II Chronicles 17:3 “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;”
Do you remember the “good ole’ days”? I can appreciate some of the sentiment in the “good ole’ days”, but if you live in the good ole’ days-if you live in the past-you will cease to live in the present. King Asa sought the Lord early and often, but we read of a gradual winding down in both his trust in the Lord and his success as a king. His son, Jehoshaphat, reigned after him, and we read in II Chronicles 17 that Jehoshaphat “walked in the first ways of his father David.”
“First ways” speaks of direction and decisions. Which is it? Does your direction determine your decisions; or do your decisions determine your direction? The answer is, Yes! Your direction in life will influence your decisions, and the decisions you do make will affect your direction.
In addition, a positive always requires a negative. Jehoshaphat “walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim.” First ways are positive; they are right. Seeking direction from Baalim is wrong. They are mutually exclusive! Deciding to follow God’s way about your family or your money means you cannot follow the world’s advice, too!
“First ways” speaks of doings. Notice the words “walked” and “sought”-those are words of doing. God is not just concerned with where you are and which way you are heading. He is the God of the Living-He is the God of Now. It was important what Jehoshaphat chose to do, and it is likewise important what we chose to do.
“First ways” speaks of God’s ways. Verse 6 in this chapter is an interesting verse. The Bible says, “And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: . . .” Usually a heart being lifted up is not a good thing in the Bible, but in this case, it seems to be a very good thing. His heart was turned and tuned in to the ways of the Lord.
We all have longings best viewed in the rearview mirror. But there has to be something ahead. If your life is always about “It used to be . . .”, you will never see the destination ahead. “First ways” speaks of destinations. The Bible says, “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he . . . Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand. . . .” The word “because”points behind, and the word “therefore” looks forward.
There might be elements of the good things in II Chronicles 17 that happened in your past, but may God help us all to follow the “first ways” today afresh and anew.
Prayer Requests:
1. Protection and provision for staff
2. Salvation of unsaved Deaf, teen, and junior campers
3. Praise-26 campers saved last week in our Youth/Junior/Deaf camps!
Camp Quotes:
Regarding a good name . . . “The choices you make determine the name you choose.” (Prov. 22:1)
-Evangelist Troy Carlson