But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel,
“First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
I Kings 22:5
Jehoshaphat was the son of King Asa and the fourth king of the southern kingdom of Judah. We like to classify folks, especially Bible people, as good or bad. But the reality is that all of us are a mixture of both! King Jehoshaphat was no exception. He is considered a good king because he did make some good choices, but he also made some poor choices, as well.
He made an alliance with the northern Kingdom of Israel when he allowed (or perhaps, arranged) a marriage between his son, Jehoram, and Ophelia, the daughter of the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. That would certainly be a decision worthy of a mark in the “minus” column.
In the passage we are looking at today (I Kings 22), Jehoshaphat first gets it wrong, but quickly rebounds to make it right.
King Ahab decides it’s time to take back Ramoth Gilead from the Arameans. (It’s interesting to note that King Ahab had just been allied with the Arameans to fight the Assyrians. But now that the Assyrian threat no longer exists, he is ready to turn on his allies.)
In I Kings 22:4, King Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to help him fight the Arameans to take Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat quickly and graciously agrees:
“I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
But then his second thought—which should have been his first—is to check in with the Lord.
Oh, how often have we quickly agreed before consulting God? And it’s not just bad things. Sometimes it is a good thing we quickly agree to do, but perhaps not things the Lord has for us. What motivates us? Are we honored to be asked? Is there pride in our yes?
Do we feel guilty to say no? If so, could that be illegitimate guilt?
Do we have the desire to do the thing? If so, we need to examine our motives. Is this to fuel my ego? Is my motive to make me feel better about myself? Am I looking to impress others?
Many times, while raising our children, God pulled me back. He kindly taught me that saying no to a committee chairman or Christian leader with a ministry opportunity was actually saying yes to my family.
My best “yes” must always be the one I give to God. My eyes must be ever on Him. Seeking Him first means checking with him first. It ensures that I am protected.
Here are four reasons (and you may think of even more) to seek Him first before giving a yes to an invitation to serve:
- Protection for the ministry.
If I’m launching out on my own, then when life gets full and stressful, this may be the first thing I abandon. There’s no Holy Spirit power to keep me going because I said “yes” in my strength, and the ministry I committed to serve will suffer for it. - Protection from exhaustion.
If my yes was in the flesh, there’s no spiritual power. It’s foolish to believe God will bless an assignment He did not give me. Even if I stick it out, my work will be frustrating because I’m plowing ahead in my own strength and that will lead to exhaustion and frustration. - Protection from distractions.
When we say yes to anything other than His assignments, those obligations can distract us from assignments that are God-given and God-ordained. - Protection from the flesh.
Checking in with God before committing keeps us abiding in Him. Seeking HIS will and HIS way keeps us in alignment with Him and protects us from our own flesh.
Psalm 25:15 says,
“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”
Only by keeping our focus on Him can we be protected from our own pride, ego, and mixed or selfish motives.
Are you and I keeping our eyes “ever on the Lord”? Are we seeking His counsel before making a decision or giving an answer? Why not make this a commitment for 2024?
Hebrews 11:6 says:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
In Friday’s devotional video, Laura unpacked this powerful verse from our January SEEK bookmark. We invite you to watch today as she challenges us to seek Him in 2024 and discover the reward that comes with our seeking.
We may be nearly halfway through January, but it is not too late to join us for the remainder of the month as we focus on how the word “seek” is used in scripture. Just visit our Downloads page, where you’ll find our Write the WORD: Seek bookmark and optional S.O.A.P. study pages, as well as other helpful free resources for your heart and home.
