2 Chronicles 10:32,33
“He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not deviate from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.”
I enjoyed reading about Jehoshaphat. He loved and followed God. He instituted some great teaching practices which spread God’s message throughout the nation. He had an interesting time as a friend with king Ahab. He had a terrifying confrontation when enemy powers who had gathered as a great force to take them over. He and the nation cried out to God and He rescued them. Yet, he wasn’t perfect. The high places remained.
We all live life as best we can. Some fear God, others don’t. Among those who fear Him we want to please Him. Without the bible we do poorly. As we walk with Him according to His Word we learn how much He loves us. We begin to relax in His love. David says in Psalm 131:2, “I have certainly soothed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child resting against his mother, My soul within me is like a weaned child.” That’s quite an image. God wants us to rest in Him like a satisfied child that’s just been fed.
I can recall sharing Christ with a friend. I mentioned that following Christ was easy. He said, “If there are two of the poorest people on earth, you’d better be one of them. Don’t tell me it’s easy.” He’s wrong. How is that love? That is having a harsh view of God.
Isaiah 40:11 says, “He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.” This is how God relates to us. I have come to this the last decade. My first decade in Christ I was more like my friend. I had a harsh view of God.
It’s interesting what goes into one’s view of God. Part of it was my religious upbringing. Another part was from my parents. I had a great mom and a harsh, disaproving stepfather. All of that goes into how we view ourselves and how we think others see us. Even God. I had much of the good from my mother mixed in with the disapproval from the other parent.
When I came to God He began to tear down the bad and build up the good. I would get glimpses of grace. It was like light shining in the darkness. Then I heard bible teaching about grace and love. It was amazing. I had scripture to build on. He did love me. He wanted me to give of myself with a cheerful heart. Not an obligated one. That was a big step. I did the pendulum swing the other way. In time I corrected and am more balanced with grace and obedience.
David is an amazing example of one who saw God rightly. Here he was a warrior, yet he wrote about being like a weaned child. Warriors don’t use that language. The mighty men gravitated to him. Yet, he loved God. Most kings after him are compared to him. Either they followed God with their whole heart like their father David or they didn’t.
It would be nice if we knew more about Jesse, David’s father and his mother. We know they had many strong handsome sons and they were god fearing. Did the parents pass on their faith to David? Did their faith look like His? Or did God put that there. Partially the latter as he was considered a prophet of sorts.
Summing up today’s entry Jehoshaphat was a good king. May we do as well with our walk with God.