Constantly On The Move

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very evening when the lights are out and all is quiet, I lie in my bed listening to the sound of the ticking clock that hangs on the wall in my living room.  All through the day and night, this vigilant sentinel keeps watch over my home, faithfully marking the passing hours.  While the pendulum swings back and forth, the hands move around the clock, marching through the hours with a determined and steady cadence.  This dance of time occurs whether I am present or not.  The clock continually fulfills its purpose, no matter what!

Clocks have always been a part of my life.  Our house was filled with them because my dad loved, and still loves, listening to a ticking clock.  What continues to amaze me is the precision with which these wonderful instruments work.  The most important part of the clock is the pendulum because without its faithful back and forth motion, the clock would not function.  As the pendulum swings through space, it causes the hands of the clock to move around the dial at a steady pace.  Each swing of the pendulum results in the forward motion of the hands as they mark the passing seconds, minutes, and hours.

The real secret of the clock lies in the fact that its parts are constantly on the move.  The visible motion of the hands and pendulum belie the intricate dance of the clock’s wheels, springs, and gears.  Yet the very fact that the hands move with such devotion indicates that the steadfast march of time moves forward from one passing moment to the next.

The Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles reveals the importance of being constantly on the move in God’s service.  2 Chronicles 27:6 is a brief passage about a man named Jotham, King of Judah, who walked in a manner pleasing to God.  “Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.”  But who was this Jotham and what do we know about him?

Jotham’s name appears 28 times in the Old Testament.  His father was King Uzziah who had leprosy.  Uzziah could not enter the Temple and he lived in a separate house, relieved of his responsibilities.  Jotham represented the people and ruled for his father.  When his father died, Jotham became King of Judah.  He rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Lord’s Temple.  He was 25 when he became king and he reigned for 16 years.  He conquered the Ammonites and they paid a tribute to him for 3 years.

But what we know historically about Jotham does not compare to our scripture passage today.  Notice that there is a direct correlation between Jotham’s power and his walk before God.  In the Old Testament, walking before the Lord meant to please him on a consistent basis.  Like a clock’s pendulum swinging back and forth, walking also requires constant movement, placing one foot in front of the other. The goal of walking is to move forward, to go from one place to another in a methodical and determined pattern.  Walking before God is a commentary on a person’s life and Jotham’s life was pleasing to God.  We know this because the Scriptures also say that Jotham increased in power and that his walk was steadfast.

This is always true of a man or woman today who walks with God.  The word steadfastly means determined, continually, and consistently.  God wants us to walk with him on a daily basis, always looking to him for all our needs, always communicating with him in every situation, and always walking forward with him as we mature in our faith.  When we walk with God in this fashion, we find that our spiritual lives become more powerful, that our relationship with God grows ever deeper, and that our faith and trust in him grow ever stronger.

What do the hands of your spiritual clock tell you about your walk with God today?  Is your pendulum swinging, marking out a constant rhythm, making the spiritual gears of your life turn?  Are the hands of your spiritual clock indicating that you are moving forward, growing and maturing in your walk with God?  Or do the pendulum and the hands show no movement, showing that your forward momentum and your walk with God have stopped?  If this is the case, don’t rest until you talk with God and have your clock rewound.  Remember, in order to please God, you must spend time with him.  Are you constantly on the move today?