have a big platform to make a difference. Start with the people already in your world.
You might be the person the Holy Spirit moves through to help someone else survive a difficult season. You may never get a plaque for it, and honestly, you probably won’t even get a thank you card. But God sees it.
3. Stay faithful because God’s timing is always bigger than the moment.
For six years, Joash remained hidden. Six years is a long time to wait when you know there’s something bigger ahead. But when the right time came, Jehoiada the priest brought Joash out, crowned him king, and the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Can you imagine the surprise? Athaliah had been ruling for years, probably convinced that everything was under control. Then suddenly, the real king appears. Talk about an unexpected plot twist!
God’s timing can feel that way in our lives. We often want God to act immediately. Me personally, I am always looking for the right now miracle. But most of the time, God works through a process that takes much longer than expected or hoped for.
There may be something you’re waiting on right now. Maybe you’re waiting for a door to open, a relationship to change, a prayer to be answered, or a new opportunity to come. Waiting doesn’t mean God has forgotten you. Sometimes waiting is part of the preparation. Joash needed those six hidden years before he could step into his public assignment. There are things God may be developing in you privately before He ever asks you to carry them publicly.
Don’t rush what God is preparing. Use your waiting season to grow, pray, learn, serve, and become the person who can handle what you’ve been praying for. If God hasn’t opened the door yet, don’t spend all your energy trying to kick it down. Trust Him enough to wait for the right door to open. There are some doors that don’t need to be forced. When God opens them, you won’t have to wonder whether you were supposed to walk through.
Today I want to encourage you, don’t give up simply because you can’t see what God is doing. This passage reminds us that God can be working behind the scenes long before we ever see the evidence. While Athaliah was making plans to destroy the future, God was quietly protecting it. While everyone else thought the royal line was finished, God was preserving the promise and while Joash was hidden away, God was preparing him for the day he would step into his purpose.
You may feel hidden right now but hidden doesn’t mean forgotten. You may feel like you’re waiting, but waiting doesn’t mean wasted. You may feel like your circumstances are out of control, but God is still working. Keep praying. Keep obeying. Keep showing up. Keep doing what God has asked you to do. You don’t have to see the whole picture to trust the One who does.
Your story isn’t over because you can’t see the next chapter yet. God is still writing, still working, still protecting, and still preparing. When His timing comes, what He has been doing in secret will become visible in ways you never could have planned yourself.
Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 11
1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs.
2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom, from Athaliah, so that he was not killed.
3 So he was hidden with her in the house of the Lord for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
4 In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds—of the bodyguards and the escorts—and brought them into the house of the Lord to him. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son.
5 Then he commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall do: one-third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king’s house,
6 one-third shall be at the gate of Sur, and one-third at the gate behind the escorts. You shall keep the watch of the house, lest it be broken down.
7 The two contingents of you who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord for the king.
8 But you shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within range, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.”
9 So the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each of them took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
10 And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the Lord.
11 Then the escorts stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and the house.
12 And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
13 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the escorts and the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord.
14 When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar according to custom; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!”
15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not let her be killed in the house of the Lord.”
16 So they seized her; and she went by way of the horses’ entrance into the king’s house, and there she was killed.
17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also between the king and the people.
18 And all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They thoroughly broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord.
19 Then he took the captains of hundreds, the bodyguards, the escorts, and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and went by way of the gate of the escorts to the king’s house. Then he sat on the throne of the kings.
20 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword in the king’s house.
21 Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.
Journal:
- Is there an area of my life where I feel like God is silent or where I can’t see what He’s doing?
- What promise or purpose do I need to continue trusting God with, even though I haven’t seen the outcome yet?
- Who has God placed in my life that may need encouragement, prayer, or practical help from me right now?
- What might God be developing in me during this current season of waiting?
- What is one thing I know God has asked me to do that I need to remain faithful to?
- Where do I need to trust God’s timing instead of trying to make something happen myself?
