Seeking God’s Guidance
Jehoshaphat was clearly devoted to God and it manifested in a few ways in his life. For one thing, we see that he often was seeking God's guidance.
God’s Word or Google?
Today's world is a Google world, right? Were quick to look up anything online if we need guidance or help. It's a great gift, really.
But we must never forget to seek the guidance of God in our lives. And Jehoshaphat’s life really shows this type of a commitment. In 2 Chronicles 17:9 we see how he sent out officials to the town of Judah to teach the word of God. The Word of God was so valuable to him that he had people teach others. I wonder if we are also that committed to God’s Word - to finding the guidance we need in our life from God's Word?
People of God Can Guide Us
In 2 Chronicles 18:4 we read that another King asked Joshua to join forces with him and Jehoshaphat says to him “first seek the counsel of the Lord.” And in an interesting story that follows, these two kings bring in prophets of God to try to discern what God is saying to them.
And so are we looking to people of God who can help point us in the directions we need to go in? People who are so close to God we can trust them to guide us?
Fasting and Praying
And then some time later someone reports to Jehoshaphat that enemy armies are coming to fight Judah. And we read this 2 Chronicles 20:3-4: “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord. Indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him.”
Are we fasting and praying as God's people to get our wisdom and guidance? Jehoshaphat’s commitment is inspiring here to me, and it's in contrast to his father. His father was a good man, but he has this strange verse written about him in 2 Chronicles 16. when he was afflicted with a disease in his feet. The writer says “though his illness was severe, even in his illness, he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians.”
So you see the contrast. When, Jehoshaphat was in trouble, he consulted God through his Word, his people and by fasting - and his father didn't.
Start Seeking
So could it be that you and I need to seek out guidance with more passion and efforts? Maybe it's time for you to fast in order to seek God's guidance for something in your life. It's a powerful way of becoming more sensitive to God's leading, giving up some food or liquids for some time is difficult. At first, we can only think about how hungry we are. But once you push through that, you feel cleansed. You feel emptied of the things that burden or poison you. There's a new spiritual strength that manifests. There's a deeper awareness of God's closeness. And often it's in fasts like these, like the one Jehoshaphat called that we hear from God or we connect with God in a powerful way.
And so, friends, maybe this is your lesson from Jehoshaphat today. Maybe you need God's guidance. You need to just get closer to him. Consider a time of fasting, maybe regularly, once a week or one meal a day for a week, something like that. But do it and seek God's guidance as you do, like Jehoshaphat through God's Word, through prayer, through God's people, and even through fasting. And I know that God will draw near to you as you draw near to Him in these ways.
