Trusting God's Plan in the Battle: Lessons From the Life of JehoshaphatMfano

Day 4: Getting back to the basics

Back to the basics! It’s what we do when we’ve gotten off course or over complicated something. We go back and learn the fundamental aspects of a process or thing. In his third year as king, Jehoshaphat realized that his people were clueless about God’s law and how it impacted them. They needed to learn God’s laws and start living according to them.

Rest assured, God didn’t create His laws to be mean or steal their joy. Just like any parent who truly cares about his children, God created His law as a means of protecting them and providing structure for every aspect of their lives. He cared way too much about them to leave them clueless or worst yet, self-destructive.

God gave us a glimpse of the importance of His law in Joshua 1:8,“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

Knowing it was time his people to get reacquainted with God’s law, Jehoshaphat sent out teachers and priests into all the towns of Judah to teach God’s law. But wait! Did you notice what God did right after they started teaching His law to the people? “The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat.” 2 Chronicles 17:10

God brought blessing on his people and their land because they sought Him. The fear of the Lord poured out on all those other enemy nations causing them to bring tributes to King Jehoshaphat to get on his good side. He also kept an experienced team of fighting men to protect the kingdom. Bottom line, King Jehoshaphat and his kingdom became very rich and prosperous when they put God first.

Let that all sink in! It’s a kingdom principle you can apply today in your school, business, dating life, marriage and home, no matter what stage of life you are in. When we put God first and remain steadfast to keeping his commandments, we will be blessed! Just watch out!

Questions:

1. What does getting back to the basics with God look like to you?

2. What do you want to learn more about from God this year?

3. Name a couple of areas in your life that you’d like to see God change this year. What can you do to involve Him in that?