2 Chronicles 17:3–5: “Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.”

October 4th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Jehoshaphat, the 4th king of Judah, was a powerful and godly king. He followed the ways of his great-grandfather King David and sought God, so the Lord blessed him and established his kingdom. The nation of Judah grew strong and prospered under his reign, but the biggest legacy he left behind was the spiritual revival that came to the nation. Sadly, Jehoshaphat let his guard down by hanging out with the godless King Ahab. His social ties were too strong and too close to enable him to differentiate between friend and foe, and his judgment became clouded.

There is an old fable that illustrates this danger. A scorpion, being a poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river. “Are you crazy?” exclaimed the turtle. “You’ll sting me while I’m swimming and I’ll drown.” “My dear turtle,” laughed the scorpion, “if I were to sting you, you would drown, and I would go down with you. Now, where is the logic in that?” “You’re right,” cried the turtle. “Hop on!” The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle said resignedly, “Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there was no logic in your stinging me. Why did you do it?” “It has nothing to do with logic,” the drowning scorpion replied sadly, “It’s just what is in my heart.”

“LORD, help us to pick our friends wisely and trust You above all others.”