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 Teach Your Children

Jotham Remained Faithful Despite Troubles at Home

Jotham Remained Faithful Despite Troubles at Home

WHEN a parent turns away from the true God, Jehovah, it can make life hard for a child. Let’s talk about Jotham. We’ll learn about the troubles he faced at home when he was growing up.

Jotham’s father, Uzziah, was the king of Judah. He was the most powerful man in the country. Uzziah had been a good king for many years, even before Jotham was born. But later, when Jotham was still young, Uzziah became proud and broke God’s Law. So God struck him with leprosy, a bad disease. Do you know what Jotham did then? *

Jotham kept right on serving Jehovah. Perhaps his mother, Jerusha, helped him. Still, it may have been hard for Jotham to remain faithful to Jehovah after his father, Uzziah, was turned away from Jehovah’s house.

What if your father or mother stopped worshipping Jehovah? That would make it very hard for you, wouldn’t it?— But it is not wrong to think about such a thing happening. A look at what David wrote in the Bible shows us this.

David’s father, Jesse, was a good man. He served Jehovah, and we can be sure that David loved his father. But David learned to love Jehovah even more than he loved Jesse. Let’s see why we know this.

 Please turn in the Bible to Psalm 27:10. David wrote here: “In case my own father and my own mother did leave me, even Jehovah himself would take me up.” Think about this: What the Bible is saying is that if David’s father, Jesse, or his mother should stop serving Jehovah, David would keep on serving Him.

What about you? Would you keep on serving Jehovah even if your father or mother did not?— This is a good question to ask yourself. The reason has to do with the most important commandment in the Bible. It is: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”

This commandment means to be faithful to Jehovah even when that is hard to do. Who do you think wants us to quit serving Jehovah?— God’s enemy Satan the Devil does. Jesus called him “the ruler of this world.” The Bible also says he is “the god of this system of things.” Do we need to be afraid of Satan?

No, we don’t. Rather, we need to remember that Jehovah is more powerful than Satan. Jehovah will protect us if we trust in him. Read in your Bible how Jehovah protected David from the fearsome giant Goliath. Jehovah can also protect you if you remain faithful to him.

^ par. 4 If you are reading with a child, the dash provides a reminder to pause and encourage the child to express himself.