Seeking Counsel From God

Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 18
Key Verse: v. 4

"But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, 'First seek the counsel of the LORD.'"

King Jehoshaphat of Judah found himself in a compromised position. He had allied himself through marriage to Ahab, the wicked king of Israel (2 Chronicles 18:1). Now as he visited his father-in-law he was drawn into assisting him in his war against the neighbouring Syrians. This was something godly kings were not to do. Later we read of "Jehu the seer" saying to Jehoshaphat when he returns to Jerusalem, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?" (2 Chronicles 19:2). Helping Ahab was a mismatch, an "unequal yoke" (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Snared in this web of cooperation, Jehoshaphat yet tries to hold on to his battle tactics. He says to the king of Israel, a Baal worshipper, "First seek the counsel of the LORD" - that is, of Yahweh, the true God of Israel. Seeking counsel of God prior to battles was something King David had done earlier the history of the nation (1 Chronicles 14:10, 14). He would ask the LORD whether it was right to go up into battle, and seek wisdom to know how to engage in the fight. Invariably the LORD answered his inquiries and directed him in his ways. Well could his son Solomon later write, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Jesus embodied this spirit of dependence upon God in all his ways. Even though he was the Son of God, he did nothing by himself, but only what he saw his Father do (John 5: 19). We may surmise that he lived every day in a state of constant communion with his Father, always "seeking counsel" from him for what he was to do and say.

We no less than Jehoshaphat and Jesus are called to "seek counsel" from the Lord in the events of everyday life. We don't need to inquire of him through prophets as Jehoshaphat did because we have his Word and Spirit. But we still do need to ask. In all of our decisions our hearts need to turn to the Lord, asking that we might have the mind of Christ. God doesn't want us to be robots, but he does want us to live with constant reference to his will.

To Think About:

• Is it really practical to seek counsel from God in all our decisions and actions?
• Is this something you do?
• How does God direct us when we seek his wisdom today? Is there just one way, or does he use many means?

A Heart Devoted to the Lord

Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 17
Key Verse: v. 6

"His [Jehoshaphat's] heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD"

Jehoshaphat is one of the "good kings" of the southern nation of Judah. We are told in the opening verses of this chapter that in the earlier years of his life anyway, he followed the ways of his father David (v. 3). Because of his faithfulness the LORD established his kingdom and brought him great wealth and honour.

In verse 6 we are told a little more detail of how he lived. His "heart" is said to have been "devoted to the ways of the LORD." Almost every word of this short sentence is important. First, we need to note that Jehoshaphat's spirituality was something of the heart - the inner core of his being. He didn't content himself with ritual sacrifices and services at the temple. His inner being was turned toward the LORD. He might well have sung the great song of David recorded in Psalm 103: "Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name" (v. 1).

Second, note that Jehoshaphat's heart was "devoted" to the ways of the Lord. There was something decided and fixed about the orientation of his heart. It was wholly given to the LORD and his ways. He didn't dabble with the things of God occasionally; his heart was red hot toward God, and firmly fixed upon him.

Then thirdly, we are told that his heart was specifically fixed upon "the ways of the LORD." That is to say, he loved the law of the LORD in which God had revealed himself, his ways and his will to men. Jehoshaphat didn't chafe and find God's ways burdensome; on the contrary, they were his delight. Again, he was like the blessed man described in Psalm 1 whose "delight was in the law of the LORD" and in whose law he "meditated day and night" (v. 2).

Here is a man who is showing us the heart of what it means to be a child of God, a faithful servant of Christ. Jesus, of course, is our perfect model in this regard. He is the one Man whose heart was perfectly devoted to the ways of God. In acting in this way he served as our representative, but also as our model.

Like Jehoshaphat and Jesus, our heart must be given over to the Lord, and our desire be for his ways. This year I am making a point in my devotions of reading through the Gospels very slowly. I'm delighting to see Jesus in them in fresh and deeper ways. In particular, I'm noting everything he says about how to live in his kingdom. While his ways are not easy - they are the complete opposite of how the world in general lives and how our fleshly instincts clamour to live - they are nevertheless good and perfect. Loving and walking in his ways is still the path to blessedness.

To Think About:

• What is it that captivates your heart? What do you think about most of the time?
• Do you find pleasure in the Lord and in discovering his ways?
• Can you say that your heart is "devoted" to knowing and keeping his ways?

Tell Jesus these things - open your heart to him and ask him to make you more like himself, someone who is wholly devoted to the ways of the Lord.

Eyes Everywhere

Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 16
Key Verse:

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (v. 9)

 The LORD himself is speaking here through "Hanani the seer" (v. 7). King Asa had acted faithfully through the first 35 years of his reign, seeking the Lord and keeping his covenant with all his heart (14:2). However, in the 36th year, when Baasha the king of neighbouring Israel came up against him, he made an alliance with the king of Aram (Syria). This kind of action was specifically forbidden by God and a reflection of failure to trust. Hanani is here sent with a message from the Lord. Essentially he is rebuking Asa for his unfaithfulness at this time of crisis. 

Asa is charged with acting foolishly. He had previously experienced God's power to deliver from hostile neighbours (v. 8); why hadn't he trusted him to do so again? For, the prophet says, "the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

What wonderful words these are. The thought of God's eyes "ranging throughout the earth" points to his constant alertness. He is ever on the lookout for a heart that is committed to him and that relies on him. He sees, as it were, even the tiniest flicker of faith on the part of one of his people. And where he does so, he is right at hand to "strengthen" the one who looks to him. Words of the Psalmist come to mind: "His [the LORD'S] pleasure is not in the strength of a horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love" (Ps. 147:10, 11).

How often are we like Asa - looking to the strength of our own flesh, or the wisdom, wealth or influence of other people for help instead of looking to the Lord? God's words through his prophet ring down to us through the ages. "You have done a foolish thing!" (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Searching the Heart

Is there some special need that you have at the moment? What are you doing about it? Are you trying to solve your problem yourself (or through others), or have you cast it upon the Lord? He may want to use others to help you through it, but its always a mistake to rely on them without consulting the Lord first.

Sharing Devotional Blessings

Daily Bible reading has been a staple part of life for my wife Nola and I for nearly forty years. We have developed this discipline not out of a sense of legalistic duty but as a means to deepen our relationship with God. There have been seasons when it has been hard to maintain, and when we haven't got much out of it. But increasingly as the years pass it is an activity we eagerly look forward to at the beginning of each day.

For most of those years I've used a pen and paper to help me fix the lessons God has been teaching me through his Word on a particular day. I've a stack of cheap 1B4 school exercise books filled with notes in my study closet to prove it. Most of the entries begin with a list of facts  and observations on a passage - generally about six in total. After that I've written reflections on a central spiritual truth that's emerged in the process of identifying the ideas in the passage that I've read. These, in turn, form the basis of worship and prayer.

For the most part these reflections don't contain anything personal. While they are intended for my own benefit, there's nothing about them that couldn't be shared with others. Given the struggle so many Christians have with devotional Bible reading, I believe the time has arrived to make them accessible to others. I don't want people substituting my devotional thoughts for their own, but for those who do find it difficult to get anything significant from their Bible reading, it may be of help to have something to prompt their thinking.

It's only recently that I have discovered how useful blog sites are for this kind of activity. I appreciate that only a few may ever access a site regularly, and most, never at all. Numbers, however, are not the motivating factor in this exercise as far as I am concerned. The blessing that I gain from of writing out thoughts clearly is ample reward for the effort. If others can be blessed as well, so much the better.