In the book of Chronicles, we find the story of King Jehoshaphat, one of the most righteous rulers of Israel. While this king had many strengths and obeyed God, there are still lessons we can learn from his leadership. These include the following:

1. We need to surround ourselves with the right people. King Jehoshaphat had good intentions, but he surrounded himself with King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. Because of this, he opened himself up spiritually to a host of problems and bad counsel. Make sure those around you are committed to the Lord! 

2. We need to maintain a constant humility before God. As armies converged on Israel, King Jehoshaphat called for a nation-wide fast. Everyone humbled themselves before God—even down to the children! They considered God their foremost priority. Are you willing to give up things that are standing in the way of your closeness with God? 

3. We must always go back to the Word. King Jehoshaphat sought the Word of the Lord, and so must we. Every day, we must go back to the Word, and surround ourselves with people who do the same. If we do this, we’ll remember that It’s not about how strong we are, but how strong God is!

Israel’s victory against their enemies wasn’t because Jehoshaphat was a great king. It wasn’t because Israel was skilled in battle. Their victory came because they fell on their faces and surrendered to their all-powerful God. Let us fight our battles in the same way, and see the victory of Jehoshaphat in our own lives! 

Live Big!

Dr. Derek Grier