Tag Archive - Jehoshaphat

Passionate perseverance in our journey of faith

Here is another post that I wrote for my churches August fast that I wanted to share with you. How do we remain passionate as we continue through this August Fast? Do you have the zeal for this fast that you had at the beginning? Have the worries of work and family crowded into your day to day living? When insurmountable events present themselves and hope seems lost what do you do? Cling to God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength as the waves of life seek to consume you.

In 2 Chronicles 20 the kingdom of Judah was invaded by the sons of Moab, the sons of Ammon, and the Meunites. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, is faced with an overwhelming advisory seeking to destroy him. What would your instinctive reaction be in this situation? Would you be afraid? “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord” 2 Chronicles 20:3,4  Hope in times of trouble is only found in God alone. Jehoshaphat’s instinct was not to run anywhere but to God for his help. The people sought to fast and set their hearts towards God. Continue Reading…

What do you set your heart toward: 2 Chronicles 19 and 20

“Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord? But there is some good in you for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.” 2 Chronicles 19:3,4  Jehoshaphat was not perfect not a perfect leader of Judah. He had his faults and failures but he consistently set his heart to seek after God. Do you think that you are required to live a perfect life on earth? What expectations do you place on yourself that are unnecessary? As Jehoshaphat set his heart to seek God he was learning to cling to God and love Him with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength. The evidence of Jehoshaphat’s focus on God is seen in 2 Chronicles 19:5-11 as he sets out to bring the people of Judah back to the Lord. Continue Reading…

Our inherent need for a leader: 2 Chronicles 17 and 18

When Jehoshaphat became king over Judah what impact did his faith and dependance upon God have in the lives of the people and the kingdom of Judah? How did the people of Judah view Jehoshaphat faith in God? Did they truly believe in God’s power and faithfulness at the onset of his reign? How do people today view a leaders strong faith in God? It may seem to people today that a leader who claims his strength in God alone is a little of his rocker but the life of the leader will the greatest witness to the glory and power of God. Continue Reading…

Where will you turn in your moment of crisis: 2 Kings 3 and 4

I love the intentional, specific, and beautiful language that is used throughout Scripture. In 2 Kings 3 Jehoram the son of Ahab becomes king of Israel. He did what was evil in the sight of God, not to the extent of Ahab and Jezebel, but he choose to cling to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. The struggle that was faced by Jehoram and by everyone living today is choosing to follow the sins of those around us instead of clinging to God. This language steams from when Joshua gave his final instructions to the people of Israel to cling to God instead of the ways of the people around them. What do you cling to? Continue Reading…

Kingdoms come to ruin without God as King: 1 Kings Summary

The book of first Kings does not follow one fluid story like the books of Joshua or Ruth rather we follow a timeline of the kings of Israel with great detail given about specific moments in peoples lives while other people only have general highlights given. Why is the book written in this manner? It is consistently repeated throughout the book of 1 Kings, “are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” What does this statement tell us about 1 Kings? The book gives us a summary of what happened to Israel as various kings took control and also the nation of Israel dividing into Israel and Judah. When details are omitted in 1 Kings it is referencing 2 Chronicles where greater detail of the actions of each king is given. Continue Reading…