I think Jehoshaphat has a kind of eye-opening experience in 2 Chronicles 19. Prior to this chapter, he initiated a few reforms—tearing down the high places and Asherah poles (v.3)—but since then, he had witnessed the death of Israel’s king, who mocked and disobeyed God (2Chronicles 18) and heard God’s voice through Jehu, the seer’s son (2 Chronicles 19:2–3). Jehoshaphat had seen God’s mighty hand at work among those who were against Him, and he had received a personal wake-up call from this same God. For Jehoshaphat, God and His greatness were no longer nice ideas he could toy around with but realities he had experienced and must surrender to. It was not enough to make concessions to God; Jehoshaphat and Judah had to put Him at the center. His path had to be their only way forward. Jehoshaphat’s word to all of Judah was essentially, “Stop! Open your eyes and hearts to the reality of our God!”
Jehoshaphat appointed judges and leaders who discerned the Lord’s will and settled disputes according to it. He reinstated the high priest’s role as the ultimate spiritual leader. He warned all the leaders that God had a right path and that guilt and wrath were incurred for not following it (vv.5–11).
Second Chronicles 20 shows us that seeking the Lord in life’s ordinary matters prepares us for seeking Him amidst our greatest fears. When Jehoshaphat learned of a multi-enemy army coming for Judah, his firsthand experience of God’s greatness and power led him to fight his fear on his knees and to lead his people to do the same (2Chronicles 20:1–5). In his public prayer, Jehoshaphat brought to mind God’s greatness and power over all the world and His history of faithfulness to Israel—God provided this land and brought them to it, after all (vv.6–7). Jehoshaphat also remembered God’s promise to be faithful, and pleaded for this to continue, ending with a confession we all can appreciate: “We do not know what to do but we look to you” (v.12). Through Jahaziel, the Lord told Judah that it was indeed His battle and their task was to “stand still” and watch Him rescue them (v.17).
Seeking the Lord always and ultimately ends in praise! In this section of reading, nothing else is said about fear, only worship. Judah sang and praised its way to battle the next day, where singers on the front lines sang, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever” (v.21). And the Lord rescued His people as He promised.
We know the best part of God’s rescue: The One Judah could only imagine, the One who would bring ultimate salvation and rest. He won the final battle for our lives! Our change comes as we recognize how deeply loved and forgiven we are in Him. Only by His power can we stop living half-heartedly and turn wholly to Him, praising and watching as He changes our hearts and wins our battles.
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53 thoughts on "King Jehoshaphat’s Reforms"
Coming back to add my comment as I think I was rushing off to work and never had time to comment. I LOVED this devotion! Lots of great comments as well :) Such a good reminder that the battle is the Lords and that even in our battles, our greatest weapon is praise. Seek the Lord always. I am trying to be obedient to His calling in my life and not rush ahead because I am impatient.
@Mercy’s comments and where I am struggling to understand.
1. Does anyone know what definition of love is used here and in the love your enemies verse found in Matthew 5:44? Was thinking that with the current reading it meant you could ‘love’ them just not marry them. Or take on their evil thoughts towards God.
2. Not sure I would classify singing as confronting them. 2 Chronicles 20:24 says they only saw dead men. Sing and pray. Let God be God and do His work. Too many people have been turned away from Christianity because of people judging and confronting instead of showing concern and love. God wants us to choose Him. Our actions should help, not hinder that goal.
Loving everyone’s comments! The battle is the Lord’s- our job obedience to do what He tells us to do.
I woke up in the middle of the night tossing and turning, trying to figure out a solution to a seemingly impossible problem we’re facing on the ranch. All of the solutions I can come up with are either way too expensive, or won’t accomplish our goals, or won’t satisfy the landowners we lease from… actually all of the above. I was getting agitated and frustrated that I couldn’t sleep. I can only imagine how much more in-over-his-head Jehoshaphat must’ve felt when he heard of the impending attack. None of the solutions he could come up with would suffice. But he gave it to God.
So I prayed last night that He would give me wisdom to address this problem, and peace to know that He’s got it figured out. I fell back asleep, thankfully, knowing that the Lord can fight even the seemingly small battles for me. This morning I am praising Him for all the ways He has provided for us in the past, and trusting that He will do so again. My heart and my ears are open to hear His voice, and I will wait on the Lord to solve this problem for me, rather than worrying and scurrying to find a solution myself.
Praying for your parents @mercy
@Traci Gendron I’m so sorry for the guilt you feel during Covid but just know so many strange rules were implied to so many people and nobody knew how or if they could stand up to them. I work for a hospital and during the days when they were extremely short workers we would work extra hours in different areas to help out. One being the door monitors. I cannot tell you how hard it was to tell people they couldn’t see their family members because the number of people in that room had maxed out or whatever silly rule they had at the time. I finally got to the point where I’d wink and tell them to go on up but don’t tell them how you got in. Such an unfair rule during that time. Just know that Tanner would probably tell you the same thing to not feel guilty. You took amazing care of him his whole life and he will always know that. Praying for you tonight and all prayer requests.
Mercy, praying for your parents !
SharBear I love this song! Thanks for the reminder. And these chapters wow! Just wow! So many verses I had seen out of context but putting them all together and in one narrative is so powerful to me! May I always praise God in my battles!
♥️ @ Traci Gendron – I cannot fathom the guilt and the loss you feel piled on top of guilt. Prayers for peace. We did so many thing wrong in the pandemic that hopefully we gained some knowledge and compassion.
Bugs Bunny was always my favorite…I guess I am old too! Lol
Mercy, My devotion today talked about God’s great strength- He spoke the world into existence, He calmed the raging sea. Our fears can interfere with God’s strength. Instead of trying to quiet your fears, draw closer to God
Happy Tuesday she’s. May we all rejoice and be glad this day that the Lord has made :)
A few points of Scriptures that spoke to me personally today:
1. “should you love those who hate the Lord?” (2 Chronicles 19:2), hmm… don’t love God’s enemies! This leads me to think of some boundaries to where our love should land. Might be an unpopular and controversial point, but that’s our God, hallelujah, counter culture and controversial at best :)
2. The battles is the Lord’s, we just need to go out to confront the enemies (you won’t need to fight and see the salvation of the Lord, tomorrow go out against them,,,2 Chronicles 20:17)
3. Praise is a weapon to launch God’s ambushments against our enemies (And when they BEGAN to sing and to praise, the Lord sent ambushments against the children of their enemies…2 Chronicles 20:22). This reminds me of Joshua’s group of singers and worshippers strategically placed in front to walk around the Jericho walls to just praise and worship. Same approach, same mind-blowing hard to believe victory. This really convicted me, as I didn’t always have the right posture as Scriptures stated I should- when I felt defeated, I could not crawl out of bed, soaked in self pity, thinking God has left. BUT GOD…never once will He leave us alone as orphans, He will surely come to us (John 14:18), a promise of His faithfulness. Praises and worship will be my weapons to launch God’s blow to anything that is pulling us down.
Ladies, I am asking for prayers for my parents, especially for my mom. Please pray for her healing from her childhood wounds, also guilt from the way she treated us, and deliverance from narcissistic traits, deliverance from wrong doctrines (she and dad are now tuning into Buddhist teachings to find inner peace, healing and forgiveness on youtube..i am shocked and disheartened). I don’t know how the issues got compiled so quickly. Please pray for them to not be entangled by doctrines of evil and turn to Christian teachings instead. They think I am a Jesus fanatic and didn’t take my Christian advice (or so it seems). Thank you for your prayers. God bless you all.
Be blessed dear sweet sisters. May we seek the Lord in life’s ordinary matters in order to seek Him amidst our greatest fears (thank you Ginny for this great wisdom!).
I want to live my life like Jehoshaphat: praying and worshipping God during a battle and in everyday life. I love how this chapter shows how important worship can be when we are going through a trial.
it should be, *surrender control, sorry
WOW!!!!! Ever feel like God is trying to get a point across to you? Well today is that day for me — God is trying to get a point through this “think German skull” of mine. While reading the Scripture from my “Thrive Devotional Bible”, I came across two devotions with regards to the Scriptures we read today, both of which spoke to me. Then I went on to read Ginny’s devotion and once again God’s “hitting me in the head with a rubber mallet” saying “pay attention.” Starting in April my way of making a living will change, I’ll be making less money but I believe I’ll be happier and I know it’s where God is leading me. I’d been worrying about it these last few days and how I was going to tell Kaylee’s family. Well once again God took care of that. Kaylee’s mom informed me today that they will be doing the hours for her differently and I won’t be needed. “Ok God, I’m listening and paying attention.” I will let YOU LEAD AND I WILL FOLLOW. Well, I pray I can do this.
When I was reading the part of Scripture about Jehoshaphat and the Judeans going to battle and the singing I thought of Joshua and the battle of Jericho. God DELIVERS when we listen and praise Him.
I’m taking and combining a couple of prayers from my devotional Bible:
“Dear God, Help Your daughter to recognize when anyone is separating her heart from You. Give her the wisdom to walk with those who love You. May Your protection cover Your daughter wherever she goes. Whatever she is facing, may she run to You for refuge. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Be blessed and know “the battle belong to the Lord — surrend control to Him.”
Good Morning Shes. This may seem a little something about a little something. BUT I enjoy figuring out where certain phrases or expressions in the American lexicon come from. SO…I just had to trace: “Jumping Jehoshaphat”. You can google it yourself, but here’s the first plausible explanation I encountered. “A mild oath that first appeared in a late nineteenth century novel in which a cowboy is amazed at how far a horse (and its beautiful rider) could jump”. “Popularized ( I LOVE THIS!) by the cowboy character Yosemite Sam in the Bugs Bunny cartoon .” (oh, yeah, I’m that old). And why link jumping with the King Jehoshaphat who stood still & waited upon the Lord to battle the enemy? Because it would’ve been amazing to see the resolute & trusting King suddenly jumping in fright! But the King did send ahead of his armies singers lifting their voices in high praise…and expectantly leaping … & jumping with joy!
NOW…Let us seek the Lord in the sacred & sublime…BUT also in silly sayings.
Laughter is good for the soul!
Amen & Amen!
“Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.”
Oh how amazing that must of been!
Yes! If only our government was Godly!
I loved reading todays chapter. “The battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chron 20:15 What a beautiful reminder to trust God with everything in life. Every challenge that comes our way. Thank you for this beautiful devotional, highlighting the importance to constantly and continuously seek God in our daily life so we will be prepared for seeking him amidst our greatest fears and challenges. Have a blessed week everyone.
GWINETH52, thank you so much for your kind words yesterday! It was really touching. I was just thinking later in the day yesterday that this all has been so exhausting and so tough at times, but the relationships that are being strengthened between siblings and the work we’re able to accomplish is all God’s doing. We have a long few months of it all, still, but knowing we are all working together and making progress is a huge testimony to what God can do when we rely on Him.
@Traci- Praying you will release your guilt that is felt but not deserved. Your love for Tanner is what matters and I’m sure he’d want you to know that.
@Mia Faith- sending love and prayers for continued daily strength and comfort on the loss of your dear son. May joy rise up in looking forward to the time you will be with him again!
@Rhonda- continued prayers for complete healing ❤️ of your foot! So glad you were able to go to church over the weekend!
1. Do not be afraid-the battle is the Lord’s
2. Fall down in prayer and worship
3. Have faith in the Lord, He will be with you (trust)
4. Give thanks and sing praise!
Pretty clear instructions, all there in a nutshell in 2Chronicles 20! But oh so hard to do sometimes! But we keep trying and as we do we draw closer in our walk with Jesus. ❤️
The thing that sticks out most to me is how amazing it would be to have a government that follows the law and leading of God! How beautiful. They weren’t perfect but they kept going back and God kept forgiving. His faithful love endures forever
@Rebecca W- thank you for your kind words. I remember you mentioning this about your daughter and the boundaries you had to set. I pray God continues to help you and give you guidance as you follow Him.
I’m in agreement with all of you speaking encouragement to Taylor. I’m glad you have set that standard for yourself with the Lord, girl! God will bless your obedience!!! <3
@Molly R- thinking of you and your family. God be there to comfort and strengthen you in this stage. May He release any extra burden you might carry.
@Rhonda J – in agreement with you and your encouragement to @Traci G. God would not want us to retain guilt, especially for situations that were so difficult and confusing to navigate. I pray the enemy's lies against you @Traci would end regarding Tanner! Seriously, the Lord strengthen you and remind you to look ahead. In your remembering of Tanner, may you see grace- & love, not guilt or shame. I can't say I know the depth of your loss, but God loves you and He is proud of the mother you were for Tanner. God, please help Traci feel and understand the depth of your great love to her as she still processes this loss.
Thank you, Lord. "The mercy of the Lord endures forever. "
17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you. What a great reminder! God has a way of working is such miraculous ways. I didn’t attend church in my town I moved too for several years because I was afraid of going alone. I’d go with my parents when I was home for the weekend but never in my town. Until august of 21 when I finally decided to rip the bandaid off. Jump to May of 22 when my dad had a terrible accident and I can’t help but feel like he was creating a strong faith in me because he knew I was going to need that faith to get me through one of the hardest times in my life.
I had not looked at it that way but wow!’ That’s beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
I have so much affection for king Jehosaphat! Wow what a great leader. I love his connection to the people. His commitment to realigning to God’s word in every area. I love the public fasting image in the temple courtyard with all ages present to hear God’s promise of deliverance. I love that they believed God wholeheartedly, enough to go into battle with singers leading the way! Their blessing was massive, and the nation had peace. What an inspiration!! Oh, and PS – don’t align yourself with evil. Psalm 1 callback! “Do not walk in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers”
So thankful for God’s word today.
So much in this chapter! Can’t imagine being the worship leaders for Jehoshaphat when he tells them that they will lead the army into battle! They would be the first to lay eyes on this huge army! So Jehoshaphat prepared them by telling them to sing for the Lord and praise the splendor of His holiness. Their praise created a place before them for the Lord to inhabit and all enemies were destroyed in that place from “the moment they began their shouts and praises” vs 22. So good!
Reading about Jehoshaphat calling for pray and fasting for himself and the nation in the face of the enemy coming against their nation, made me think bringing that to the level of family. There is so much coming against families in these days and fear is trying to take over. What if I stood with my husband as the leaders of our home to fast and seek the Lord. What if we invited others in the family to do the same. When we gather this Easter, what if we praised the splendor of our God even as we prayed over one another in the battle. What if we not only celebrated the salvation of the Lord on Easter, but actually experienced it!
So much in this chapter! Can’t imagine being the worship leaders for Jehoshaphat when he tells them that they will lead the army into battle! They would be the first to lay eyes on this huge army! So Jehoshaphat prepared them by telling them to sing for the Lord and praise the splendor of His holiness. Their praise created a place before them for the Lord to inhabit and all enemies were destroyed in that place from “the moment they began their shouts and praises” vs 22. So good!
Traci, the heartache from those Covid days…awful!
Praying for you this morning. You did what you could. None of us knew what we know now. We trusted the people in charge, and sadly they made bad rules that we had to follow. Please know that Tanner doesn’t hold it against you.
Giving you a big, long hug
This!
“Only by His power can we stop living half-heartedly and turn wholly to Him, praising and watching as He changes our hearts and wins our battles.”
And yes, I too listen to music to help me when fear threatens.
Blessings and hugs to all my she’s. ❤️
31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. – 2 Chronicles 20:31 I couldn’t help but notice this momma was worth mentioning. What’s interesting is the almost exact same verse in mentioned in 1 Kings 22:42. Our job as mothers are so important and Lord I pray that my children walk in Your ways, do what is right in Your sight and to seek You in everything!!! Happy Tuesday She’s!!!
… and praise Him.
I am so encouraged – and will add 1 Chronicles 20 to my list of favorite chapters – afraid? Remember what God has done, cry out to him – he will deliver. Admit we don’t know what to do, and look to him. Knowbattle belongs to the Lord,
Thank you @Traci for sharing your feelings with us. I have to agree that those shut off from their loved ones- that were in the hospital and passed without family members there, are going to have serious guilt incurred by “those” in charge. I thought at the time how unfair that is, and what would I do?!! My heart hurts for you is all I can say. But God, he doesn’t want you to feel guilt. YOU know you were the best mom ever, and you know Tanner worshiped you as his friend and momma! I remember the wkd clear as day. Listen to the Lauren Daigle song my friend…”Thank God I do.” God’s got you. We love you, and I give you a long hug.
2 Chronicles 20:12 is such a lifeline for me. Our oldest son died in 2014 (April 1, so coming up) by suicide. There could have nothing to prepare us for this. He was a believer proclaiming Jesus to others, a successful attorney, a loving father and so much more. This verse- We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” was sent to me by a friend. It was everything we felt! In all things, our eyes are on Him!
SHARBEAR – beautiful and thank you for sharing.
RHONDA – Right? Yesterday it was over a low tire for me. I was frustrated that the man at 7/11 couldn’t help me figure out the air machine. Communication issues.. Needless to say I was in a foul mood.
2 Chronicles 20:12 We do not know what to do, but we look to you. Their task was to stand still and watch Him rescue them. Do we stand still or do we take matters into our own hands? Lord let me run to you first.
Lately I have been having guilt over not being at Tanner’s bedside in the ICU. They told me, because of covid, I could not be there. I should have insisted. It wasn’t in the beginning of covid and I could wear a mask and go in, they just didn’t want me staying. Such nonsensical rules. They say someone in that state can hear you. He needed to hear me. I’m finding it hard to get past this. They let us be with in in his final moments. Non of that made sense and now I’m struggling with it. Shame on how all this was handled. People died alone. Imagine the guilt those family members must feel.
Good Morning She’s!
Scripture turns our hearts and minds to the Lord each morning and we feel encouraged, strong, and enabled for our day! The Lord will be will me to face my fears and struggles today, the encounters and the joys! Then…10 minutes later, we spill our coffee, we curse, and the day starts going wrong….! lol A bad word with the husband or kids, holding our tempers in as we flee out the door and fight traffic! So, we can relate to our Chronicles scripture, and the whole old testament, of how we are fickle humans, with a full range of emotions that go all over the place! We look back at our lives of the up and down road we cruise on, winding here and there…fluctuating between following God, giving him all of our heart and soul, then where we did not. We read the word and say “people how hard can it be to JUST FOLLOW God?” How hard is it for me JUST to follow Jesus!? Do what is right. Give him my all. I try. I really do, then my flesh leads the way. I repent Lord, I repent, give me your wisdom and strength Lord each day, your manna, it is enough, more than enough, but I must submit…constantly, all day, every moment.
I hope you all have a beautiful day! Prayers for you all to fill up today in thankfulness and goodness! I too, like Sharon, love to listen to worship music! All day long! ( “Speak the Name Jesus” has long been a favorite of mine but by different singers! ) Currently my two favorites are Loren Daigle’s new one, and Brandon Lake’s “Fear is not my Future!!” So good!!
Battle Belongs
Phil Wickham
When all I see is the battle, You see my victory
When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me
There’s nothing to fear now for I am safe with You
So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And if You are for me, who can be against me? Yeah
For Jesus, there’s nothing impossible for You
When all I see are the ashes, You see the beauty
Thank You God
When all I see is a cross, God, You see the empty tomb
So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
Almighty fortress, You go before us
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
An almighty fortress, You go before us
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
An almighty fortress, You go before us
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
You shine in the shadows, You win every battle
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
Beautifully written devotional, Ginny! Once again we come across these familiar words (emphasis mine): “Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. DO NOT BR AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED….FOR THE LORD IS WITH YOU.” 2 Chronicles 20:17
It’s interesting how Jehoshaphat lined his men up for battle – he appointed singers at the head of the army to sing to the Lord and praise Him! Often when I’m facing “battles” of my own, I turn on the praise music and crank it up! Its amazing how singing praises to the Lord can calm our souls, encourage us and empower us in the Spirit and remind us of who God is. Many times when a friend or family member is going through difficult situations, I send them a praise/worship song that has been a blessing to me…we praise You, Father God and give You thanks, for Your love endures forever. (2 Chronicles 20:21)
My newest favorite praise song is – I Speak Jesus, sung by Charity Gayle – so beautiful!
Have a blessed Tuesday sisters!
Be still. Stand still and watch/wait. How often have I run ahead of God convinced that He will bless my plans. How much better to rest in God’s direction to be still and watch His plan. So thankful for His grace and mercy even when I rush ahead.
“Second Chronicles 20 shows us that seeking the Lord
in life’s ordinary matters prepares us for seeking Him amidst our greatest fears.” I needed that so much this morning. I love how God speaks to us individually with a story that is thousands of years ago. He is the same today as He was then. Always delivering on His promises.
Amen
This is how I fight my battles! On my knees, praying, fasting, praising, trusting…
Beautiful words Ginny!
So grateful for forgiveness today!
Father go before be in battle today and always. In Jesus name, Amen
King Jehoshaphat put reformes in place to keep God’s laws but the people’s hearts were not so easy to change. They rebuilt the high places after the king had them destroyed.
We are no different. Even if we had righteous leaders and just laws, we would still need to repent for not worshipping the Lord only.
Thak goodnes for His long-suffering mercy.
B still and know that I am your God. He is my God, Father, salvation, comfort , friend, and so much more. Thank you Lord
I find it interesting that his mother Azubah is mentioned, with her mother. Yet, when I try to find significance, I can’t find anything in commentaries. Anyone else have better insight? Women aren’t usually mentioned unless there’s a purpose or connection. So curious!