Hosanna Restoration Church

When we read of Jehoshaphat, we see that when he first began to reign he had favor with God because he followed the example of his father Asa’s early years. He learned watching what happened when Asa ceased to trust God. As a result, Jehoshaphat experienced peace all around as he sent out teachers throughout the kingdom to teach the people the ways of the Lord.

He was blessed in all that he did and things were going great, but then he arranged for his son to marry the daughter of Ahab and things began to slide as Ahab asked him to join up with him and go to war. Ahab hated the prophets of God. You can read how things went in the battle and what led up to it in 2nd Chronicles.

Do you remember the early years when you first fell in love with Jesus? Remember when your focus in life was to please Him? Have you ever gone through a time when you lost that focus? It is not like you quit loving God, it is more like He has just moved to a different place in importance.

Well Jehoshaphat did just that I believe. He had everything. He did not need an alliance with the king of Israel. He certainly did not need to become tied up with someone who said they hated the very word of God. He did not need any of this, but he went for all of it! What things are we going for in our lives that we really don’t need? I am not talking about extra trips to the mall here; I am talking about things that directly keep us from our commitment to God.

This nearly cost Jehoshaphat his life! Are there things that are sucking the life out of you? Does it seem peace and love are avoiding you and that anxiety and torment are more regular companions? When the enemy was after Jehoshaphat, he remembered where his help came from, and he cried out to God and God rescued him. We need to remember that God will always hear our cries. He can no more ignore the cry of his child than a mother can ignore the cry of a baby, especially their own.

I really love the way that Jehoshaphat came back. He went out himself among the people encouraging them to come back to the Lord. He did not just send out teachers saying, “The king says come back to the Lord.” He went himself and led the people to the Lord.

Have you ever sat in a boat and just enjoyed things around you without paying attention to where you are going? If so, you know how you can peacefully drift a long way from where you started. Whether you are in a battle or have been peacefully drifting, take the opportunity to check and make sure where you are in relationship with the Lord. Whether near or far away, always call upon the Lord. Come back or just keep coming closer. Always come to the Lord.